Mr. Mitchell: Chapter 33

Isqueezed into the wetsuit and took out a board that was a little longer than Jim’s. Hopefully, Collin didn’t have a special attachment to the one I initially thought was Jim’s other board. If I jacked it up, it was on my dumbass for thinking I still had it when it came to surfing.

I paddled out and duck-dived a wave that curled over me. It was a good sign that at least that part came back to me naturally. Then I was out past the breaks and paddling to where I saw Jim’s brother, waving while the three guys sat on their boards, catching a break.

“And she comes out to make us all look like fools?” Collin—the one I’d met for a few minutes at the medical conference—said. “Good to see you again, Avery.”

“You too,” I said, pulling myself up to straddle the board and watch the ocean currents. “They’re breaking nicely. I never thought Malibu got this kind of action.”

“You’d be surprised,” Jake said as everyone kept their eyes on the currents. “It was that storm over the Pacific that went south this week. We’re pretty much on the last of the good tidings that it brought the coastline.” He smiled at me. “You know I lost a bet over you today?”

“What, that I wouldn’t show?” I asked, hands in the water, keeping the board in place.

“No, that my brother wouldn’t get his ass back up on the board.”

“He looked badass out here.” I smiled.

“Yeah, it’s nice to have him out again,” Jake said, then splashed water over at Alex. “Your two dumbasses left the therapeutics of the water for far too long.”

Alex nodded in my direction. “We’ve got this one to thank,” he said with a laugh. “I swear to God, you’ve changed my best friend entirely.”

I shook my head. “I’m glad he’s enjoying life. Guess he and that phone finally broke up.”

“Not just that.” Alex grinned over at Jake and me. “Remember how he was going to rip into that entire team on Monday for fucking up Palm Springs?”

“Did he fire them?” Collin laughed.

“He showed a fucking thirty-minute cartoon instructional video about doing your job and doing it right.”

“Shut the fuck up.” Jake laughed and arched an eyebrow at me. “Avery Gilbert, saving jobs and CEOs’ overworked lives.”

I laughed and looked at Alex in disbelief. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Nope. I expected an hour of Jim chewing asses out, and if anyone dared to speak up? Fired. All that shit. Instead, he brings in all of them and then makes everyone watch that stupid thing.”

“What did he tell them afterward?” Collin asked while laughing.

“That he hoped it wasted their time as much as they wasted his time when he was doing their jobs on Saturday. Then he chewed into them a bit but ended it on some sweet note about appreciating everything they do. It was pretty good, tactic-wise, but it wasn’t typical Jim.”

“Well, then.” I laughed. “Maybe I’ll make a few friends at the office from the upper floors.”

Alex smirked. “Nah.” He shook his head. “The only friends you need on those floors—the only two who are worth a damn—are Jimmy and me.”

“All right, enough bullshitting. We’re wasting Avery’s waves,” Jake said. “Are you waiting on it to die down some?”

“Just trying to pick the one that’s not going to kill me. It’s been ten years.”

“Ten years is nothing,” Collin said. “You’ve got this. Pick your wave, and we’ll watch for anyone trying to drop in on you.”

“All right,” I said, watching the sets that were rolling in.

I laid on the board and started paddling with the water rolling nicely with me. The wave was setting up, and as it began to crest, I forced everything from my arms and was half-thrilled and half-surprised when I hopped directly onto my feet. The shorter the board, the more the work, so I had to be quick to get my feet settled and balanced as I dropped down onto the wave. The drop was a good six feet, and my stomach felt it.

I lost focus with the excitement of getting up on the board for the first time in years and getting it right. The curl was on my ass now, and I was about to get rolled. Fuck! I bailed before I got buried, diving off the board and going with the undercurrent.

I popped up as soon as another wave broke right behind the one that almost kicked my ass. I started aggressively paddling out, knowing I was in what I called the fucked zone and instantly ducked another breaking wave. Thank God I was a runner because otherwise, there’s no way in hell I would’ve had the stamina for this.

“Almost!” Jake called out. “Going for more?”

I smiled, sitting on the board. “This feels like reuniting with an old friend. Can’t leave her just yet.”

Collin laughed. “Flex would marry you here and now after saying that shit.”

“Flex?”

“Our Tahitian surfer buddy. The dude is badass. He surfs all over the world.”

“Got it,” I said. “Yeah, don’t fuck with the Polynesian surfers. They are seriously one with the water.”

“Speaking of which…” Alex looked back. “Setting up well again for you. Better take it before Jakey or Coll start getting greedy.”

“Good point,” I said.

I turned, feeling the exhilarating sensation of the board being pushed by the water. This one was more aggressive, and I had to kick up my paddling with the current a notch. Once I found the break, I popped up—faster this time—dropped down, and focused on enjoying the ride this time instead of the fact that I could get up. I leaned back some and carved the water—nice fucking board—and rode next to the wall as the wave curled over me. The familiar sound it made—like banging on a hollow pipe—surrounded me. Now, it was time to stay ahead of the water that was on my ass. I put more pressure on my front foot, crouched down, and sped up the board. It felt like such a rush, needing to beat the powerful water that was crashing in on itself behind me.

Come on, I thought, crouching more, knowing I was inches ahead of where the water was crashing. Now, it was just me and the wave I chose. Nothing else mattered but beating this. I was only zeroed in on outrunning the tunnel. Once I made it through, I instinctively threw both hands in the air, and before I ended up sinking in the whitewash, I cut back on the shoulder of the wave and dropped down, paddling out some and kissing the board.

“Fucking hell!” I heard one of the guys say as I paddled over to them.

Jake met me with a high five, and I grinned. “Wow, guess that makes two of us who still have it after all these years,” I said, looking for Addy on the shore. I smiled when I saw her holding onto Jim’s hand and jumping up and down. “So sweet that he had her watch me,” I said, mainly to myself.

“You killed that,” Collin said. “Are you taking another?”

I brushed water over my forehead and face. “I’m not conditioned to sit out and surf all day. Just needed to beat the hell out of a wave and feel victorious for a second.”

“You looked great,” Jake said. “Tell Ash I’m riding one more then I’ll be in behind you.”

That afternoon we were all relaxed and sat around talking about random shit. Addy stole Jim away from me more than once, obsessed with her sandcastles and digging for treasures that she and Jim were using great imaginations to find.

While they were occupied, it gave me time to get to know Ash more, and it didn’t take long to feel like we connected really well on a friendship level. She told me about the struggle of losing her mom to cancer, almost losing her dad, and how Jake was pretty much her saving grace. Their story was beautiful, and I could definitely relate to her about finding herself—virtually overnight—in a relationship with a gazillionaire. Neither of us came from a champagne and caviar background, so it was nice to bond over that.

I didn’t go into great detail about my life history. God only knew that my past wasn’t something I liked to drop on people, and that was more to save them from feeling uncomfortable. Most people didn’t know how to react, and I didn’t want the pity anyway. I only gave the highlight reels of how I was a runaway after being stuck in a shitty foster home, rebelled outrageously, and practically lived in the ocean for years in Santa Cruz. Even if I didn’t think it was a depressing subject, the truth was that I wasn’t very comfortable opening up to people. I guess that’s what happens after being on your own for so long. Maybe it was out of fear of judgment, or perhaps it was self-protection to avoid talking about the trauma of it all, but either way, that was all I was comfortable sharing for now.

As I listened to Ash talk about her mother, my heart went out to her. Ash had had a close relationship with her mother, and she gave up college and all of her young-adult prospects to take care of her while she was dying. I always imagined there was a special place in heaven for people who sacrificed so much to care for other people. That kind of sacrifice wasn’t something I’d ever experienced—certainly not from my mother—so I couldn’t relate to Ash’s experiences in that way, but listening to her story gave me a look into what kind of person she was. I knew instantly that people like her were rare, and it didn’t surprise me one bit that Jim’s brother didn’t want to let her go. After hearing her story and the story of how Jake and Ash got together, watching them interact reaffirmed to me that love truly could conquer all.

I smiled at how corny that phrase could sound. I’d heard it a million times, but I never believed it. Not until now. Not until I felt myself growing wildly in love with this man who treated my daughter as if she were his own. I desperately wanted to hang onto this forever, but I had to remain as level-headed as I could, and thank God for Jim’s patience in that. It proved to me that the man cared for me, and Addy, on a level that I might never understand.

“Collin,” I heard Alex say as I lay on the lounge chair, eyes closed and soaking up the sun. “What’s up with you today?”

“What’s that?” Collin said, close to where I was laying on my stomach, in and out of sleep since Jim was with Addy, and he insisted I relax while they help Ash bury Jacob.

“You’re quiet today, and you hardly surfed. You okay?”

“Meh, it’s nothing,” he answered. “Still dealing with the bullshit of the company. That woman who took it over is like the devil in fucking stilettos. Evil as hell.”

I heard Alex laugh. “She’s hot as hell.” I leaned up on my elbows as the guys talked, watching the surf roll in. “Maybe that’s the problem. Jim and I met with her more than once. She’s a businesswoman. It’s to be expected.”

I looked over at Collin, who was wearing his trendy shades and staring at Alex. “A businesswoman who treats me like a fucking dumbass because I’m not stepping into my dad’s shoes. She can go to hell, and she’s lucky I haven’t used Jim’s headhunters to replace her.”

Alex’s eyes drifted toward mine, and he smiled. “Collin lost his dad pretty recently. His dad ran a similar company to Jim’s. In fact, Collin’s dad helped Jim deal with the loss of his father, Howard, and he helped Jim takeover Mitchell and Associates as CEO. He was a no-bullshit kind of guy.” He looked at Collin, who was smiling at the commotion of the others as they buried Jake in the sand. “Which is why he set her as his VP. I think you just have a little ego problem with her, or is there more to your story with Tate?”

“Yeah, no.” Collin dismissed the question.

I could tell the guys were holding back, and it cracked me up. They didn’t know me, so the breaks were on.

“Shit,” Alex said, looking out to where Jim was, and I startled as Jake busted out of his sand burial grounds and acted like a monster coming for Addy. “Hey, Mitch.”

Jim’s smile and laugh were contagious as Addy ran to him for protection, and he caught her from the sand monster, Jake. “What’s up?” Jim said as Jake and Ash walked out to the shore.

“Check out the bar. It looks like more sea scum washed up on shore.”

Jim’s eyebrows pulled together behind the silver frames of his aviators, forcing me to look into the mob of people at the oceanside bar.

“Hey, Avery,” I heard Jim say, his voice lighter than expected.

“Momma! Mom, mom,” Addison said in my face now that I had turned and sat up.

“What, kiddo?” I said, accepting her puckered lips for a kiss. “You having fun?”

“So much fun,” she said, balling her hands into fists. Then the look came as soon as the tall man’s shadow showed up. “Guess what, Momma. Guess what I know?”

“Addy,” Jim said in some funny voice I’d never heard him use before. “She might not like it.”

“Like what? What are you two up to?”

Addy leaned toward my ear and whispered, “Jim likes you, Momma.”

“He’s going to be my friend too?” I dropped my legs over the edge of the lounge chair, where Jim sat next to me. “Hey, I thought he was Mitch?” I laughed, looking at Jim.

“Turns out, I’m Jim. Jim’s cooler because he surfs,” Jim said as he ran his hand over my warm back, my insides tingling with the few times I’d been touched by him today.

“How’d we manage that one?” I asked as Addy left me and walked over to where Collin was now at her service, pulling a juice box from the ice chest for her. Addy had four gorgeous men at her service all day, and it was only two in the afternoon.

“Jake started the rumor, and it took off.”

I laughed and was shocked when Jim’s lips captured mine, his hand cupping my side, bringing me against his warm, firm body. “I love you,” he whispered, and it sent a shiver down my spine. “So much.”

He finished with a discreet kiss to my forehead. I looked into the dark frames of his sunglasses through mine. “Me too. You’ve been unbelievable today with Addy. All of you have been.”

“She’s a spark of energy that we all needed after this long week. I have a question, though,” he said, and he looked at me as if he were scared out of his mind.

“I’ll answer it if you tell me what the hell is at the bar. I was going to head up with Ash and see if they had some ice cream or nachos or something.”

Jim eyed the bar. “Some chick I hooked up with a while ago. Everyone hated her. I was too stupid to see why. She leeched on and was one of the ones who joined forces and tried to ruin Jake’s life.” He smirked at me. “Like Alex said, sea scum. She’s probably trolling the area for some poor soul who can’t see through her Chanel sunglasses.” He grinned. “My wallet’s over there. Take it and get whatever you want. They have awesome margaritas if you want to pair that up with your nachos.”

“That sounds refreshing.”

“Hell,” Jake said, walking towards the cooler, cracking open a bottle of water, “it’s always five o’clock somewhere.”

“What was your question before?”

“What do you think about me putting on Addy’s wetsuit and life vest and letting her ride the board some?”

“You’re not taking her out deep, are you?”

He rolled his bottom lip into his teeth. “Would you get pissed if I coerced the guys to follow me out after she’s played on it some and learned to balance on her knees, and we rode that longboard in together?”

“You’re out of your fucking head.”

“The rip currents aren’t bad,” he said like he was a kid himself.

I looked out at the water. He was right. The currents were mellow, and the waves were breaking long and nicely for a simple ride in. If he had the guys out there with him, I knew they’d spot him with Addy. The longboard had more surface and was much easier to stay on because of that. I glanced around, seeing that the lifeguards were on deck as well, which was good. She had a life jacket and would be surrounded by four experienced surfers and lifeguards too.

“How about this,” I started, “why don’t you clear it with the lifeguards in the tower? They see the breaks farther out. If they think it’s okay for you to act like some Hawaiian, bringing his kid out to surf on the same board as him, then I’ll be okay with the idea. Everyone has to be out there, though.”

“You want to join us?” he asked.

“I’ll stand on the shore with my phone set to 911 in case it all goes south.”

“All right.” Jim kissed my temple. “Oh, and yes, Addy asked me if I had a crush on you.”

“Your answer?” I laughed.

“I said that I had the biggest crush ever.”

“You both are too much.” I kissed the warm skin of his shoulder. “I need to spray Addy down with more sunscreen and put it on her face.”

“I’ll get the wetsuits.”

“After you talk to the lifeguards.” I smiled at him.

After everything had been cleared with the lifeguards, the four men walked out to the water with Addy—her personal bodyguards—and Ash and I walked up through the gated area where you could drink on the beach.

I ordered the loaded nachos and a margarita and got Ash her ginger ale, leaving Jim’s wallet back at the beach site. Excellent of him to offer, but I had to pay for something.

“Is this a pregnancy craving?” I asked with a grin, handing her the drink.

She sipped it and smiled. “I guess so. I’ve found myself loving it lately. We have a whole ice chest full of it, so I don’t know why I ordered one.”

I held my plastic cup up to hers. “It just wouldn’t taste the same if you brought the drink to the bar.”

I glanced out at the ocean and laughed, seeing Jim pulling Addy around on the massive-ass longboard that was brought out. “Damn, that thing is huge.”

Ash chuckled. “I learned on that,” she said. “Then, apparently, I became a natural and played on it all day.”

“How’d you like it?”

“You were right about missing an old friend by being out there with the water. I only had a day out and had the time of my life. Something about the force of the water pushing that board? It’s awesome.” I watched her run her hand over her stomach. “But this little treasure decided to butt in and slow it all down.”

“Wait until you first meet that little treasure,” I said with a smile, looking out at Addy. “You’ll wonder how you ever lived without your child all these years.”

“Excuse me? Is that you, Ashley Taylor?” I heard a woman ask.

I turned and almost jumped when I saw large glasses, a big as fuck sun hat, and bright red lipstick. Her dark lenses hid her eyes, and I couldn’t help but wonder what her makeup looked like under the shades. Her sheer, leopard print cover-up was over a black swimsuit with a matching leopard print belt. I couldn’t stop staring—this was more than I’d ever seen on a beach before. Her long, porcelain legs were held up by strappy stilettos. Talk about extra. This woman was doing the most.

What the fucking hell, I thought, leaning back so Ash could have a conversation with this lady.

“It’s Ashley Mitchell now, Lillian,” Ash said politely, but with some irritation in her voice too. “Shocked to see you out today.”

“Yeah,” she said, her dark, bug-eye glasses looking in my direction. “Who’s your friend?” She leaned against the bar while I took another sip of my margarita, “Or should I ask it differently, who’s Jim’s new friend?”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I said in a low voice, not in the mood for some rich snob to mess up the beautiful day I was having. “I’m Avery.”

I turned back to look at Jim, and Addy was following all his rules as I’d instructed her to do.

“Someone has quite the mouth,” she said, trying to get into my peripheral.

“What do you want, Lillian? I can’t imagine why you have the nerve to speak to me at all after what you pulled,” Ash said.

“Well.” She cleared her throat. “I noticed Jim with that child. I had no idea he had a child.”

I pinched my lips and was so annoyed with this woman’s fake as fuck snob tone that I was ready to abandon my nachos at this point.

“That child is mine, lady,” I said, intently focused on Jim and Addy. “Anything else?”

“Unbelievable,” she said. “I just—I didn’t know—”

“There’s a lot of things you don’t know, Lillian,” Ash said. “Like when to stay the hell out of people’s business.”

“I’m just wondering now if that child is the reason Jim broke it off with me.”

I pulled off my sunglasses and looked at the woman with disbelief. “Are you serious? I just met you, and I can point out a few reasons why he might’ve broken it off with you that have nothing to do with my child, the first of which is the fact that you’re at the beach, dressed up like you’re about to step onto a runway for fashion week,” I said, reaching my limits when I probably shouldn’t have been. This woman was annoying as fuck. “God, lady, what do you want?” I asked her directly.

“You heard my question!”

“And you heard Avery’s response. Since Avery doesn’t know you as I do—my super sweet ex-boss—” Ash’s voice dripped with sarcasm and irritation, “the fact that you’re a shady snake who reveled in the destruction of his brother’s life and career doesn’t exactly shoot you up on the marriage proposal list. Get a clue, and stop living in the past.”

“And speaking of putting things in the past,” I stood and Ash followed, and I grabbed my nachos. “Have a good one.”

“She’s a heartless bitch,” Ash said as we walked away, leaving the woman standing there speechless.

“How fucking weird do you have to be to be her? Jim must’ve been super desperate to have that woman around.”

Ash laughed. “I think I speak for everyone when I say that Jim befriending her was a massive mistake. There’s something about her and even Jake’s crazy ex before me. They give the lovely women who have money a bad reputation.”

“Well, if Jim was in that no gold-diggers allowed club, he was certainly blind to how fake that broad is.” I laughed.

Ash and I sat on the edge of the lounge chairs, and I almost dropped my nachos when the men were lying on their boards and paddling out.

“Good God, I’m going to have a heart attack,” I said.

“No kidding. Hold on, little Addy,” Ash said as we both watched them paddle out to deeper waters.

I glanced over to both lifeguard towers, the guards leaning on the rail of their tower, eyes concealed behind sunglasses but watching the guys. The water was moving and breaking so smoothly that I chilled out a bit. Jim had this. I watched him surf earlier, and Addy was perfectly positioned on the front of the longboard. Her hands gripped each side, and she sat perfectly still, butt molded against her ankles.

I looked out farther to where the guys were spotting Jim for the wave to take so that Jim could focus on Addy. Fucking hell. This was the coolest thing in the world, but scarier than shit.

The waves are breaking nicely. Clean breaks, Avery. Fucking breathe. I set my nachos to the side and stood. Ash walked down to the shoreline, where kids were playing like normal children on boogie boards, but not my kid. My kid was out with an even bigger kid about to fucking surf.

I watched intently, seeing Jake’s hand go up. They were taking this set. Jim started paddling well with the push of the wave, and Addy’s smile was brighter than I’d ever seen it. Her body was secure on the board while the wave started to crest. A two-foot wave, I think. It wasn’t a significant drop. Just a wave to get Jim up on the board and steer it in while the water pushed him in. It broke into the foam, pushing the board after Jim got up. Addy stayed down while they both surfed the wave in together.

I clapped and cheered from the shore, proud that Addy didn’t let my cheering them on distract her. She was in her own world, surfing with Jim. It was so damn beautiful. They’d survived. Addy was one with the board, hunched on her knees, and I could tell Jim had to have researched this shit to make sure he got Addy out surfing.

“Damn it! I didn’t even record this.”

“Got it for ya,” Ash said. “Look at the guys,” she laughed, holding her phone up and getting this on video.

“This is the sweetest thing in the world,” I said, watching Jake, Alex, and Collin, diving off their boards and screwing off with the small waves.

“You did it!” I held my hands up and did a little happy dance for Addy while Jim jumped off the board and ruffled her hair.

“Again?” He held his hand out for permission.

I gave him the thumbs up. They had this. Addy was responsible, and following the rules, so I could trust this now. Jesus Christ.

The four guys came in, telling Addy’s fish stories for her. My child was stealing everyone’s hearts today. I watched in humor as Jim and Addy took the waves as best buddies would.

It went on like this for about twenty minutes until I heard a commotion coming from behind.

“Avery!” I heard Derek’s voice growl.

“What the hell?” I said, my heart beating so fast I thought I might pass out. “Derek?” I asked, seeing him storm onto the beach like a lunatic. “How the fuck did you know where to find me?”

“Cell phone tracker, bitch. Addy has the phone I bought her. I don’t need to wonder where my daughter is when she’s out with you.”

“Hey,” I heard Jake say, “why don’t you take your shit back home, man?” He walked in front of me, guarding me against Derek.

My first instinct was to fight Derek angrily, but the humiliation of him coming here like this—in front of Jim and his friends and family—made me freeze up. I couldn’t fucking believe he’d planted a phone in Addy’s backpack to track us down. I wanted to scream at him and freak the fuck out, but I crumbled. Addy was going to see all of this too. My full-blown dysfunctional life was on blast, and nothing good was going to come from what was about to happen.

“Get the fuck out of my way,” Derek said. “Why is that mother fucker in the water with my daughter? Fuck you, Avery!”

“You’re high,” I heard Collin say. I helplessly sank into my chair as Jim came to shore right when hell was beginning to break loose.

The next thing I knew, the guys were holding off my high as could be, train-wreck of an ex while the lifeguards and the beach patrol couldn’t get here fast enough.

“Fuck you!” Derek said as I held Addy, and tears streamed down my face. “Addy, you’re fucking coming with me. Right now!” he barked, then looked at Jim.

I held my hands over Addy’s, not able to fucking think while I watched this disaster take place in front of God and everybody. I prayed that the beach patrol or the goddamn lifeguards would just haul his ass away. I held Addy tightly, and for the first time in my life, I sobbed while holding my daughter. Oh my God, I couldn’t pull it together if I tried.

Derek was a fucking nightmare who would never leave us alone. Never. He wasn’t a human being. He was a lunatic whose brain was fueled by drugs, and he was screaming and trying to engage Jim in a fight—and all while other families and their kids watched with fear for what might happen next.

I couldn’t hide any of it from Addison. Me breaking down, her dad acting like a crazed maniac, I couldn’t hide any of it. It didn’t take but a few seconds for Addy to start crying.

“Come here, baby,” I said, and then I pulled her in and held my little girl as tightly as I could, trying to shield her from watching the disaster unfold.