Australian Obsession Read online

  I look down at Elena as we watch him from the competitor’s area. She has a sad look on her face and I give her a kiss on the cheek to try and cheer her up. The photographers are having a field day with us, preparing their stories for tomorrow’s run of The Sydney Morning Herald. Word’s out that we’re engaged and I couldn’t be happier. I’m glad all those other women know I’m taken by the only woman who was ever right for me, and me for her. And more importantly I don’t want any other men looking at what’s mine. With surfing being as big a sport as it is down under, everyone will see this news. That gives no other blokes the excuse to ever lay eyes on what’s mine. Good.

  Eric dominates his first heat, easily winning, and then paddles away to some rocks instead of coming to the shore.

  The TV announcers are already making fun of him, and in some ways I can’t blame them.

  But I’m not going to tolerate it. Not now, and not ever.

  First and foremost he’s my best friend, even though we’ve only known each other a couple of years, and second of all is he’s soon to be my brother-in-law.

  I move over to the press booth, flick off the button that transmits from their microphones to the speakers, and grab the two announcers by the shoulders, giving each a Vulcan death grip, paralyzing them temporarily. “You’re done talking about Eric unless you’re going to talk about how incredibly he’s surfing and how he’s going to be almost impossible to beat today. Do I make myself clear?”

  I loosen my grip slightly so they can both nod. “Don’t make me have to come back over here,” I add, before flipping the transmitting button back on and walking away.

  The announcers immediately start talking about how much Eric has improved since his last contest and how fierce of a competitor he’s going to be today. Good, although I know the other journalists saw what just happened and will be sure to add all the “bad boy” mentions to my engagement article tomorrow. If sticking up for your friends makes you “bad” then I hope they call me the worst. Plus I couldn’t care less. I’ve got my woman and now I’ve got to get my buddy back.

  My manager alerts me that my heat is next.

  I give my woman a big kiss before I move down to the shore. I sign a few autographs for kids and then make my way into the water.

  The opening round heat is easy as the higher seeded surfers compete against lower seeds. I’m able to win quite easily, which reminds me of something.

  Eric is a wildcard entry in this contest. His first round win is that much more impressive as he took out a couple top seeds.

  The man is on a mission today and he won’t stop until he wins.

  The problem is I’m as competitive as they come. This is also my home break. And finally I just got engaged yesterday. This is the first time my woman has watched me surf and I have to win for her.

  I’m a family man now…everything is for us.

  And that prize money sure will help finance our honeymoon to the Maldives. I’ve already got it planned. We’re not going to stay at one of the big resorts though. We’re going to stay at a place tourists don’t know about. Just the two of us completely alone for a week. I doubt we’ll even wear clothes. I can hardly wait.

  But first…her brother.

  CHAPTER 18

  Elena

  Both my brother and my fiancé breeze through all their heats until it’s time for the final.

  I feel kind of bad for Eric. He’s acting like a weirdo, paddling over to that rock after each heat. He’s getting destroyed out there in the sun like that all day, although I do see him smearing on zinc and drinking bottles of water he’s stashed over there. Binoculars are a lifesaver today.

  The horn for the final sounds and I watch as Lachlan tries to paddle closer to Eric, but Eric just ignores him, paddling for the first wave.

  He drops in and rides like I’ve never seen him ride before. He’s been “on” all day, but this is next level. He even does a few aerials that he lands cleanly and is awarded the first perfect score of 10.0 in the entire contest.

  Even from the shore I can see Lachlan raise his hands, hold them overhead, and clap for Eric.

  But Eric isn’t having it, just paddling right back out to get another wave.

  Lachlan goes next and also rides very well, scoring a ten as well. No tens in the entire contest and then two back-to-back.

  Part of me hates seeing these two so angry at each other, but another part of me knows these guys well enough to know that for these thirty minutes they’re in the water together nothing could be better.

  Their anger and competitiveness is on full display and it’s a treat for the crowd. They’ve both channeled all this aggressiveness, competitiveness, and a host of other emotions into their performances, which are blowing everyone’s minds.

  After twenty-seven minutes Lachlan has the narrowest of leads. The way the scoring works is that only your highest scoring two waves count. They each both have a ten so those waves cancel each other out. Lachlan has a 9.9 as his second best wave and my brother has a 9.8. There’s no way my brother can win unless he scores another ten. It’s not looking promising.

  The ocean has gone kind of flat. The guys need a big wave to get a big score. Not only that, Eric took the last wave so Lachlan has priority for the next wave.

  My brother’s done amazingly well, but the ocean is not cooperating any more and time is running out.

  Suddenly the speakers on the beach crack to life as the announcer spots a few big waves forming behind the two men. Lachlan paddles toward it while my brother stays put. What the…?

  The announcer yells something about bigger waves coming from behind, but Lachlan doesn’t seem to pay attention. He takes a pretty good one right at the twenty-nine minute mark and scores a 9.5. It doesn’t change anything.

  Just as the announcer had said, and the surfers can hear those massive speakers in the water, the bigger wave comes roaring in.

  My brother is in perfect position.

  He paddles like a wildman just as Lachlan reaches the shore. There’s no point in him going back out as there is no more time for him to catch another wave.

  The announcer starts counting down the time from ten..nine… until he reaches three.

  “Go!” the crowd yells. Eric has to be standing up and riding before the horn or the wave doesn’t count.

  At two his feet shoot through and he stands at once, just before the horn sounds, not that I think he hears it.

  I’ve seen my brother surf some big waves before during hurricane season, but nothing like this.

  The wave is bigger than anyone expected and it immediately engulfs him in a long, hollow, thick barrel.

  He’s completely disappeared as the wave rolls down the beach.

  A collective sigh comes from the crowd as they know he’s surely wiped out. The wave is too big, and moving too quickly. There’s no way he could keep up.

  People wave dismissive hands toward the ocean and run over to Lachlan to try and take pictures, but he’s not having it.

  “Wait,” I can hear him say as he points at the wave.

  It’s been a solid ten seconds or more now, but Lachlan is staring that thing down with a kind of hope and excitement that is contagious.

  I look out to where the barrel was and don’t see my brother.

  Could it be?

  The crowd starts clapping, whistling, cheering, yelling, and then finally like a bullet out of a gun my brother comes shooting out of the barrel with both fists raised as he claims victory.

  He’s immediately awarded unanimous scores of ten from all judges.

  Lachlan claps from the beach, but moves out of the way, allowing Eric to have his moment as the camera crews run to the shoreline, being careful not to get their gear wet.

  “How does it feel to lose to a wildcard entrant?” one of the media people asks, quick to interview Lachlan back by the contestant’s area.

  “I didn’t lose, mate. Not at all. That man pushed me to one of my best performances ever. We bot
h won, although my hat is absolutely off to him. He’s the champion out there in the water today. But the reality is, and this isn’t a competition between him and I at all, but I’m the biggest winner ever. I’m the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I met the woman of my dreams a week ago, proposed and last night she said yes. Nothing could ever top that.” He leans in and gives me a kiss, the salt water dripping from him onto my skin as I taste the excitement in him. It’s hard to explain, but it’s real…very real.

  Lachlan and I move out to the spectator’s area, but keep our distance, staying back as we watch Eric enjoy the best moment of his life.

  I’m so proud of him. I know he’s worked for this since he was a boy, and I couldn’t be happier for him despite what’s been going on between us lately…or more accurately what hasn’t.

  “Where are Lachlan and my sister?” he says into one of the microphones. “Lachlan? Elena?”

  Lachlan and I look at each other and shrug. I feel Lachlan’s hand take mine and together we move through the crowd to my brother.

  The moment he sees us he runs to us, grabbing us both up in a hug.

  “I was angry at first, but I calmed down and everything was okay. But then I realized I could channel that anger into what happened today. It’s why I stayed away.”

  “Riiiiiight,” I say.

  “I’m serious. Jedi mind trick. It worked.”

  “So that means we’re all good now? That’s what you’re telling us then?” Lachlan adds.

  “We were all good a few hours after I stormed out. I just couldn’t tell you then. I wanted to bottle those first impulse emotions and hold them for an entire week, but now? This was my catharsis. I’m completely good and can’t wait to stop calling you ‘mate’ and start calling you ‘brother’…for real.”

  We all embrace again and I can’t help but feel the tear forming in the corner of my eye.

  “There you have it, folks. Expect to see this as a made for TV movie airing in the next few months or in a Nicholas Sparks novel coming soon.”

  Everyone bursts out laughing, including me.

  “I’m glad to have my brother back,” I say, holding him tight.

  “I never left,” he says.

  I know he’s right. We were all each other had for years, and we’ll always have each other’s back and love each other forever.

  But I’ve also got my true love now.

  Life couldn’t be better now that I’ve got my Australian obsession…forever.

  EPILOGUE

  Elena

  Six months later

  Lachlan steadies my arm as he helps me up the stairs to the front porch of our cabin in the Blue Mountains just outside of Sydney.

  My due date is still three months away, but Lachlan doesn’t want me doing anything. He’s so careful with me and always helping me everywhere, not that we go much of anywhere other than walks these days.

  After all the excitement at the surf contest the three of us all went back to Kill Devil Hills and put the house up for sale. We finished up all our affairs and then all came back to Australia.

  I was able to apply for a fiancé visa with Lachlan, and Eric got a sponsorship deal with an Australian surf company which meant they also sponsored his visa application, which was quickly approved.

  As much as I love where I’m from and especially the people, it’s good to get a fresh start. I sure needed it.

  And the idea that I don’t have to do anything right now other than my only job, which Lachlan says is relaxing and keeping our baby calm, is beyond a breath of fresh air. And the air up here in the mountains is incredible. Connecting with nature and finally calming down after everything I’ve been through is…well, it’s indescribable.

  Just like him.

  Lachlan helps me into our dual loveseat rocking chair on the porch, even though I don’t really need his help just yet. I still don’t mind being waited on though. That’s for sure.

  He quickly moves into the cabin and is back a few seconds later with a pitcher of lemonade and two glasses and joins me right by my side.

  We toast to the good life as we slowly rock the last rays of the sun away, watching her set over the mountaintop.

  With his arm wrapped around me and a gentle kiss on the top of my head I know that this is as perfect as life can be.

  Which is a scary thought, because with our child on the way things can only get better.

  I don’t know how it’s possible that the days just keep getting more amazing and more breathtaking than the next, not to mention these sunsets and these views.

  Then again…yeah, I know. I sure do.

  It’s all because of him. The man I was obsessed with and because I’m the luckiest girl in the world it just so happened that he turned out to be obsessed with me too.

  “I love resting against your chest as we watch these sunsets each night,” I say the words softly rolling off my lips.

  “Good, because this is how it’s going to be for awhile. Once our little bugger comes and we get him or her welcomed into this world out here in the fresh air we’ll head back down into civilization.”

  “That sounds good,” I say.

  “And you know what happens down there?”

  “What happens down there?” I say, wondering where the heck he’s going with this.

  “We make some brothers and sisters.”

  I laugh.

  “Don’t think I’m playing around. Australia has got a lot of wild creatures and when we’re older we’re going to need a lot of protection out here. That’s what our ten kids will help us with.”

  “Ten kids!”

  “Yeah, you’re right. A dozen sounds better.”

  “You’re crazy,” I say, tapping him on the nose.

  “Crazy for you, you and only you,” he says. He sticks his finger in his lemonade and taps me back.

  “Are you trying to sweeten me up?”

  “How could I? You’re already the sweetest girl in the world.”

  “Awww. But I can be a bit of a devil too, at times.”

  “How about now?”

  “How about it?” I wink mischievously.

  He pulls me over onto his lap and carefully helps me move my dress to the side.

  “No panties?” He flicks his eyebrows up and down a few times.

  “I told you I could be bad.”

  “And that’s exactly why you’re so good, so perfect, and so mine,” he says, as our bodies become one, unable to tell where one of us ends and the other begins, just as the sun tucks behind the peaks miles in the distance as we show each other that our love has more than what it takes to go the distance too…for life.

  EXTENDED EPILOGUE

  Lachlan

  Ten years later

  Retiring from professional surfing last year was the best decision I ever made.

  It was hard at the time. I love the sport, being in the water, and knew I was still fit to compete at the highest level.

  But your kids are only young once.

  And instead of thinking about myself and my career, which has already had a great run, why not invest that time in my kids?

  They love the ocean just as much as their dad, and their uncle, which is why Eric and I are out here today surfing with our little grommets and giving them pointers.

  “You have to stand up quicker, buddy,” I say to Lucas. “Paddle harder and then shoot your legs through and get down that line. Don’t focus on the beach, buddy, focus on the wave and going parallel to the beach, not perpendicular.”

  “What’s..perp in dick uler, dad?”

  I laugh. “Sorry. Just go the same direction as the shore, not to it.”

  “Okay!”

  I give him a thumbs up and he’s right back on the next one, trying again.

  Bondi is perfect today. There’s small wave after small wave after small wave and the kids can get in a ton of practice.

  “Whoa!” I say, as Dustin, Eric’s little five-year-old rips right by me. “That kid
is good!” I say.

  “He’s trying to keep up with your Lucas,” he says.

  “It’s good that they can challenge each other, but still be such great friends.”

  “Just like their old men,” Eric says.