you know.”
“Mandatory, once he said he loved you.”
“That’s the way we feel.”
“Who’s the bridesmaid? ” she asked.
“Orson, ” I said.
“We’re deep into gender confusion.”
“Want to be best man? ” I asked.
“Sure, unless, when the time comes, I’m up to my ass in angry monkeys or
something. Take some waves, Snowman.” I got to my feet, picked up my
board, said, “I’d leave Bobby standing at the altar in a minute, if I
thought you’d marry me instead, ” and headed for the surf.
She let me get about six steps before she shouted, “Was that a proposal”
“Yes! ” I shouted.
“Asshole! ” she shouted.
“Is that an acceptance? ” I called back to her as I waded into the sea.
“You don’t get off that easy. You owe me a lot of romancing.”
“So it was an acceptance? ” I shouted.
“Yes! ” With surf foaming around my knees, I turned to look back at her
as she stood there in the light of the Coleman lantern. If Kaha Huna,
goddess of the surf, walked the earth, she was here this night, not in
Waimea Bay, not living under the name Pia Klick.
Orson stood beside her, sweeping his tail back and forth, obviously
looking forward to being a bridesmaid. But then his tail abruptly
stopped wagging. He trotted closer to the water, raised his head,
sniffed the air, and gazed at the warship anchored outside the mouth of
the bay. I could see nothing different about the vessel, but some change
evidently had drawn Orson’s attention and concern.
The waves, however, were too choice to resist. Carpe them.
Carpe noctem. Carpe aestusseize the surf.
The night sea rolled in from far Tortuga, from Tahiti, from Bora Bora,
from the Marques as, from a thousand sun-drenched places where I will
never walk, where high tropical skies burn a blue that I will never see,
but all the light I need is here, with those I love, who shine.
about the author.
Dean Koontz is the author of a dozen #1 New York Times bestsellers,
including Sole Survivor and Intensity. He lives in southern California.
Correspondence for the author should be addressed to, Dean Koontz P.O.
Box 9529 Newport Beach, CA. 92658.
the end.