The Sunflower Experience

EXCERPT:

The cove had a shallow edge along the eastern shore, so that was where everyone headed to exit the water. With the tubes stacked to the side of the small beach, the group spread out to feast on food from their coolers. Some of the girls walked around, offering to share meats and cheeses from their stashes. Someone had brought pickle wraps for all.

Ryker finished his sandwich and pulled a T-shirt from his waterproof bag. He spread it out on the sand and laid his head on it, removed his ball cap, and set it over his face, stacking his hands behind his head. As a chorus of cans cracked open around him, he knew this break would last a while. Might as well take the opportunity for a little nap in the shade.

Too soon, he felt his foot being tugged on. He lifted the ball cap and cracked his eyes open: Johnny. “Come on, man. We’re gonna go up on the bluff.”

Ryker rubbed his face with his hands and propped himself up on his elbows. He watched Johnny and Tyson follow a group of guys to the rear of the cove, where a path snaked up to the top of the bluff. His gaze rested on the group of girls (and Crestin) doing some kind of dance to music blaring from a speaker. “H-O-T-T-O-G-O! Snap and clap and touch your toes!” His eyes widened, then he blinked as he focused on Everleigh specifically. Because she’d just touched her toes with her bikini-clad ass facing him. He wanted to look away, but she moved on to safer choreography, making letters or something with her arms in the air, so he continued to watch. She looked like she was having so much fun, laughing and dancing with her friends, and he wondered how he’d never seen this carefree side of her before.

Honestly, there were several sides of her he’d seen for the first time today. What a shame he never took the time to get to know her. He suddenly felt like he’d missed out on something he didn’t know he wanted. Until now. Until just a few short weeks ago. When it was too late. He looked away toward the guys appearing at the top of the bluff as the chorus started again and he knew she was about to touch her toes.

Ryker stood, shook the sand from his swim shorts, wiped it from his legs, ran a hand through his hair, and walked past the dancing crew to the trail that headed to the bluff. Immediately, he was annoyed with himself when he let his gaze drift to Everleigh’s hips swaying to the music as he passed. He forced his eyes to the trail ahead of him.

“Where are you going?”

He nearly jumped out of his skin when Everleigh of all people popped up beside him, grabbing his arm. He couldn’t deny the charge of electricity that shot through his body at her touch. Pushing the feeling away, he pointed to the trail. “Up on the bluff.”

“Is that where the guys went?”

He nodded.

“Can I come too?”

“I mean, it’s not my bluff.”

She giggled.

He noticed she was a little unsteady on her feet and wondered what number of seltzer was in her hand now. “Are you sure? It gets pretty steep,” he cautioned.

“Well, what’s it like up there? Why is everybody going?”

“Not everybody is going,” he corrected. “Just those of us who want to cliff dive.”

Everleigh pushed her sunglasses up on her head in a swift motion, her hazel eyes alight. “I want to cliff dive!”

He looked at her from the corner of his eye. “Are you sure about that?”

She nodded emphatically, “Absolutely!”

Ryker doubted she’d feel the same way once she got up there and saw how far down the water was, but he decided if she changed her mind, he’d make sure she got back down the path safely. He turned to lead the way when she grabbed his arm again.

“Wait a sec.” She downed the last of her drink in three large gulps, and a dangerous thought crept into his mind.

He wondered if he kissed Everleigh right now, would her lips taste like blackberry? And would he keep kissing her to taste her lips or to taste the alcohol?

Ryker closed his eyes and blanked his mind, scooped up her hand, then led her along the path to the bluff. She was chattering about something, but he refused to let her voice beyond his ears. He was on one mission now: To get her safely to the top of the bluff and back down if she was too scared to jump. That was it.

When they reached the top, she was breathless and clinging to his hand with both of hers. He may have climbed at too fast of a clip for her, but he couldn’t spend any more time in her presence than absolutely necessary. His whole plan to keep his mental toughness in place? It was crumbling. Fast. And he didn’t want to blame Everleigh. It wasn’t her fault. But he blamed her just the same.

“Ryker! You made it!” Johnny called. “And you brought a little friend!”

“Hey, guys!” She waved and took off to the edge where they were gathered.

“We got a newbie!” Ben exclaimed. “You ever cliff dived before?”

She shook her head.

“Oh, you’re in for a treat,” Ben replied. “Just don’t look over the edge before you jump.”

“What? Why?” Everleigh looked at Tyson.

“You’ll be fine. Just follow me. Jump where I jump,” Tyson explained.

“Oh, okay.” She nodded a lot, then almost tripped on a large rock by her foot. Ryker reached out to catch her, but thankfully, she steadied herself. He started to think this really wasn’t a good idea. Maybe she’d had too much to drink. God forbid she got hurt. He’d one hundred percent blame himself for letting her come up here.

“Whoo hoo!” Ben hollered as he ran to the edge of the cliff and jumped off. The echo of his voice cut into a second of silence before the sound of him breaking the water’s surface with a loud splash traveled up to them.

Everleigh’s hand flew to her chest. “Oh my gosh!” She grabbed Johnny’s arm. “How deep is it? I wanna see.”

“Plenty deep if you stay on the western half here. You sure you want to look?” She nodded and continued to hold on to his arm as he walked her over to where the rock abruptly transitioned to wind and air.

“Oh my gosh!” she exclaimed again and spun away from the edge. She swayed and Ryker nearly called out to Johnny to catch her, but she regained control of her body and marched back to him.

Ryker couldn’t handle the stress she was inflicting on him right now.

They heard another splash, followed by another. They watched as Cameron dove over the edge rather than take a running jump like the rest. And then it was just Tyson, Johnny, Ryker, and Everleigh.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to,” Ryker spoke up, thinking he might be more nervous than she was. “I’ll take you back down.”

“No, I want to.”

“You sure?” Johnny teased. “It’s a long way down. And watch out for the rock that juts out halfway down. And make sure you go out far enough but not too far.”

“Ummm . . .” Her brows lifted. “Okay?”

“Seriously,” Ryker tried again. “It’s fine if you don’t want to. None of the girls have done it before.”

“Whoa. Is that a challenge?” A weird timbre entered her voice, and she looked at Johnny and Tyson. “That sounded like a challenge.”

“Like a double-dog challenge,” Johnny confirmed. “See you on the other side!” They watched as he raced off the cliff, kicking his legs in the air before he disappeared from view.

“Your turn,” she told Tyson.

“I’m here for it!” He moved closer to the edge than where Johnny started from. “Let’s go!” he yelled as he ran three steps and propelled himself outward.

Everleigh clapped her hands together and spun around to face Ryker. “You next or me?”

“You go. I want to be here in case you change your mind.”

“Ryker.” She made a face. “You challenged me. I can’t change my mind.”

“I didn’t challenge you,” he argued.

“Pretty sure you did,” she rebutted as she marched to the edge.

And his heart jumped into his throat. He couldn’t let her do this. She’d kill herself. She’d had too much to drink, and she was going to hurt herself.

“No, I didn’t. Now quit playing around. Let’s go.” He motioned toward the safety of the path behind them.

“I’m not playing, Ryker. I’m doing this.”

His stomach lurched. How could he get her away from that ledge? The encouraging hoots and yells from the group below only seemed to excite her more. He inched forward. Maybe he could pull her back without them both falling over the edge.

“I’m ready.” She winked at him. Winked. And before he could get to her, she disappeared.

“Everleigh, no!” Panic squeezed his heart as he rushed to the edge of the cliff, prepared to dive in to her rescue. Ryker couldn’t believe his eyes as she twisted and somersaulted through the air, entering the water below in near perfect form, with barely a sound.

Everyone cheered, but he focused on the water, waiting for her to reemerge.

Five seconds.

Ten.

Ryker didn’t wait for fifteen. He dove in after her.