lock until we stopped in front of a w

by a string to his swim trunks, and unlocked the r

rd, with fruit trees, overgrown flowering bushes, and tiki torches, none of them lit. There was also a tiny concrete pond that water

he unlocked the front

a decades-old couch, along with a battered TV –

e to call the po

e what had happened earlier if I wanted those assholes caught. And especially i

. I’m

the cell phone up to his ear. Someone apparently answered, b

averted his eyes. He didn’t

m. I didn’t even wa

ult on a woman. My

McLa

e n

and looked at me questio

ne Worth

he’s okay, but we thought we should report it, so you can catch the

his pocket. “Well, the cops are comin

asses sat on the countertop, but otherwise it was clean. There was a spice r

id. “I need to g

of rubbing alcohol, cotton swabs, rolls of gauze, and other odds and ends. He arranged everything

water. He squirted a couple of dollops of hand soap onto my pal

ith your knees

his sink counter. After I was finished, he uncapped the rubbi

w wide. “Do

like you got any dirt out, but we need

hands back. “I don’

sternly. “I know it’s going to sting, bu

I said, and tried t

“what did you think se

completely forgot what

oured the alcohol

AH!” I

,” he commanded. “Make s

d angrily as I doused m

o your knees now, and I don’t think

pat my knees with an a

as though he were talking to a child. “Dry eve

prisingly soft – not what I would have thought a surfer’s hands would be like at al

night had he not been there, my voice choked up with

he emotion in my voice, but he seeme

ed me. They

ve happened was too horrible

about what could have happen

up so that it stayed in place. “We’ll leave your knees the way they are, but yo

uncomfortable in the silence. “So… it’s okay t

an off-handed way, “Gu

bbed me the wrong way. “Well, if it’s too much trouble, call

aid, and turned towards the k

ff. “Should I be drinking

” he asked as he disapp

ea

ing a drink. What do you want?”

“What do

metal fridge open an

o, a couple di

ake a C

t! A few seconds later, he reappeared with

f the glass through my band

place, I could reach out my bedroom window

g in your bedroom?” he

“Nothing – I just meant

least I didn’t

I yelled, though I was lau

” He wiggled his eye brows, and I

his head towards the front do

uh

outside the house and into the t

imbs, and pulled down a lime. He turned around

nd barely

with a grin. “Even i

ays reproving look

inted out. “Don’t we need a

hen crushed it in his powerful hand. A stream of juice flowed out and dr

lot?” I asked, more su

in a well-worn fabric deck chair by the fountain. “There’s plenty more

crush my lime – but it

d held out his ha

tched as his powerful hand cl

tle underneath

am of juice trickled out of his

There’s nothing quite like a cold Corona with

te lighter, and sparked it up. One by one he lit the tiki tor

” I mu

ck on the ground. Then he leaned back in his seat, took a sip

s Ka

ed. “You

erine. But nobody calls

ay. So,

s funny. “So, Ian,” I s

ned up the tiniest bit in a

lly. I just moved t

ad quite the ti

d the slightest bit. “You know

raised slight

of it’ isn’t somethi

should throw in a ‘brah’

y, apprehensive that we we

“It’s from Hawaii. Probably p

really don’t tal

,” he said,

ful. “You know, I want t

ld, it’s

’ve

– to become the slig

ea

h isl

ost of

t strange

all

ea

u surfed

es

out. Why was he being so c

ut of his pocket and looked at the scre

it?” I asked as he stuffed

N

girl?” I

e said

take it i

to,” he said, then took

u

do besides su

n,” he said, with a hint of a s

in distress,

siona

. “Well, I’m glad I got you

t out towards me. “To chance

st his. “To chance encoun

meeting really hot surfer guys, b