Free Second Chances by Tracy Younker Page A

feel like just maybe I do know him still.
    Once Parker is back in the boat after his run, Chase finally stands up. He reaches up behind him and pulls his t-shirt over his head and my eyes go wide and my whole body freezes. I gleaned through the snug fitting cotton of his t-shirt that he is well-defined, but seeing his tanned skin, broad shoulders, and beautifully sculpted muscles without it has me practically panting. As he turns just a bit, I can see his chest, which is absolutely gorgeous. Then I notice a tattoo over his left pectoral muscle, and I can't help but stare. He obviously hadn't had it when he left and I wonder when he got it and what it means. I can tell that it is the silhouette of a wakeboarder in a grab but there is something in the center of the board that I can't quite make out. He slides on a life vest far too quickly for my liking, and now I have yet another reason to be left obsessing over him. I find it unnerving to see the evidence of the distance of all these years. I used to know everything about him, and it's a slap in the face to realize that is no longer the case. I need to come to terms with the fact that with four years gone missing, there will be a lot of things that I haven't been a part of. The same goes for him; there are things about me that occurred over the last few years that he doesn't know anything about.
    I grab another beer and head up to the front of the boat. I'm not trying to be close to Parker again, but this spot will give me the best view of Chase.
    And what a view it is. He pops up out of the water and goes directly into a backside corkspin without even getting a feel for the wake or the board he is using. He's flipping and tricking like he was born to do just that and the boys in the boat are screaming their encouragment like we are at some kind of wild sporting event. I can't help the smile that spreads across my face as I watch Chase out there and listen to the noise around me. I watch the muscles of Chase's body move and flex with each spin and trick he performs, and there is no pause or hesitation between them which means his balance and board control are phenomenal. My heart is racing and I can feel a dull ache forming down low in the pit of my stomach. My hormones are going wild over this show, and I've never felt anything quite like it. I may have just found something as addicting as wakeboarding myself--watching Chase do it.
    He is absolutely amazing to watch but I get the feeling that he still isn't putting it all out there. He seems to be holding back just a bit, which I'm sure no one else has picked up on. The only reason I can come up with is because he isn't interested in showing off in front of us while he's out there. He's just doing what he is so obviously talented at and having a great time. I find myself disappointed when he drops the rope and slips down into the water, as if my favorite movie has just come to an end.
    Once Chase is back in the boat, the guys decide to head over to a certain cove where the water is always calm to swim for a while and drink some beers, as if we aren't already doing plenty of that. Parker throws the anchor over the bow of the boat and I watch as Max begins blowing up a floating cooler. He loads it up with beer and tosses it over the side so we won't have to keep climbing into the boat. Boys and their toys. I dive off the bow first and hear a few shouts and splashes behind me as the rest of them jump in, including Sam. For the next few minutes the boat becomes our diving board and we take turns spinning and flipping off of into the water. With the amount of belly and back flops, I feel like we should have a video camera going to capture these stupid human tricks.
    Finally our stomachs hurt so much from laughing that we just float around drinking. The water feels chilly to me after a while so I climb back up into the boat and spread a towel out along the bench seat in the front. I lie down on the towel and enjoy the feeling of