The sound of waves cascading onto the sands woke Chris the same way it put him to sleep only a few hours ago. He turned to look at his wife, Sam, as sleep continued to bless her. Lying there still as possible to not wake her, he took in the sight of her. Everything about her still affected him powerfully as it had that first time he saw her four years earlier. His heart continued to beat for her and his love grew stronger and deeper with every breath he took. There was absolutely no doubt he was blessed. He wondered at times if she was an angel from the heavens above.
They were at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Sam had never been, so they decided to enjoy their second wedding anniversary there. Both had taken two weeks off from life back home and had plenty of time to enjoy each other and everything about the beach.
Chris slowly slid out from the covers and walked to the sliding glass doors. A slight chill went through him as he took a deep breath, enjoying the saltiness in the air. He had always loved the beach. Everything about it. The sand that squished between his toes as he walked on the edge where the salty water flowed in and out. The smell in the air that couldn’t be matched any other place on earth. The sound of the waves filling their minds whether they were in bed or relaxing on the balcony. There were so many things he loved about a beach. It didn’t matter which one, but Myrtle Beach was his favorite.
Sitting on a hard-plastic chair, Chris watched a couple of seagulls settle onto wet sand, pecking in search of food. The stars sparkled and shone in the clear skies and he tried to pick out one of the constellations. He had never been good at doing that. Looking to the left his gaze rested on a couple with their dog, walking hand in hand. It was very early, but never too early for two lovers to be out enjoying Mother Nature.
Chris was lost in thought watching the couple and their dog. He thought the dog was a Labrador, running ahead of its owners. His thoughts drifted to what he and Sam would do for the day. It was only their second day with so much to do, but they had no serious plans. He wanted to take Sam to see Ripley’s Believe It or Not Aquarium. He found it on the web and it looked like it would be amazing to see. Sam would have a great time there.
***
Sam Tyler felt her husband leave her side from beneath the soft and warm sheets. She thought about reaching out for him and asking him to stay. To hold her. To make love to her, but she smiled inside and let him go do whatever it was he needed to do. She was only about a quarter of the way awake and easily could have drifted back into the lost land of dreams. Instead she rolled onto her back and opened her eyes to see him walking to the balcony.
Wearing his Dallas Cowboys pajama pants without a shirt, he shuffled along the carpet. She could stare at him all day. Well, maybe not all day she thought as she smiled, but for a long time at least. There had been many times he wasn’t looking when she would stop what she was doing and just observe him. Sometimes he would be washing the car or washing dishes or simply reading the paper, but she did love to watch him.
Chris wasn’t what someone would call gorgeous, like a male model or a movie star or anyone spectacular like that, but to her he was all she wanted and needed. She loved everything about him, even his little quirks. What mattered most was that she knew he loved her just as much and he made her happy. Happier than she had ever been in her life. What was important to her was the love they shared.
As she stared at him from the bed, she watched him facing the beach. A faint breeze blew his blond hair into his eyes as he watched something below. She imagined his eyes sparkling in the moonlight and couldn’t help smiling.
They had arrived the previous afternoon. Tired from the long drive, they simply took walks on the beach before and after dinner and enjoyed the pool for an hour. They took a long hot shower together afterward, enjoyed being close to each other, then slept soundly through most of the night.
After she had enough of being without him, she got out of bed and slid her slender arms into her robe as she walked toward him.
“You’re up early.”
Her soft and sensual voice broke through his thoughts. He turned and saw her smiling at him, wearing her silk robe.
“The waves woke me. Come here.”
Chris held his hand out to her and when she took it he pulled her onto his lap and folded her into his arms. Lightly kissing the nape of her neck he inhaled her scent as she giggled.
“You smell divine.”
“And you are too much,” she whispered.
“Too much?”
Sighing she said, “No. Never too much. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Embraced in each others’ arms, they enjoyed the way they felt, welcoming the intimacy of skin contact as they held hands. He gently caressed her palm with his thumb and was amazed at the power she held over him, although she would never believe it.
They took in the colors that had begun to appear with the sunrise and Chris thought about taking her back to bed. He had no intentions of sleeping, of course. She must have read his mind or maybe she felt something stirring, but either way she stood, still holding his hand and pulled him after her.
What a beautiful way to start the day.
***
“Look at that squid! Look at that shark!”
Sam gazed at the sea life that swam on the other side of the thick glass. Her eyes and smile were full of wonder, holding a thousand words. Like a child seeing Santa Claus for the first time she enjoyed every second of their visit to Ripley’s Aquarium. When Sam leaned over the wall to touch a sting ray she was giddy like a little girl. Chris laughed and enjoyed watching her as much as he admired everything else.
They had piranhas, red-tailed catfish, and an enormous salt water fish named Arapaima that grew up to ten feet and weighed up to one thousand pounds. There were mudpuppies, banana slugs, lobsters, poisonous frogs and exotic fish.
Holding hands, they took their time and rode the moving sidewalk, enjoying every aspect of the aquarium. They watched someone feed the sharks, jellyfish and octopus. She doubted there was anything else that she would have enjoyed more.
On their way out, they stopped in the gift shop. Sam bought seashells and a bracelet made of sharks’ teeth. They got a few postcards to put in a photo album when they got back home. Chris laughed to himself, imagining the size the album was going to be.
Sam was hungry, so they walked down the Grand Strand looking for a place to sit in air-conditioning. Unless they planned on going somewhere too far from the hotel they agreed to walk everywhere. They wanted to enjoy the crowds of young and older couples and women with children. They wanted to take in the sights Myrtle Beach was famous for without the stress of traffic. They needed to relish the entirety of everything with the breeze coming off the ocean.
Along the way they passed specialty shops that sold Myrtle Beach t-shirts, foam beer holders, hats, and a large assortment of seashells and toys for kids. They walked past the famous Bowery Pub where the country group Alabama first got their start as the house band for seven years. Chris told Sam he’d been there a few times with friends. He remembered it always being loud with music, a lot of people happy to be on vacation, and plenty of beer. The Bowery was about fifty feet from the sand, making it another reason to go there.
Hand in hand they walked and took in their surroundings until they came upon a small diner. It wasn’t full and they sat at a booth in the back, facing the sights. The aromas of food cooking floated through the air, causing their stomachs to growl loudly, making them laugh out loud.
They instantly loved the atmosphere of the place. Red leather booths with speckled tabletops and the silver metal trim around the edges. On each table sat a working miniature jukebox. Chris smiled at the memory of them as a child in a few places. On the walls were pictures from the fifties and sixties of couples enjoying the beach and cars and the nightlife. Even the staff wore uniforms evocative of that era. The music through the loudspeakers was soft yet loud enough to enjoy. Chris recognized the current song as Dion and the Belmonts sang their famous hit, “Runaround Sue.” He almost wanted to get up and dance. Sam half-heartedly said she would love to own a place like it one day, although something more modern.
The waitress brought their food and set it on the table between them. The omelets, hashbrowns, and buttered toast looked incredible. They were both hungry and it didn’t take long to devour their food, washing it down with juice and more coffee. Chris looked up from his cup to see Sam smiling with her fingers crossed in front of her chin. There was a gleam in her eyes, and the mere look on her face made him realize for the thousandth time how blessed he was.
“What’s going on inside that mind of yours?” he asked.
Giggling, she shook her head and replied, “Well, I don’t know if I can tell you right now.”
“And why not?”
“Because I have come up with an idea I think you will like, a lot, and if I tell you now it wouldn’t be as much fun.”
“So, you are going to leave me hanging in suspense.”
“I’m afraid I will have to. I do hope you understand,” she responded, with some mischief in her gaze and playing with her long brown hair.
“You’re messing with me.”
Sam laughed out loud, causing some of the patrons around them to look their way.
“Yes, I am a little,” she admitted.
“Okay, I see how you play. I’ll wait it out as patiently as I can, but if you don’t tell me soon I will have to torture you into submission.”
Sam knew exactly what he meant. If he were to start tickling her she would talk, and she knew it.
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Oh, yes I would,” he grinned back at her.
“Punk,” she pouted.
They laughed and if it was even possible they fell in love even more. They both loved how they could joke with each other and the ease of their playfulness. It was one of the best qualities of their relationship. God made them to be together. That was something they didn’t say often, but firmly believed.
After a late breakfast they went back to their room and changed into something more suitable for being in the sun. They enjoyed the rest of the day on the beach with plans for a light dinner later. Sam wanted to check out the Bowery to see what was so great about it. Once they had all the sun they could handle, they showered together, made love again, and dressed comfortably for their night out. Anyone who saw them together would assume they were on their honeymoon. They felt like they were always on their honeymoon.
They heard the music coming from the pub almost a full block before they got there. There was a group of tourists standing outside, smoking. They were friendly and from their accent Sam and Chris took them to be from England. Sam loved to hear them talk.
Inside, the place was completely packed. As they waited for a table they watched the band onstage rocking out a Lynyrd Skynyrd song and one of the waitresses slammed the popular cowbell against the ceiling, causing the crowd to become even louder. The smell of beer wafted through the air and memories filled Chris’s excited brain. Above the thundering noise he could barely hear Sam screaming at him.
“This place is pretty popular! There’s not even any room to move!”
“I told you! This is normal, trust me!” he yelled back.
They made their way to the bar and ordered a couple of beers. The drinks were served in frosted glass mugs which felt good in their hand. About twenty minutes later a couple got up and walked toward the door, so Sam and Chris immediately made their way to the empty table before someone else got to it.
They took their time sipping their beer since both rarely drank. Sam was enthralled with the band and how the crowd reacted to them. Song after song they sat there; if there had been room enough, they would have danced. After an hour the band took a break. Sam and Chris decided to leave, deciding to visit again before the return home.
Taking their time, they walked to find a place to have dinner. The sun was setting and the colors painted across the darkening sky were as beautiful as any Van Gogh painting. Sam and Chris thought God was the best artist in the universe. Whatever He painted or created would out do anything in the Smithsonian or any other famous gallery.
The air was perfect for a walk. Not muggy and not cool. Just right for anything outdoors. Passing a miniature golf course, Sam said she wanted to play a game or two after dinner. They were both beginning to get hunger pangs. After a few blocks they found a small seafood restaurant that was more like an oversized shack.
Chris couldn’t determine how large it was, but the majority seemed made of straw for the beachside effect. Jan and Dean played from a radio that sat on one of the shelves. They could smell the shrimp, fries, and clam strips passed beneath their noses to someone beside them. His mouth watered and he knew right away what he wanted.
Five minutes later with baskets of fried shrimp and fries and two bottles of water Chris and Sam sat at a wooden picnic table facing the street. Downing mouthfuls of deliciousness, they watched scores of hyped up sports cars and motorcycles slowly cruising down the boulevard and young men whistling at bikini clad women who walked by. Chris made sure to avert his eyes away from them. He had no reason to gaze at them since he had the loveliest lady at the beach sitting right beside him.
When finished eating and with full and quieter stomachs, they made their way back down to the golf course. The course was made up with a pirate theme and with other families filling the place, they were excited like teenagers. There were eighteen holes of ships wrecked, pirates and their mates, and cannons as obstacles. It wasn’t an easy eighteen holes but it was fun. Chris hadn’t played mini golf in years and it was obvious as Sam skunked him with three holes in one. She outscored him by five strokes. Laughing and holding hands they handed in their putters and headed back to the hotel. It was a great night out but they were tired and ready to snuggle up in bed for a movie and a good night’s sleep. It was a night that would forever be remembered.