Thirty-Five
Justice
Lola sputtered and coughed. “I couldn’t hold on. I’m … I’m sorry.”
Panic shot through my system. “You’re bleeding.” I held her in my arms and then did a scan of her body. “Where’s the cut?”
She bent her leg and winced when she touched her ankle. “The fin cut me.” Her face contorted in pain. “Filha da puta!” Her eyes were wild. “Get the board. Let’s paddle back out.”
I held her leg and stared at the huge gash that spewed blood into the water. Jesus. I’d seen some horrible injuries in surfing and the thought that Lola could be seriously hurt caused my throat to tighten. “No fucking way. You’re hurt.”
She slapped the water hard. “I don’t give a fuck.” Her voice was desperate, her eyes crazed. “We’re too close. Get the fucking board. Now!”
The announcer’s voice boomed over the loudspeaker. “It seems we’ve got an injury. Lola Hamilton appears to be hurt.”
I glanced toward the stands and saw Papaw, Ginger, and Bobbie scurry out of their seats and toward the wave pool edge.
I grabbed Lola in my embrace. Our eyes met. “Listen to me, Lola. We’re getting out of the water now.”
She struggled out of my grip. “What’s the matter with you?” She shook her head sending water spraying every which way. I’d seen that look in Lola’s eyes. My sexy Brazilian lover’s temper was getting ready to run the show, and God help the person caught in the crossfire. “We’re too goddamn close to winning. You can’t give up now.”
I gave her a warning look. “Lola—”
I didn’t give her a chance to protest. I picked her up and held her tightly and walked her out of the wave pool.
She struggled mightily. “Leave me alone. Stop! Put me down.” A few other things came out of her mouth, but I couldn’t understand them because they were Portuguese curse words that probably would’ve made a sailor blush.
Her brown eyes darted around frantically. “Stop it! Don’t you want to win?”
“Of course I do! But you’re hurt.” I set her down on the sand and my throat constricted as I watched blood gush from her leg onto the ground.
Papaw, Ginger, and Bobbie rushed toward us.
“Oh, my God!” Ginger said as she dropped to her knees in front of Lola. She gently touched Lola’s leg, and when she spoke, her voice was shaking. “She’s hurt.”
“Damn it, Justice. Get the fucking board!” Lola said.
My jaw clenched. “Not doing it. Not till you get checked out.”
Papaw touched Lola gently on the shoulder. “Now, now. Let’s all take a deep breath here.”
At that moment, Devin and Kristin emerged from the wave pool. Devin clapped me on the back. “Nice try, old buddy. Maybe we can paddle out together back home. Looks like you guys just forfeited.” His voice dropped even lower until he whispered in my ear. “And I read the rule book. A forfeit means the winnings go to the other team.”
I heard the blood pounding in my ears as I whirled around and shoved him away. “Leave me the fuck alone.”
His hands flew up in front of his body. “Slow down there bud. Things happen in life. Not your fault you dropped her.”
Kristin raced to Lola’s side. “Are you okay?” Her face filled with concern and I wondered for the hundredth time how a sweet girl like Kristin put up with the likes of Devin.
Lola pushed her hair out of her face. “I’m fine. Let’s get back in the—”
“Medics to the wave pool,” the announcer’s voice boomed. “Participant injured.” And then to the crowd, he said, “Hang on tight folks. Party’s not over yet, but from where I’m sitting it looks like Lola Hamilton is seriously injured.”
Two burly medics raced to Lola’s side. “Can you stand?” said one.
“I think she’ll live,” joked the other. He made a face. “But we need to get you fixed up.”
Lola’s face was a mask of fury as she brushed the medic's hand away. “Yes, I can stand.”
I gently placed my arm around Lola’s shoulders. “Let’s just get you checked out, babe.”
And then Lola started to cry. She buried her face in my neck and let out a sob. In between choking sobs, she said, “I … I ruined everything. We … we could’ve won.” Lola coughed as fat tears worked their way down her cheeks.
I smoothed her hair back. “Sh. It’s okay, honey. Let’s go with these nice men.” I made her look at me. “Maybe they’ll give you a lollipop.”
You’d have thought I was walking Lola to the executioner instead of the medic’s office the way she wailed and carried on about ruining our chances.
As Lola, Ginger, Bobbie, the medics and I walked toward the first aid building, the last thing we heard was Devin’s voice. “Sorry ‘bout that folks.” He brushed his hands together. “Guess the better couple won.”
Lola snapped her head around. “Shut up, Devin.” Her eyes were slits. “If I didn’t have a bum leg I’d kick the shit out of you.” She struggled out of my grasp and whirled around. “The second I get fixed up, I’ll beat you into the ground until you’re begging for mercy. Don’t test me.”
He made a flapping motion with his hands. “Yeah, yeah. All talk.”
Kristin grabbed his hands. “Stop. Can’t you see she’s hurt?”
The announcer’s voice came to life. “This certainly is a turn of events, folks.” I looked up at the jumbotron and saw our sorry parade marching off the competition arena toward first aid. “But our story doesn’t end here, y’all. The official rulebook states that a team is entitled to one time-out.” His fingers seemed to click furiously on his computer. “Here it is right here. Official rule number five-oh-one B. The maximum time-out allotted is thirty minutes.” He let out a small laugh. “Feels like we’re in the NBA or something. I don’t know about you, but I’d love to see this contest keep going. Guess we’ll have to see what the medics say. Meantime, check out the gift shop and get yourselves a fish taco. See you all back here in thirty.”
And just like that the contest was on hold.
Bobbie’s fingers scrolled through her smartphone, and she held it aloft. “Here’s the rule. Awesomesauce. We’re going back in!”
I didn’t want to tell Bobbie, but it was doubtful we’d go back in. My heart sank, but my protectiveness over Lola rose to the surface. I wanted to win with all my heart, but Lola’s leg looked bloody and raw. She’d insisted on wearing her short wetsuit instead of the full-length one because she said it gave her more flexibility. I don’t know if the added neoprene would’ve saved her. That fin was fucking sharp.
Our sad little group convened in the first aid office.
The medics settled Lola on the examining table where they became a blur of professional motion. “Get the gauze. Alcohol wipes, please. Do we need to hydrate her? Hand me the blood pressure cuff.”
Ginger had been holding on to Lola’s backpack and placed it next to her. “Here you go honey. We’ll probably be wanting to make a hasty exit.” She placed a hand on Lola’s arm. “You gave it your best try. But your leg …”
Lola looked totally miserable; her shoulders drooped as she sniffed and wiped her nose. “Just bandage me up so we can get back in.”
One of the medics stopped what he was doing and placed a hand on her back. “Honey, I’d love nothing more than to put you back in the game, but you need stitches.” He spoke to her slowly. “We’ll need to get you to the nearest hospital.”
Lola’s eyes grew wide. “You have to get me back in. Now. Justice. Tell them.”
I moved to Lola’s side and placed a protective arm around her. “Honey, I’d like nothing better than to surf with you. But … I’m sorry. Listen to the medics. We need to get you to the hospital. Now.”
And that was when all hell broke loose. Lola shoved me away and let out a wail. “No, no, no! Shut up, shut up, shut up!” Her body jackknifed into a rigid sitting position and both medics jumped back a step. “You do whatever you have to do to get me fixed up so I can surf.” She jabbed a finger my way. “We are not giving up. We’ve come too far. No fucking way am I letting them win.” She swung her legs over the side of the examining table. The endorphins must’ve played a part, but her face was still a grimace as she hobbled toward the door. “Get me the hell out of here. We’ve got a contest to win.”
I moved quickly, grabbing her around the waist and hugging her hard. Her body slumped over, her hair in her face. “Sweetheart, stop.”
Lola whirled around. “Ingrato! All you care about is yourself! Where’s your fighting spirit?”
I held my hands up in front of my body. “Whoa. Slow down there Lola.” My heart hammered in my chest, and I pointed at her leg. “Look at you! That cut’s nasty. You probably need a transfusion.”
“I don’t need a transfusion. What I need is for you to get me back out there.”
“Stop. Do you want to end up with an infection?”
She favored one leg and planted her feet wide, her fists jammed into her waist. “It’s not infected. Do you want to win or not?”
The thought of giving up now filled me with dread. I saw Devin’s mocking face, and then I saw Lola’s leg swelling. She needed medical attention. I faced off with Lola. “Of course I want to win. You think I came all this way to lose? But you come first.”
She looked at me with bewildered eyes and my heart almost broke. “We … need … I can’t do this without you.”
One of the medics spoke up. “We could use some medical glue to hold the wound together. It’d be temporary but—”
I needed to take control of the situation. Lola could run the risk of infection or worse if she didn’t get her leg stitched up. I turned to the crowd. “Give us some privacy, please.” I held up a finger. “Just a few minutes.” I glared at Lola. “I need to talk to my wife.”
Everyone looked like they were being sent to the principal’s office as they slowly filed out.
When we were alone, I turned to her. “Get your ass up on that examining table now.” Her eyes shot daggers, but she did as she was told.
I removed Uncle Seth’s do-rag, threw it on the table and dragged both hands through my hair, my heart pounding. My blood nearly boiled over with the inappropriateness of what I’d done to Lola. “This is all my fault! Jesus Christ, I should’ve never asked you to marry me. I should’ve let you do your job. I could’ve figured out a way to come up with the money.”
I paced the small room, my heart banging in my chest. I tried to take a breath but couldn’t fill my lungs. “What’s wrong with me? Why did I think I could make this work?” I looked at her leg and felt like throwing up. My sweet Lola was seriously injured. The medics had bandaged the wound, but blood had already seeped through it and was dripping onto the sheet. Lola did not look well at all. Her face was pale, and I wondered if her blood pressure had dropped. I needed to get Lola to a hospital. Fast. I could fix things. I was a mechanic. I could make this right.
But my emotions went out of control because the truth was I’d messed up bad.
“I’m a big, fat, fucking loser. I should’ve been there to help Uncle Seth with the shop years ago, and then we wouldn’t be in this mess.”
I pointed to the crowd. “I’ve got the whole world thinking you and I are happily married and that we’re the perfect little tandem couple.” My mind nearly drowned in terror thinking of how bad the accident could’ve been. “I’ve seen fins cut right through people’s skulls. Look at you. You can barely walk. You’re lucky that fin didn’t amputate your leg.”
Lola stared at me, not saying a word but I knew my Lola. Her breathing sped up, and I knew her heart was pounding underneath her wetsuit. Her voice was tight when she spoke, her lips flat. “So that’s how it is, Justice?” She gestured her hands wildly. “You’re just going to walk away? Go right back out there and jump on your motorcycle and go?” She slammed her hand down on the examining table. “I fucking knew it! You can’t commit to anything. All you care about is yourself. I want this too. Don’t my feelings matter?” She slapped her forehead. “I was so estupido to think I could fall in love with my soul mate when I was twelve. You know what Justice? I really thought you and I were meant to be. I really thought you were the love of my life.”
“No, Lola. You don’t get to talk to me that way. I should have never talked you into this scam.” My heart rate sped up as I realized just what I’d done. I had talked her into being with me, forced my love on her. Forced sex on her. “You were doing just fine before I came along.” I clenched my fists at my sides and took a long, deep, steadying breath. “I think we need to call this whole thing off and after the hospital, we’ll head back to La Fortuna. And when we get back, we’ll get a—”
She folded her arms tightly across her chest. “A divorce? Great. Give me the papers and I’ll sign them right this second. You’re nothing but a wishy-washy—”
At that moment, Lola’s phone rang. “Caralho!” She dug around in her backpack, found the phone and jammed it against her ear. “Yes. I’m fine, papai.”
Great. Lola’s father must have seen her wipeout on TV. What followed was a frenetic conversation between Lola and her father, most of it in Portuguese.
Finally, Lola handed the phone to me. “My dad wants to talk to you.”
I grabbed the phone out of her hand and cleared my throat. “Hey, Mr. Cortes.”
“It’s Dominick. Stop making me sound like I’m eighty-five. Now tell me what the hell’s going on out there. Lola wants to finish. Let her go back in.”
Nice to talk to you again too.
I let out a heavy sigh. “She can’t. You haven’t seen her leg. She took a bad hit and—”
“Listen to me! You can’t let her down. Stop treating Lola like a baby because she’s not a baby anymore. That daughter of mine is stronger than you think.”
“No disrespect Mr.—I mean Dominick.” I glanced at Lola’s leg and my stomach clenched. “Her leg’s already swelling. I’m worried about infection.”
“Did the medics say that?”
“No.”
“Then you do what I’m telling you. You get yourself back out there and win this contest.” He paused and then went right on, his Brazilian accent becoming stronger with emotion. “This competition is about more than money to Lola. She’s a fighter. Don’t make her go home with her tail between her legs.”
“But you haven’t seen—”
“I’ve seen plenty of surfing injuries. Lola’s my daughter. I talked to her, and if she says she’s okay, you need to trust her. She’s ready to go back in.”
I paced the small room; the phone jammed against my ear. “She may be your daughter, but she’s my … my girlfriend. I mean … dammit Dominick, Lola’s my wife!”
He let out a sharp laugh. “Your wife? Or are you just planning on winning the contest and going back to whatever the hell you do out there in California? Don’t screw up, Justice. She loves you, you know.”
His words stopped me cold.
The past six years whizzed through my brain.
How had I spent them?
Riding my motorcycle, surfing, drinking beer with my buddies, having meaningless sex. Pretending I could forget this fiery blond Brazilian who had captured my heart when we were so young. I’d been treating my life like it didn’t matter. Like love didn’t matter. Like I’d be here fucking forever.
I’d missed out on all those years with Lola.
We could’ve worked the business together, surfed together, laughed, made love, even started a family …
The thought of losing Lola filled me with an overwhelming sadness. I couldn’t disappoint her again.
I glanced at Lola’s expectant face. She was right. We needed to stick together.
God, I loved her. I would do anything to hear her laugh again, to win the contest, to give her a happy life.
But she was hurt. Physically hurt.
I sat down wearily and placed my head in my hand. “I … I love her too. I’m sorry I put her through all this. I messed up. I’ve embarrassed her, and now she’s hurt.” I nearly let out a sob when I thought about all I’d done to hurt Lola. “I’ll come up with the money to save the shop somehow. I’ll make sure Lola’s got everything she needs.” I whispered into the phone. “I should’ve never left her.”
“Are you done?” he said. “Because Lola told me they could glue that wound back together. She’s strong, Justice. If you truly love her, you’ll take her back out there.” He let out a small laugh. “Besides, I can’t wait to see Devin’s face when my daughter and son-in-law win.”
Son-in-law.
My dad had always acted like he and my mom couldn’t wait to have their own lives.
Uncle Seth, who was like a second father to me, was gone.
And now Lola’s father, who had taught me to surf, was welcoming me as his son-in-law.
I choked back tears when I thought about how much I loved Lola. I would create one hell of a beautiful life for her. I would be a great father to our children. Dominick was right. I owed this to her.
And Lola was right. We were a team. This was a tandem contest. We needed each other to win.
As worried as I was about her health, I needed to give us this chance. Dominick knew his daughter. They’d spent years surfing dangerous waves together.
This was my chance to make everything up to Lola.
“Can I help it if I’m overly protective?” I glanced at Lola, and a small smile played upon her gorgeous pouty lips. I tapped my fingers on my leg. “Okay Dominick. If you insist …”
I moved to Lola’s side, and she kissed me so passionately that the phone went flying out of my hand. I kissed her sweet lips, pried myself away, picked up the phone and said, “Bye Dominick! We’ve got a contest to win.”
“I’ll be watching you annihilate that jerk on TV.”
Lola placed her fingers in her mouth and, just like when we were kids, let out a big old wolf whistle. “Let’s go!” I reached for the doorknob to fling it open and Bobbie fell right into the room, her ear still stuck to the door.
The rest of the crew piled into the room, and I gave brisk instructions to the medics. “Get her patched up. We’ve got some serious butt to kick.”
Lola sat up straight on the table with a new enthusiasm, her face flush with excitement. She clapped her hands together and just like the twelve-year-old girl I’d fallen in love with, she chanted, “We’re going to win, we’re going to win, we’re going to win!” She addressed the medics as they held her leg still, concentrating on applying the medical glue. “Hurry up, guys.” She clapped her hands again. “We’re going to win!”
Bobbie jumped up and down and shimmied. “Hurry. You’ve got ten minutes before you forfeit.”
The medics worked furiously to apply the medical glue, and then they wrapped Lola’s leg tightly in bandages. “It’ll feel sore,” one medic said. He smiled broadly. “You’ve got spunk kid. Go get ‘em!”
I bent over and looked into Lola’s eyes. “I’m going to help you off the table.” I placed my arms around her and helped her down. “Walk around and see how it feels.”
I eased her off the table, and she limped, but I saw that fire in her eyes as she moved. Lola was a competitor. Together we would win.
“How’s it feel?” I said.
“Fantastic!” She raised her arms in the air. “Let’s do this.” She extended her arm. “Come on Justice, let’s show ‘em what we got.”
“Go kill ‘em,” said the other medic. He wagged a finger in her face. “Then I want you getting this stitched up proper like.”
Lola held up a finger to me and said, “Hang on a sec. I’ve got to tell Bobbie something.” And she leaned over and whispered in Bobbie’s ear. A broad grin spread across the young girl’s face, and she pushed her eyeglasses up her nose.
We walked out into the bright California sunshine, Lola limping alongside me.
The crowd broke into crazed applause as the announcer’s voice came to life. “If this isn’t the contest of the century folks. Will you look at who’s joining us for the finals? Justice and Lola Hamilton are back. And it looks like Lola’s got a heck of a limp. Lola, you okay there?” Lola gave a little salute. “She says she’s fine, folks. I think this calls for a good old Knight’s Ferry welcome.” He cranked the music, an upbeat dance ditty from The Beach Boys filled the airwaves. “Who will walk away with the grand prize? The Stonebreakers or the Hamiltons? This is going to be one helluva show folks. Get ready to rumble!”
We stood at the water’s edge, and Devin strode past us, Kristin trotting after him. “It’s your funeral, Justice.” They entered the wave pool and paddled like crazy, Devin’s muscles flexing with every stroke.
Papaw touched my arm. “Proud of you son.” He looked at his hands. “You might be needing this.” He handed me Uncle Seth’s do-rag, and I placed it over my head. “You got this, kiddo.”