About Free Wind

  Maybe it’s the lifeguard who needs saving…

  Blake Holbrook is finally where he wants to be after moving to Barking Beach, surfing every chance he gets and volunteering as a lifesaver alongside the gorgeous professional lifeguards.

  There’s one in particular who catches his eye: Damian “Damo” Williams. Always smiling, Damo’s the epitome of a classic Aussie surf god with his long golden hair and laidback attitude.

  But Blake senses there’s more beneath the surface.

  When he backs up Damo during a rescue gone wrong, he goes for it and asks him out.

  Damo insists he’s straight. But his curiosity—and his heart—can’t resist.

  Free Wind by Keira Andrews is a steamy bi awakening romance and the second book in the Lifeguards of Barking Beach series. It can be read as a standalone, though you’ll definitely want to read every book about this found family of lifeguards saving lives and risking their hearts. This hurt/comfort romance features a chaotic bisexual, first times, a single dad, and of course a happy ending.

  Free Wind

  BY KEIRA ANDREWS

  Free Wind

  Written and published by Keira Andrews

  Cover by Dar Albert

  Formatting by BB eBooks

  Editing by Cecily Green

  Copyright © 2025 by Keira Andrews

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author or publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner for the purpose of training artificial intelligence technologies or systems. In accordance with Article 4(3) of the Digital Single Market Directive 2019/790, and expressly reserve this work from the text and data mining exception.

  ISBN: 978-1-998237-66-1

  Kindle Edition

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. No persons, living or dead, were harmed by the writing of this book. Any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Content Warnings

  • Depiction of the aftermath of a Traumatic Brain Injury

  • Injury and blood

  Acknowledgments

  Thanks so much to Elaine, Karen, and Sharna for their help with the Aussie lingo and cultural references. Thanks also to Helen (eagle eye!), Lori, Mary, and Rai for excellent proofing and beta reading. And special gratitude to my editor, Cecily, for making this book so much better!

  Author’s Note

  Anyone familiar with Sydney’s Bondi Beach will recognize the similarities to Barking Beach, which I set south of Perth and Fremantle. While Bondi was absolutely an inspiration, Barking, its surrounding area, and its lifeguards are completely fictional.

  Language usage and slang can vary widely across Australia depending on many factors including—but not limited to—age, location, and socioeconomic status. I’ve lived in Australia, and I love it dearly. I do my best to portray characters authentically with the understanding that experiences aren’t universal, and that while one person in Perth might use a particular word or saying, someone in Melbourne might not. I use multiple Aussie beta readers to make the language as authentic as possible.

  Glossary

  AFL: Australian Football League

  Aggro: aggressive or confrontational behavior

  Alfresco: outdoor covered living or dining space

  Ambo: ambulance OR a paramedic

  Anzac: Australia and New Zealand Army Corps

  Arvo: afternoon

  Bait ball: small fish swarming together in a circle to defend against a predator

  Bang on: to be exactly right

  Barbie: barbecue

  Bathers: swimsuit

  Bench: a counter such as in a kitchen

  Boardies: board shorts

  Bogans: typically a derogatory term for an uncouth or uncultured person

  Brekkie: breakfast

  Brickie: bricklayer

  Brissie: Brisbane

  Brushed: brushed off

  Cark/carked it: to die or stop working

  CBD: Central Business District

  Chockers: extremely full or crowded

  Chook: a chicken

  Chucking a sickie: calling in sick

  Chuffed: pleased or delighted

  Climbing the ladder: the actions of a drowning person trying to lift themselves out of the water

  Clubbies: members of a surf lifesaving club (SLC) who volunteer as lifeguards

  Coldie: cold can or bottle of beer

  Cooked: exhausted or overwhelmed; could mean heavily intoxicated

  Copped/copping it: to receive something very unwelcome

  Crook: feeling ill

  Dag/daggy: unfashionable or socially awkward; could be an endearment or mild insult

  Doona: duvet or comforter

  Duck-diving: surfing technique where a surfer pushes their board underwater to dive under a wave

  Esky: portable cooler to keep food and drinks cold

  Fair dinkum: genuine, real, true

  Fin chop: severe laceration or cut caused by the fin of a surfboard

  Firey: firefighter

  Flash rip: a rip current that develops suddenly without warning

  Flat stick: at top speed

  Flat white: double shot of espresso with steamed milk

  Footy: football, typically AFL

  Freo: Fremantle

  Frothin’: extremely excited or enthusiastic about something

  Galah: a bird known for flying into windows; used as an insult for a silly or stupid person

  Goon bag: flexible plastic bladder or sack that holds wine sold in a cardboard box

  Grommet/grom: a young person learning to surf

  Hoon/hooning: reckless, dangerous, antisocial behavior; typically highspeed, irresponsible driving

  Icy pole: popsicle

  Kook: a surfer with an exaggerated idea of their skill level; they often get in the way of other surfers

  Larrikin: mischievous, unruly but goodhearted young person who breaks rules

  Lino: linoleum

  Lollies: candy of all kinds

  Mince: ground meat

  Nippers: children participating in the surf lifesaving club’s junior development program

  Physio: a physio/physical therapist OR the physical therapy itself

  Pommies: British people

  Pressie: a present/gift

  Rapt: very happy or delighted with something

  Rashie: formfitting sun safety shirt worn in the water or outdoors to prevent sunburn; originally known as rash guards for surfers to prevent chafing from wetsuits or boards

  Ratbag: stupid, untrustworthy or disagreeable person

  Resus: resuscitation

  Ripper: fantastic, excellent or great

  Rock up: to arrive or show up somewhere

  Rotto: Rottnest Island; a small scenic island off the coast of Perth, popular for day trips

  Salvos: Salvation Army

  Sausage sizzle: community fundraiser where sausages are cooked on a grill; often outside Bunnings, a home improvement/building store

  Servo: gas station

  Shore break/shorey: wave that breaks on a shallow bank close to shore or the shoreline itself

  Shout: as a noun it’s typically a round of drinks someone is buying; “my shout” is my treat, and you can also “shout” someone something as a verb

  Silly season: Christmas and New Year holiday period

  Smoked: as a verb, to get beaten or smashed by something like a wave

  Snag: sausage

  Southerly: wind coming from the south that’s typically cooler

  Spunk: an attractive person

  Spray: to give someone a spray is to scold or lecture them

  SRC: Surf Rescue Certificate

  Stitch-up: to trick or prank someone; in more serious context to frame or falsely accuse

  Strewth: exclamation expressing surprise, dismay or amazement

  Stubby holder: Foam or neoprene cozy for beverage cans or bottles to keep them cold

  Stubby/stubbies: glass beer bottle

  Stuff up: mess up or ruin something; make a mistake

  Sunnies: sunglasses

  Swag: bedroll used while camping

  TAFE: Technical and Further Education; community college offering job-related skills

  Taking the piss: teasing or making fun of someone/something in a usually friendly manner

  Thongs: flip-flops

  Tinnie: can of beer

  Togs: swimsuit

  Tosser: unpleasant or obnoxious person

  Trackies: trackpants

  Tradie: general term for a skilled tradesperson such as a plumber, electrician, carpenter, etc.

  Triple-0: equivalent of 911; 000 is dialed in emergencies

  Ute: utility vehicle; a pickup truck

  WA: Western Australia

  Wanker: a loser or someone who shows off and thinks they’re better than they are; a dickhead

  Waterman: someone skilled and at ease in the water

  Woolies: Woolworths grocery store

  Table of Contents

  About the Book

  Title Page

 
; Copyright Page

  Content Warnings

  Acknowledgments

  Author’s Note

  Glossary

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Epilogue

  More romance from Keira Andrews

  Also by Keira Andrews

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  As another wave washed over the white sand at Barking Beach under a cloudless sky, Blake reminded himself he was supposed to be watching the water—not the lifeguards.

  There was one in particular who always caught his attention with long blond hair, a lean swimmer’s build, red sunnies, and a crooked smile. Even though he was only in his early twenties, he clearly knew the beach like the back of his hand.

  It was impressive to watch him paddle out now, navigating the shore break flawlessly as he rescued a tourist who’d quite literally gotten in over his head. Blake could only hope to be half as skilled in the water eventually, but he was learning.

  And he could only hope he might catch the lifeguard’s attention one day.

  He shifted on his white plastic chair under the sunshade he and his fellow Barking Surf Life Saving Club members had set up. It was a busy Saturday morning, and they were parked in front of the safe swimming area marked with red and yellow flags, keeping watch while the lifeguards spread out over the kilometer-long beach.

  The official name was Barkininy Beach, but hardly anyone called it that. It was Barking or “Barkers” to the locals, and it still gave Blake a thrill that he could finally count himself as a bona fide local now.

  It was early February, and the days had been hot and dry. It hadn’t rained a drop since November, and Blake didn’t think he’d seen a single cloud that week. The lifeguards had their work cut out for them. He loved that he and the other clubbies could help even a little bit.

  Beside him, Kat pitched their voice higher. “Oh, Damo, you’re so brave and handsome.”

  There was no point denying his little crush since Kat had clocked it the very first week Blake volunteered. He watched Damo bring in the patient, catching a wave that took them right onto the sand.

  Blake smiled and muttered, “Yeah, yeah.”

  Kat lowered their voice an octave and flipped imaginary long hair over a shoulder to impersonate Damo. “It just comes naturally, bro. You’re quite brave and handsome yourself. For a clubbie.”

  Blake and Kat both laughed. The surf lifesaving club had patrolled the beach on weekends and holidays since the nineteen-sixties—long before Barking was busy enough to warrant professional lifeguards. The lifeguards were in charge now, and the rivalry between the two groups was all in good fun. Mostly.

  “As if he’d look twice at me,” Blake said.

  “I’m telling ya, he has.”

  “And I know you’re having me on.”

  Kat sighed long-sufferingly as they gazed at the throng of people splashing and swimming between the flags. Taking off their red uniform cap, they ran a hand through their tumble of chin-length brown curls. They had dark skin and striking, thick-lashed brown eyes that were often crinkled in laughter.

  Kat and Blake wore the same uniform: red cap and shorts and a yellow long-sleeved rashie to protect from the sun emblazoned with Surf Rescue in red.

  “I’ve known Damo since we were nippers, and I’m telling ya—he might’ve only dated chicks when we were at school, but he’s got eyes for blokes as well. And he definitely had an eyeful of your arse last week when you were helping that woman up.”

  Blake groaned. “Right, and I’m sure he was really impressed by me getting smoked by that next wave.”

  An older woman had struggled in the shore break, mired in sand and tumbled around by the incoming waves. Blake had bent over to help her when another wave broke. It took him off his feet, and what followed had been a comedy of errors as he tried to assist the woman only to have her pull him down more than once.

  Kat grinned. “It was like one of those old slapstick routines my gramps loved. Black and white and everything. Except you’ve got a much hotter arse than those fellas.”

  “I’ll be sure to add that to my profile on the apps.”

  Not that he’d been very active on them lately. He’d been eager for hookups when he’d first moved to Barking after living back home in the middle of nowhere for three years, but now…

  He needed more. It’d been years since he’d had a proper boyfriend, and that was the next item on his plan that he needed to tackle. He needed to go on dates that were more than a few pleasantries—and sometimes not even that—before sex.

  About ten meters up the sand amid the clusters of families, sunbakers, and a small group doing yoga headstands, Damo crouched beside the coughing man he’d rescued, speaking to him in what Blake imagined was a gentle tone.

  Damo always seemed to wear a smile, that laid-back surfer attitude in place even when he had to be frustrated with patients ignoring the warnings to only swim between the flags.

  Speaking of which…

  Blake forced his gaze back to the water, watching a few kids splash safely in the shallows before looking out farther to where swimmers bobbed in the swells. Even though he was a volunteer, he still had to focus on his job, and he huffed softly, disappointed in himself for the attention lapse.

  Kat said, “Talk to him.”

  “What? No. He’s working.”

  “I don’t mean right this second. Surely you’ve seen him here surfing? He practically lives at Barking.”

  “Yeah, but he’s incredible. I’ve only been at it regularly for six months. I learned during uni, but I’m barely better than a grommet at this point.”

  “Fake it ’til ya make it. You’re a fit, gorgeous guy. Ask him to come to Rodeo one night. Then we’ll know if I’m right.”

  “And as soon as I do that, you and the others’ll jump out from behind a sandcastle to take the piss. I know newbies get pranked. I—”

  For a moment, they both watched a young woman wearing shorts and a T-shirt sputter and cough after mistiming the shore break and copping it in the face.

  Then she got up and laughed with her friend, retreating to the sand. Tourists who couldn’t swim often went in the water fully dressed, and it could have disastrous consequences. Blake exhaled, glad she was back on dry land.

  Kat said, “You’re not that new, mate. Been on the team a couple of months now.”

  “And I’m still waiting for the inevitable prank to happen.”

  When he’d moved to Barking six months before, the first thing Blake had done after finally finding an apartment was ring the life-saving club to ask when he could join. Now he’d finished his training, completed his certifications, and was a full-fledged clubbie—just like he’d planned.

  Check! Another box ticked.

  He hadn’t just planned it—he’d dreamed of it. Barking was everything he’d imagined, from the soft white sand between his toes to the crystal-clear turquoise water under clear, cerulean skies. To the brave, gorgeous lifeguards.

  Blake allowed himself a glimpse of Damo, who was now watching the water, speaking into his radio.

  Kat wiped their Aviators with a cloth and said, “If I was gonna prank ya, you’d’ve had to clean out the clubhouse storage closet and organize the contents alphabetically by now.”

  Blake frowned. “Does it need organizing? I can come early tomorrow and have a go.” He could pull everything out and categorize into groups and subgroups…

  Kat shook their head. “Glutton for punishment.”

  “But if I can help…”

  They motioned to the water. “You’re helping. You’ve volunteered both days every weekend and Chrissie and New Year’s.”

  “I was happy to.” He genuinely had been, since the thought of spending Christmas in particular alone in his apartment was decidedly not merry.