The Pismo Beach Bicycle Thief

By Anthony O'Brian

Prepare for another exciting adventure with this second in the Summer Days series! The Pismo Beach Bicycle Thief will keep you reading with interest, emotion, and laughter. Josh Mundy and Vern Ernesto are at it again, this time in sunny California on vacation with their families. As they meet a new female friend, who happens to be blonde and beautiful, the introductions are interrupted as a crazed man becomes a bicycle thief. Josh, who is already taken with this cute girl gives a hearty hero's pursuit and gets into more than what he bargained for. What started out as a petty crime turns into a matter of international espionage. Join the fun of this series that follows the style of the Hardy Boys series! This series is suitable for all ages, good, clean reading that models friendship, loyalty, and other values.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Anthony O'Brian
• Release date: Feb 23, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310836183

Anthony O'Brian

Anthony O'Brian is a lifelong resident of the Pacific Northwest. He has a beautiful wife, three wonderful children and one dog. O'Brian has worked a wide variety of jobs, traveled the continental U.S. extensively, and been involved in several professional and non-professional capacities through the years, as a teacher, principal, P.E. instructor, construction worker, bus driver, public speaker, welder, editor, truck driver, machinist, and mechanic; currently a business owner and President of a non-profit corporation. He enjoys writing and has plans for several books to be published soon. Anthony and his family are traveling the United States again working for their non-profit corporation.

Book preview

Book 2

The Pismo Beach Bicycle Thief

Copyright © 2015 by Anthony O’Brian

All Rights Reserved

ISBN: 9781310836183

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PO Box 96

1729 Kidder Ridge Rd.

Kamiah, ID 83536

This is a self-published work

Cover and design by Anthony O’Brian

1

The Thief

What flavor do you want? Vern Ernesto asked his best friend Josh Mundy, as he dug in the pocket of his cargo pants for some cash.

I got it. Mundy replied, leaning his mountain bike against his leg and dug for his own money.

Nope. My treat Man. Ernesto insisted. Here, just watch my bike for me.

With this Vern tilted the handlebars toward Josh and let go, leaving Mundy with no choice but to cease his search for his wallet and quickly grab his buddy’s bike.

Ernesto laughed as he went and took his place in line at MeMe’s Shaved Ice stand with the little pink and white umbrella canopy on top and Beach Boys’ music playing from its outside speakers.

Josh wasn’t too upset; after all he had bought hot dogs earlier.

Josh Mundy and Vern Ernesto had been friends for as long as they could remember…or cared to remember. Their parents moved into the same neighborhood about the same time and Bisbee Hills Estates had never been the same since. The boy’s friendship encompassed the thirteen houses between them and then some. As the years passed, several times Josh’s parents had considered moving to a different neighborhood closer to his father’s workplace, but they knew it would devastate their son and so chose to remain there until he was graduated from High School.

Vern was big for his age and lifted weights in his parent’s basement while Josh was strong for his size and gave the phrase meaning, dynamite comes in small packages. Together, they were a dynamic duo and in a scrap they were inseparable. They argued later about Josh’s hothead or Vern’s cocky attitude, but in the midst of trouble, they stood back-to-back, undaunted and intimidating.

Josh watched Vern as he made a snail’s pace of progress toward the small window offering such a sweet relief from the summer heat.

Hello. Speaking of sweet, that voice sure sounded sweet. Josh was yanked out of his repose by a soft feminine voice over his shoulder. He couldn’t tell if she was talking to him, but it was close enough and sounded sweet enough, he had to find out. He turned to see a very cute girl about his age with flowing blond hair, fixed with a headband, who stared right at him with her cornflower blue eyes.

Josh about choked on his spit as he swallowed hard and tried to say ‘hello’ in his most manly voice. Instead, all that came out was a croaky Hi from his dry throat. His face started to turn red, but she acted like she didn’t notice and walked up to him.

Are you in line? She pointed at the shaved ice stand.

Uh, no. Well, sorta. He turned to look at Vern. Did you want shaved ice?

I was going to get in line if you don’t mind. She smiled sweetly and tilted her head to the side. A dimple showed on either side of her cheeks as her eyes sparkled at him from under long eyelashes and Josh could feel the strength go out of his legs. It was a good thing that he had the bikes supporting him. He was sinking so low due to his weak knees that pretty soon bikes bars would be supporting him like crutches underneath his armpits. He rallied and stood up tall and strong. He felt like he should doff his bike helmet for such a girl and bow on one knee, but his current responsibility stopped him. Besides, it would look silly. He reasoned.

No, of course not! Josh said. But, I have a better idea. He eyed the six people behind Vern and then the two in front of him. What flavor do you like?

Oh, that’s easy. Pina Colada. Again that heart-melting smile. This time Josh noticed that she had braces with different colored rubber bands, it looked like red, white, and blue.

Vern! He shouted. His friend turned to look. Add a Pina Colada !

It took only a second for Vern to see why Josh wanted an extra flavor. A knowing smile for Josh and an appreciative one for the girl appeared on his tanned face.

Why don’t we go over there and wait? Josh Mundy nodded toward an empty bench along the boardwalk.

Good idea. The girl started over toward the bench through the sand and then turned back as Josh struggled to get the two bikes going in the same direction at the same time.

Let me help you with those. The girl walked