“You’ve got it; my place at ten,” she replied, grinning at his antics.
“Done.” Rocky slapped her hand in a high-five, then whirled around on the swivel stool a couple of times before leaving.
The next morning, Rocky arrived in Sailor’s truck, which he’d been using while his friend was away. Two snorkel sets and a cooler sat in the back. They drove to a cove on the far side of the island Jo hadn’t been to in a while. A rocky point kept the open surf at bay, and in the cove, the water was clear and protected. They stopped and got out.
“I talked to my uncle Flint, and he says this is the best spot to see fish here,” Rocky said, handing Jo a mask and fins to put on. “We should see orange garibaldi, opaleye, and if we’re lucky, leopard sharks.”
Jo looked up with her mask on. “You’re taking me to swim with sharks?”
Rocky laughed as he adjusted his mask, too. “Leopard sharks won’t bother you. They’re the golden retrievers of the shark family.”
“They’re still sharks.” She held her fins, hesitating.
“If any of them start charging us, I’ll protect you.” Rocky threw his arms around her to demonstrate, and they both laughed.
“Okay, I trust you,” Jo said. And she did.
The water was cool when they got in, but Jo adjusted to it and regulated her breathing through the tube extending out of the water. She’d forgotten how beautiful everything was below the ocean’s surface. This world was full of the most brilliant hues of life and vegetation. She stayed by Rocky’s side.
He tapped her shoulder and pointed to bright orange garibaldi fish darting between rocks. A small stingray glided over the sand, its wing-like fins undulating underwater. Schools of silver fish turned gracefully back and forth in the speckled light from above.
Jo loved being in the water and snorkeling. She floated, feeling weightless in a hushed underwater world blissfully void of spreadsheets and mortgages.
A leopard shark glided nearby, then swiftly shifted course when it saw them and darted away, returning to its sea floor foraging for crabs and clams.
Rocky was right; she’d needed this. Her cares slipped away, and a sense of calm swept over her like gentle, cleansing waves.
They came up after being in the water for quite a while. Rocky hauled himself onto a rock and shook water from his hair like a dog while Jo laughed. As they toweled off, they chatted about the wonders they’d seen.
“I can’t believe you took me swimming with the sharks,” Jo said, smiling.
“That shark knew who he was dealing with,” Rocky said, rinsing off their gear. “Did you see how fast it left you alone?”
Jo sat on a smooth rock to brush sand from her feet. She paused to take in the view. “What a day. I don’t know why I don’t do this more often.”
Rocky sat beside her. “Maybe you’ve gotten used to the beach and the ocean always being there. Unless you’re regularly surfing, swimming, or sailing, it’s easy to forget.”
“It’s been a while,” she admitted, bringing her knees up to clasp her arms around them. “I like to walk on the beach and bike alongside it. Being in the water is a different feeling.”
Rocky bumped her with his shoulder. “A good one, I hope.”
“That was the best. Thanks.”
“Anytime.” He paused, gazing into her eyes with a different, deeper look than ever before. “I really mean that. Whenever you want to go out on the water, I’m your guy.”
“I like knowing that.” Something in his voice had shifted, and she wondered if they were heading toward the deep end.
“And I like these curls,” he said, smiling. He tugged on one of her wet curls and watched it spring back into place. “I like everything about you. Would you ever…” His words trailed off as he lowered his eyes and brought his forehead to hers.
The heat from his sun-warmed body drew her in, and she slid her hand over his cheek. They stayed like that for a few moments, their foreheads together, listening to the beat of their hearts.
Shifting slightly, she lifted her lips toward his, feeling his breath on her skin and knowing what he was proposing. Only a little bit more, and their friendship would change.
She touched his lips with her finger, feeling the smooth fullness of his skin. Could she let herself go there with him? How simple it would be, just another moment, and everything would be different.
But was there any room in her heart for him?
She closed her eyes, turned her face, and laid her cheek on his shoulder instead, thinking of Blue.
