Page 1 of Every Chance to Stay

1

Lucky

Sunny days and a bright blue ocean were the building blocks of life. Since the first time Lucky Wilde stuck his toes in the water, he knew where he was meant to be. It all led him to this moment. He pulled his goggles down and checked the heel strap on his flippers before slipping off the back of the boat. The sea swallowed him like a welcoming hug.

Far from the teal water of Paradise Island’s idyllic beaches, Lucky sank into the cobalt abyss. The visibility was great. Clear blue water stretched off in every direction, but it wasn’t the water itself that held his attention. Something big moved through the ocean today.

Orcas.

Fantastic creatures, gorgeous apex predators who could easily kill a person but actively chose not to. And for the first time, Lucky was going to see the migrating pod up close. Maps of prior tracked migration showed this as one of the best spots to encounter them at this time of year. And from his boat, he’d been able to spot several of them in the distance.

Within five minutes of entering the water, a dark mass began to materialize from the blue. Six beautiful orcas appeared around him. Whistles and clicks reverberated through the water, the creatures communicating as they swam past lazily. One turned on its side to observe him.

The moment was better than anything he could have hoped for. He swam with them, amazed at how they slowed to watch, then sped up just to circle back. Curious mammals that were brilliant and sensitive… It was magical.

He wanted to live here. To be one with the sea and all her creatures. To sink into her depths and let time flow without a thought.

When the pod filled their curiosity, they swam off beyond where his eyes could follow. The drag of the current was always a dangerous temptation. To let himself be pulled out to sea, never to be seen again…

But life wasn’t a movie.

Surfacing, Lucky got the position of his boat, swimming towards it. He remained observant. Even when the water seemed quiet, you never knew what could be watching from the depths.

Hauling himself from the water, he happily collapsed onto the deck to catch his breath. The sun warmed his sea-chilled skin. “Now this… is the perfect day. Dad’s gonna be sorry he missed it.” Lucky huffed, rolling onto his back. Not a single cloud floated in the sky.

Eventually, he unclipped his fins, tucked his swim gear into the proper cubbies, and threw a towel over his hair. The auburn curls were sure to be a mess by the time he made it back to shore but that was future Lucky’s problem. He grabbed his water bottle, drinking down the icy liquid until his teeth ached. He found his sunglasses hanging off the helm, slipping them on. In the distance, an orca breached like a final goodbye before they continued their migration.

The vibration of his dive watch told him it was time to go home.

With anchor secured, Lucky turned over the engine. He was about three hours from shore at good speed… Until the engine spluttered twenty minutes into the return trip.

“Shit. Come on, love, not today…” Lucky came to a stop, trying to restart the engine. She hissed and popped and chugged before cutting out entirely. The entire ship went silent. His pleas fell on her deaf ears, a reminder that the sea and the ships that sailed her were always fickle mistresses.

A heavy sigh and a decision to make. He could call his dad from the satellite phone and get picked up in… six or so hours when the man was free or found someone to come pull him out. Or he could try his luck at hailing a nearby boat that might be able to haul him home. With nothing to lose, he picked up the radio.

“Mayday, Mayday, this is Lucky Wilde of the Turtle Top. I’m without an engine sitting at…” He rattled off his coordinates. “Mayday, Mayday, this is Lucky Wilde of the Turtle Top…”

The call was repeated a second time before he sat down to wait. He was on the general channel, but he hadn’t heard much chatter since he passed the reef. Clocking the calls on his watch, he jumped when the radio crackled to life.

“Turtle Top, this is Antonio Saavedra on the Sleeping Siren. I’m about forty-five minutes from your location, heading your way. Are there any injuries aboard?” Lucky grinned, picking up the radio.

“Sleeping Siren, this is Turtle Top. No injuries, just floating like a manatee. We’ll need a tow to port though. Sure you got enough power to haul a small fishing rig, Captain Saavedra?” It was a genuine question if a bit of a tease considering who was on the other end of the radio.

“Copy that, Turtle Top. I think I can get you and your rig home in one piece. Sit tight and hail me if conditions change.”

Lucky leaned back in his seat, hanging up the radio. Captain Saavedra… There was a name everyone in Paradise knew. The alpha who headed the local volunteer search and rescue squad. Far as Lucky knew, he was universally adored. They’d never met but it sure would be a fun story for when he got home.

Relaxed now that he knew help was coming, Lucky’s stomach grumbled loudly. Glancing at his watch, he had a minimum of forty minutes before Antonio arrived. “May as well make a sandwich.” He mused to the sea, whistling a tune as he slipped below deck.

When he returned topside, he had three sandwiches stacked up on a paper plate and a book tucked under his arm. He even managed to find a soda in the back of the mini fridge. The towel was forgotten somewhere below, his hair puffing up beneath the warm sun as he dropped cross-legged onto the deck to eat.

Turkey and cheese on whatever bread was the cheapest. Only two of the sandwiches had mustard, he’d run out halfway through. But after the swim, he was starved enough not to care. He needed to restock the boat, but he could think about that after the repairs. He ate, he read, and just when his shoulders were starting to feel too hot to continue sitting without shade, the sound of a motorboat roared through the air.

She was sleek and black with shimmering teal accents. Expensive.

Lucky dogeared the corner of his book and raised a hand in greeting as the Sleeping Siren slowed to pull alongside. He took a large bite of his final sandwich, trying to finish it quickly.

“Ahoy! I heard you could use a hand getting back to shore?” A warm voice, deep and clear, came from the body silhouetted against the bright blue sky.