Page 2 of Every Chance to Stay

“My hero!” Lucky laughed, pushing his sunglasses up his nose to see the man properly.

What a man indeed… Antonio Saavedra wore a white linen shirt barely buttoned and a pair of black knee length trunks that left sun warmed golden skin on display. His eyes were hidden by a pair of blue rimmed sunglasses that rested slightly askew on a crooked nose. A strong jaw was darkened by stubble to match windswept brown hair.

Lucky struggled to swallow the last bite of sandwich around his suddenly dry mouth.

A rope was thrown across the deck, followed by Antonio who landed comfortably in bare feet. “Shall we get her tied up, Lucky?” There was a moment of hesitance as Antonio used his name, as if he wasn’t sure it was correct.

He accepted the alpha’s outstretched hand, feeling the callouses along his palms. They were good, strong hands, if a bit chapped from being on the sea seemingly all day. “Aye captain, I think that’s a fine idea.” Lucky teased.

“You can just call me Antonio today. Special privilege since you caught me off duty.” Antonio’s smile was disarming. He had a wide, pleasant smile that showed off a dip in his chin and the laugh lines creasing his skin.

“Antonio, then.” Lucky forced himself to stop staring, bending to grab the rope.

He genuinely appreciated that Antonio didn’t try to order him about. Together, they made short work of winding the thick rope around two points on the stern for towing. His small boat was nothing more than a repurposed fishing boat, but she was sturdy, ignoring her engine problem. Lucky finished off his last knot, dusting off his hands. “I think she’s all good to go.”

“Agreed.” Antonio nodded, tightening his own side with a grunt. Lucky examined the alpha’s tying skills with a pleased smile. “You’re welcome to join me on the Siren while we ride back to port. It’s a long trip and the company wouldn’t go amiss.”

Under any other circumstances, Lucky would stay on the Turtle Top. He’d catch some sleep below deck, keep reading, or even jot down some notes for his research proposal… but Antonio pushed up his sunglasses and gave him another disarming smile, this time paired with honey brown eyes that tilted gold as the sunlight caught on his face.

“Company sounds good to me, captain.” Lucky smiled. “Let me secure my things and I’ll come aboard your Sleeping Siren.”

If his cheeks were red, he’d blame the strong sun that always gleamed over Paradise.

2

Antonio

Despite Paradise’s idyllic views and gorgeous weather, relaxation rarely came easily to Antonio. His friends called him high-strung. He called it dedication. Even after long hours spent searching for a missing hiker in the picturesque trails crisscrossing the island, staying home felt impossible. By midday, Antonio found himself driving out to sea with a cooler full of beer and nothing but the horizon in his view.

Time alone on the ocean blue was about as close to resting as Antonio got. He sat on the back of the motorboat, feet hanging off the edge, with a beer in hand and watched the sparse clouds float by. Sometimes there were animals to see. The water around Paradise was filled with vibrant life. Just as the island herself was filled with people and animals of every type.

He could stay there for hours. Could just sit and listen and observe until the sky burned red without a care in the world. That was the plan until the radio crackled to life just past 4.

The distress call was made in a cheerful tone, certainly not the kind Antonio was used to hearing. No panic, no profanity, just a calm mayday hail regarding a stalled engine. It was pure muscle memory that had him reaching for the radio without a thought. He could let someone else handle it…

But how often did he get a chance to meet a member of the Wilde family?

It was just curiosity. That’s what had him pushing the Sleeping Siren to her max speeds and cutting around the corner of the island to reach the stalled boat as quickly as possible. The Turtle Top was easy to spot. A white shape on the vast ocean, a small fishing rig. He wasn’t sure what he expected. Divers, researchers, maybe even a film crew? The Wilde family had been in several shark documentaries, but the stalled ship held nothing of the sort.

Just a smiling red head in a frond patterned green swimsuit and oversized sunglasses that slipped down his nose when he smiled.

When he invited Lucky Wilde to join him during the trip back to port, he genuinely expected to be turned down. That was his only excuse for why his heart rate spiked when Lucky agreed and accepted his hand to cross between vessels. The nostalgic scent of saltwater taffy made his mouth water. Buttery vanilla and a hint coconut that reminded him of eating himself sick on a bucket of the freshly made candy during the annual fair.

Antonio stepped up to the helm and pressed the engine harder than necessary just to clear his head. With the crisp breeze caused by their speed, he could claw back some of the self-control he was supposedly known for.

“So, I have to ask, you’re Lucky Wilde as in the son of Teague Wilde, right? I saw him during Shark Week last year.” Conversation was a great distraction.

Lucky had tucked himself into the passenger seat right beside the helm. The omega pulled one leg onto the seat, resting his chin on his knee as the wind tugged at auburn curls. “One and the same. If you’re hoping for an autograph, I’m sorry to disappoint, but I’m not the famous one.”

The words were teasing but there was something tense in the omega’s tone that wasn’t there before. Fame was a sensitive topic. His own curiosity had won out, but he hadn’t intended to make Lucky uncomfortable.

“No disappointment here. Just fascinated by the work you and your family do… Were you researching something specific today?” Antonio kept his tone light, easy and relaxed. Just casual chatter. He watched Lucky out of the corner of his eye, relieved as Lucky’s shoulders relaxed.

“I went on a swim with some orcas that are migrating through. The fact that I found them so easily supports early evidence that the reintroduction of the Paradise monk seal is attracting them.” Lucky sat up, a certain spark appearing in blue eyes as his sunglasses slipped down his nose. “The marine center had been working on increasing the seal population since before I was born and we’re finally seeing some real progress. They are still endangered but they’re getting better and every little bit counts. Increased reports of orca sightings along with a notable jump in pup count supports our efforts and provides great information on how migratory paths change due to things like access to food.”

Lucky’s smile turned apologetic as he pushed his sunglasses back up. “Sorry, I ramble a lot.”

Antonio shook his head, “That’s fascinating. I knew about the ‘save the local seals’ initiatives but I didn’t realize that could impact something like orca sightings…” He rubbed his jaw, thinking. “I suppose I should expect an uptick in whale sighting tours, shouldn’t I?” There were always one or two tourists who did something ridiculous… Like trying to pet things they shouldn’t.