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Gone was pit bull-woman. These days I acted more like a tired, old poodle with weepy eyes.
After careful deliberation, I decided that not answering Kai’s question was the safest bet.
“I just need to show her that I can be a success on my own. That’s why this new job is so important.”
Yes, I was oversharing again. But this time it was intentional. Kai had to know why I couldn’t walk away from the rotten job ahead of me. Otherwise, he was sure to curse me until he was old and gray once his family business was nothing more than a memory.
“Ever considered proving it to yourself first? Then you might not care so much what she thinks.”
Wow. That was deep. Almost as deep as the water we were floating in. I was ready to head to the shallows, both literally and figuratively.
“Are we almost there?”
“Yeah, the cove’s just up ahead. You don’t have to pretend you’re not pulling for shore anymore,” he teased, steering the boat back toward land.
We aimed for a channel running between two black cliffs. They weren’t crazy-tall, but they were crazy-jagged. The sharp lava rock looked like it could rip our little canoe to shreds if given the chance, but anything was better than the open water, so I went with it.
I paddled for land as if there was a gold medal waiting for me at the finish line.
Turquoise water frothed white at the base of the cliffs as we passed between them. My fears were momentarily replaced with awe. Nature had never been this gorgeous in those photo-enhanced travel brochures taped to the wall of my old office.
I stole a glance over my shoulder. Kai was glowing. I couldn’t imagine him anywhere else. This was his office…
For the time being, at least.
My stomach soured a tad. I pushed the feeling down, but it never went away completely. Seasickness. That’s all it was.
“We’re here,” Kai said.
The narrow channel opened up into a calm, secluded cove that was much larger than I’d imagined it would be. It was just like one of those shipwreck movies where people found themselves on a deserted island that looked more like a million-dollar vacay spot than a desolate patch of sand in the middle of nowhere.
I mentally picked the location Kai and I would build our palm-frond lean-to. Behind it was a pair of pencil-thin palm trees just begging for a hammock-for-two. We’d weave a comfy sling out of coconut fuzz and jungle vines and while away our afternoons swinging in the shade.
Off to the left, we’d say our vows before God and the hermit crabs. All that remained was to live out our happily ever after like an island version of Tarzan and Jane.
“What do you think?” Tarzan—er… Kai asked.
“I see why you brought us here. This place is gorgeous.”
“You haven’t seen anything yet. Just watch.” Kai reached out and began slapping the surface of the water.
“What are you doing?”
“Wait for it…” He kept smacking the water.
“Why are you slapping the wa—” Something jolted our boat, interrupting my question. I latched onto the sides with white knuckles, wondering what a heart attack actually felt like—because I was pretty sure I’d just had one. “Was that a sea creature?”
“Yeah, what’s wrong? You were all about sea creaturesan hour ago.”
Yes, I’d been a champion for marine wildlife back at the restaurant, but that was different. There, I was in the relative safety of a tourist trap. All the wildlife at the cafe was safely pan-seared to perfection.
But here? First of all, there was nowhere near enough boat between me and whatever slippery animals lurked in that salty water.
Just, no!
And second… there was no second! People should not be surrounded by giant fish—or whatever that thing was—while poised on top of the water in a tippy little deathtrap that wasn’t even fit for an afternoon on Grandma’s pond.
“Have you noticed the paper-thin barrier between us and whatever is swimming down there?” I said, knocking on the side of the boat.
