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“I know,” he said. “We’re having too much fun.”
Then he ran and cannonballed into the ocean. Water splashed over her, and she screamed. But nothing serious, and in a second, she’d followed him over the side.
The water slicked the heat from her body, cool and perfect as she sat in the water and pulled on her fins. Then she cleared her mask and snorkel and dipped her head in the water.
He was already on the bottom, maybe fifteen feet down, gesturing to her.
She took a breath, then kicked hard and followed him down. He floated near a ledge and pointed.
A giant octopus sat, fat and bulbous, floating in the shadows. It blinked at them, then danced away. A thousand tiny orange fish scooted by, as one. The reef was thick with orange and pink coral, ferns, and what she referred to as blue brains.
She kicked to the surface. Took a breath.
Hudson followed her up. “Did you see the turtle?”
“No—where?”
“I’ll show you.” He took a breath again and headed back down. She did the same, following him.
He had stopped next to the reef outcropping again and now gestured to her. She kicked close and he reached out, grabbed her hand, pulled her in to him.
Right against him. He put his arm around her waist to hold her, and pointed.
There, in the blue-green shadows, a massive sea turtle lay on the sand, just hanging out, a few fish attached to his shell. His flipper feet dug into the sand.
So close she could touch him.
Hud looked at her, gave her a thumbs-up.
Not. A honeymoon. Not even a date—
A thrum thundered through the water, muffled but violent, and it shifted the sand beneath them. The turtle woke, kicked away. Around them, fish lifted from the reef, scattering.
She looked at Hud, but he was already headed to the surface.
Kicking hard, she followed him.
Gasped for air at the top. “What was—”
Hudson grabbed her arm, turned her.
The beautiful Beneteau burned, a funeral pyre on the sea. “What? Was the stove on?”
Then shots pinged the water, ricocheting near them.
She looked at Hud.
“I think someone’s shooting at us!” His eyes widened as another shot pinged the water. “Dive!”
She gulped a deep breath, one filled with fear and shock and terror, took hold of Hud’s hand, and dove.
* * *
