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Her eyes were still tightly closed, and she was busy considering what she was going to tell Ben when she arrived back on crutches, when the whoop of cheers ringing up from the boat distracted her. For a split second, she wondered what they could be cheering about. Most of the cheering that day had been when people got up on the water…
And that was when she opened her eyes and saw it for herself.
Holly Berry was waterskiing.
17
Holly loved waterskiing. It was something she never thought she would say, but it was true. She loved it. She loved the feel of the wind whipping through her hair, and the saltwater spray rising from the sea. She loved the feeling of freedom as she shifted her weight from one foot to another and cut the waves behind the boat and moved from side to side. No wonder people got addicted to things like this, she thought as the boat swung her around in a fast arc. It reminded her of the rush she got as a child, flying down a massive slide or pushing herself extra high on a swing just so she could jump from the top.
Once, she even went one-handed, so she could wave to the others on the boat, although the sudden misbalance that nearly toppled her meant she didn’t try that again.
Had it not been for her arms, she would have kept going even longer, but after nearly ten minutes, it felt as if she had spent the last month in the gym, and she was finding it harder and harder to keep a decent grip. When the boat drew to a stop, Holly swam back towards it.
‘That was amazing!’ She hoisted herself back onto the boat, the heat of excitement helping to block out the cold.
‘You are amazing,’ Caroline said as she pulled her up to standing then handed her a towel. ‘You definitely put me to shame.’
‘That’s not true.’
‘It is. You were a complete natural.’
The high of being on the water hadn’t faded, and hearing the others congratulate her only made it even better. ‘I have no idea how I did it. It just felt natural. And I’ve never been into a sport before. This is a sport, right? Yes, of course it’s a sport. It’s a water sport.’
Holly could hear herself rambling but it was an excited rambling. Goosebumps had spread across her arms, but she didn’t even feel cold. Instead, she was just desperate to get straight back on it again.
As she looked out onto the water, Zahida was strapping herself onto the skis, ready for her first turn. Before the boat started moving again, Holly dropped onto a seat. She barely had time to catch her breath before Evan came and sat beside her.
‘Are you sure you’ve never done that before?’
It was a cheesy line, yet Holly couldn’t help but grin.
‘Positive, but I need to do it again.’
‘Is there somewhere close to you where you could do it?’
‘Like a beach? No. But there’s a water park in South Cerney. I think they do it there. I might book lessons when I get back.’
‘Wow, you got the bug fast.’
‘It’s a little different out here in the sun than it is on one of the lakes back in the Cotswolds.’ Jamie joined the conversation. ‘You’ll probably need to get yourself a wetsuit.’
Even the thought of shivering away in a cold lake didn’t dampen Holly’s enthusiasm, although she might have been a bit pre-emptive with the idea of lessons. Even if she could arrange them for the afternoons when Ben had Hope, there was a minor issue of cost. With the annoyance of reality sinking in, she was even more determined to make the most of her time in France.
‘We’re gonna have time for another go, right? We don’t have anything planned for the rest of the afternoon, do we?’
Evan laughed. ‘I guess we’re not going back to the villa just yet.’
As the boat moved, they turned their attention to the water, although there wasn’t much time for waiting. Zahida quickly decided that waterskiing wasn’t for her, and Eddie also declined the offer of a go due to an issue with recurring ear infections and saltwater.
Holly managed another three turns out on the skis before she had to call it a day. She hadn’t wanted to. She’d wanted to stay out there until it was too dark to see any more. And even then, she’d wondered whether night waterskiing was a thing. But her arms ached, although ache probably wasn’t sufficient to describe the unceasing throbbing that pulsed through her muscles. Still, even her last attempt, where she’d only managed to stand up for a couple of minutes before she had to let go, didn’t erase the rush and sense of pride she was feeling.
‘Any chance we can come back tomorrow?’ she said to Jamie as they headed to the marina. ‘Or Thursday? Or any day where there’s a spare hour in the schedule?’
Jamie laughed as she roughly towel dried her hair. ‘No chance, I’m afraid. Tomorrow, we’re going for a hike. All the reviews say this viewpoint is stunning, and I don’t want to miss it. And then we’ve got the yacht.’
A hike and lying with nothing to do on a yacht or waterskiing? To Holly, there was absolutely no question as to which she’d prefer. But it wasn’t Holly’s hen do, and so she relented. Perhaps the hike would be shorter than they thought.
By the time they arrived back at the marina, Holly was almost dried off.
