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I already had the Coast Guard’s rescue contact pulled up on my phone, but now I hesitate.
Watching him is hypnotic.
I’ve never seen anyone take on the ocean like he has a personal grudge with Poseidon and he’s determined to win.
And weirdly, heiswinning.
To me, nature isn’t something you conquer. It’s part of life and it’s our responsibility to watch over it.
But this man has declared open war on it with every cleave of his paddle.
His naked aggression twists my heart like a limp rag.
Even though the sea keeps trying to swallow him up and serve some humble pie, it’s failing.
My God.
He must be enjoying himself.
I wonder if he knows I’m still standing here like a freezing idiot, watching and trying not to care about his fate.
Why else would someone throw themselves out there?
The adrenaline rush, sure. This area attracts junkies seeking their next high on wild risks.
Crazy, but what do I know?
Once I’m sure he isn’t doomed and he’s rolling up on the island’s shore, I turn away from the man and his weirdly compelling battle—just in time to find Mol trying to eat a whole-ass hermit crab.
“Molly!” I pry her mouth open and dig the poor thing out. At least the shell saved it from her sharp little teeth.
I drop it back in the water, hoping it isn’t too traumatized.
“You can’t do that,” I say, and she wags her tail, staring up at me with wide blue eyes. “Those aren’t the right kind of crabs for dinner.”
Mom, you don’t know how wrong you are.Her goofy dog grin only widens.Crabs are dinner. All the crabs, I imagine her saying.
“You’re the worst. But I love you.”
I glance back at the man on his stupid mission, but he’s finally out of sight.
For a second, I panic, wondering if I should’ve kept watching to make sure he’s all right after all. But then I see his kayak bobbing on the shore, this pale green thing tied down and half-obscured by rolling waves.
Huh.
Okay then.
I guess I need to just accept the fact that he knows what he’s doing and he’s too big an asshole to leave the world so soon.
Totally not what I need on a quiet morning.
I distract myself from the weirdness with thoughts about the weekend.
Maybe I’ll head over to Olympia for another stab at sea otter tracking. They’re so rare and endangered I’ve never spotted them in the wild, but I’d love to.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife is practically begging for civilian reports.
If I get a lucky hit up north, maybe I can help them preserve the species.
