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Placing his hands on her hips once more, he lowered his head so his face was several inches closer to hers, his gaze a direct window to his soul, “I feel the same way about you, Beth. I don’t understand why it has taken me so long to see what has stared me in the face for the past ten years, but I am here now. I feel like you are the other half of my heart. I truly do not believe that I will find another love like the one I hold for you. I understandyour fears. You know I can’t promise you tomorrow, but I want to promise you all the tomorrows that the good Lord gives me. If you can’t ever feel the way you felt for Manny, I understand. But I would ask that you search your heart to see if you can give me the love you have left to give because I truly believe that it will be enough for me. I love you, Beth. I want a future with you, however long or short that is.”
Beth didn’t say anything, just closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around him and holding him tight. “I love you too, Chad. So much it scares me. I want to keep trying, though. Just give me a little more time. Keep clawing your way out of that box. Don’t give up on me.”
“Never, sweetheart,” he spoke into her hair as he tightened his hold. “I will never give up on you or us. Take whatever time you need.”
They held each other for what seemed like an hour, neither willing to be the first to pull away. So much had been said this evening, yet so much still remained. Beth knew she loved him and understood the depth of that love much more clearly now, but her heart still felt too unsure to take the final leap. For now, she would rest in the fact that they loved each other and let tomorrow work out where they went from there.
Chapter 18
The Cayman Islands held even more firsts for Beth. After all the years she had lived in the Sunshine State, it was hard for Chad to believe that she had never ridden a Jetski. Yet, here she was, climbing on behind him, threatening him with itching powder in his scrubs if he threw her off like the teenagers out in the deeper water were doing to each other.
They enjoyed a three-hour guided tour racing across the waves, stopping to snorkel with stingrays at Stingray City, swimming and relaxing in the clear shallow water at Rum Point, and finally making their way to Starfish Point. Here, they snorkeled and looked at the starfish within arm’s reach. Many guests were picking them up and feeling their tiny feet tickle their palms, but Beth had strict rules about touching sea life, so they observed from a distance.
Beth was feeling a bit waterlogged, so they decided to move closer to shore and dry in the sun as they waded in the shallows along the white sand beach.
Chad had been monitoring Beth’s mood all day. She appeared to be in high spirits after the intense conversation from the nightbefore. Her eyes were not puffy nor held dark circles, which would indicate a sleepless night, so he hoped she had, in fact, slept well.
“Beth, there has been something weighing on me. Do you mind if I ask you now, or would you prefer I wait until we get back on board the ship?” he inquired, eyeing her closely for any body language that would hint at her discomfort.
“Now is good. Shoot.”
“When Linda mentioned at dinner that I would need keeping an eye on and that I had a silver tongue, it didn’t sit well with me. I have prided myself on being a man of integrity, and I try very hard not to lead the ladies on even though they hit on me with alarming and annoying frequency. You know me better than anyone aside from Larry, so I always assumed that you knew I was not a player, even though that’s a reputation many have pinned on me. Do you feel you can trust me not to be unfaithful to you or leave you if we make this relationship official?”
“Definitely. To be perfectly honest, it has always bothered me a little how much the women drool over you, but I know it is not your fault. I have never witnessed you act in any way that was dishonorable or disrespectful to the women in your employ, or anywhere for that matter. You are an extremely attractive man who takes very good care of his body and has earned the confidence that you wear around you like a cape. It is attractive. I don’t blame them for noticing what the good Lord gave you. I just wish they didn’t make it so obvious or so, I don’t know… uncomfortable for others. Cleaning up drool off the counter every time you walk by got old on about day two, and it has now been ten years.” Her mischievous grin drew a chuckle from him.
“I am just glad to know you trust me and know that I am one hundred percent dedicated to you, be that friendship or husband. I have eyes for no other…”
A screech of surprised pain ripped from Beth’s lips, cutting him off as she started hopping on one foot and shaking the other. Chad quickly scooped her into his arms and out of the water, not sure what was happening but knowing the danger came from there.
He quickly made his way to shore, “Beth, be still. Whatever it is, I will get it. Stop shaking your foot in case it makes whatever it is worse.”
“Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Something has me!” she yelped as she gave her foot another vigorous shake.
Chad placed her down gently on the sand and moved down to have a look at the bottom of her foot. A short burst of laughter escaped his lips before he could clamp down.
“Beth, you have a baby blue crab attached to the arch of your foot, sweetheart. Don’t move, and we might be able to get him to release without bloodshed on either side.” A smile curled his lips, causing Beth to glare at him.
“This is not funny, Chadwick. Do you know that blue crabs are strong enough to pinch off the tip of a finger if provoked?”
“I have heard that but never witnessed it myself.”
The little guy was scrambling to get a better hold of his prey and his other pincher and legs were swinging wildly in the air. The other pincher made contact with the bottom of Beth’s foot, scaring her, and she kicked again with significant force. Her shin connected with Chad’s face, where he had been bent over inspecting her foot, and the crab was finally ripped from her skin, flying back into his watery home.
Shaking his head and pinching the bridge of his nose, presumably checking for permanent damage, Chad murmured, “Well, glad he survived this ordeal without any blood. I am not sure the same can be said for the two of us.” He leaned his head forward a moment and closed his eyes tightly shut.
“I must have walloped you good. I am so sorry, Chad. It was purely reflex. Is it broken? Come here, let me examine it.” She patted his thigh where he knelt in the sand a couple feet away.
“It isn’t broken, just jammed a bit. I will be fine.” Shaking his head once more as if to clear the last of the pain away, he slid back over to Beth to examine the damage she had done flinging the little critter back into the water. “Well, congratulations, you have a solid one-inch laceration on the bottom of your foot. Let’s get you back to the civilized side of this island so I can dress this properly. The last thing I need is for you to get an infection and lose your foot. Tom won’t just bankrupt me; he and Eric will have their military or intelligence buddies throw me in a dark hole and forget where they put the key.”
“It would be funny if it wasn’t potentially true. They would definitely know where to hide you up in those mountains of theirs. Although... Tom has ways of erasing people right where they stand, so I am not sure they would need to “disappear” you. He could just erase you digitally, and then where would you be?” The pride in Beth’s tone was evident. Not that her adopted son and son-in-law were outlaws by any means. They were on the right side of the law but had reached the top of their fields and now used their knowledge to help others and keep others who needed it in line. He would be a proud papa, too, if they were his kids. He had no intention of overstepping with Beth and giving them a reason to protect or defend her, so he wasn’t truly worried, even though they joked about it often.
He once again scooped her into his arms, one arm under her knees and the other behind her back, her arms draped around his neck. The closeness had his heart racing, though he chose to blame it on the fact that Beth was injured.
“I believe this makes me your knight in shining armor. Doesn’t this act of chivalry deserve a kiss?” he quipped, a humorous gleam in his eyes.
“Wishful thinking, buddy. You are right; Iama lady, and I never make the first move. If you want a kiss, you are going to work for it. I will say that after today, it wouldn’t be unwelcome. I have given much thought to our conversations, and I think I am ready to move forward.”
Chad stopped in his tracks, searching her face for any sign of jest, “Really, Beth?”
