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“Wow. Okay. Just for the record, I’m going to need lots of time to train.” Ellyn’s brow wrinkled with concern.
Molly nodded. “Same. Plus, I might need a little head start to be able to fully wrap my mind around how high we’ll be. The world’s third tallest mountain? That’s no joke.”
Hadley shrugged, unconcerned. “Go big or go home, ladies.”
Molly and Ellyn exchanged a look that said that trip was going to take a whole lot more prep work than repeating a clichéd catchphrase.
“Well, my step out of my comfort zone doesn’t require a plane ticket to a location halfway around the world, but it does stick with the conquering-heights theme.” Ellyn paused and confidently sipped her drink. “I want to ride in a hot air balloon.”
Hadley pressed her lips together, considering it. “Interesting. I could get on board with that.”
Simply hearing the idea made Molly’s stomach tumble like a barrel over a waterfall, but she was pleasantly surprised to realize that she didn’t automatically shut it down like she might’ve before. Maybe her personal growth plan was working after all. “I bet the views are amazing, but y’all might have to remind me to look down from time to time.”
“That can be arranged.” Ellyn grinned.
“But before we can tackle any of those adventures, we have to cross ‘learning to snorkel’ off your bucket list,” Hadley said with a healthy dose of determination. She popped the last bit of sandwich in her mouth. “I say it’s time to take this party to the water.”
“Let’s do it.” Molly stared out at the gentle waves rolling onto the shore, digging deep to build up her courage. “Watch out, fish. Here I come.”
Chapter Ten
Thanks to their girls’ nightbeach party, Molly walked into Turtle Rehab Saturday morning feeling confident. She had Ellyn’s snorkel gear in her bag and she was ready for a day at sea. At least, as ready as she could be. The fears of running into Jaws or living out the rest of her days like Robinson Crusoe weren’t easily shed. Baby steps.
On her way to Grant’s boat, Molly strolled through the gift shop and past a group getting a tour of their facility. She was running a few minutes behind, thanks to an unusually long line to get a bagel and traffic moving at the pace of a Galapagos tortoise. This must be what Grant kept warning her about. A bike would’ve been a faster mode of transportation today.
However, even though she was late, she couldn’t resist stopping by to visit Hope.
It was amazing how much stronger the loggerhead had gotten since she’d arrived. Her wounds were starting to heal and she was already back to an almost normal activity level. She was strong and a fighter, and watching her healing process was an inspiration. Molly liked all the turtles here, but there was something about Hope that she connected with on a different level. Visiting her was like therapy for her soul.
“Wish me luck, Hope. I’m off to brave the ocean for the first time since we did it together.”
Hope chose that moment to dive down and curve to the left in one fluid movement.
“Fancy move. Keep getting strong and pretty soon, you’ll be pulling that stunt out in the big, blue sea too.”
The turtle swooped up to the surface and raised her head for a breath right in front of Molly. And Molly couldn’t be totally sure, but she felt pretty certain Hope was telling her she had this.
“Thanks for the encouragement.” She blew Hope a kiss and hurried the rest of the way down to the boat.
“Hey there, sailor.” Grant strolled over as soon as she got close. He looked like an ad for some sort of boating lifestyle company. His dark brown hair was perfectly windswept, and he wore a long-sleeved shirt with a vintage beachy scene on it and a sun visor. His signature polarized sunglasses were secured with a cord around his neck, and his leather flip-flops had that naturally-worn-but-not-worn-out look.
But the part that got her every time was his smile. It was warm, authentic, and joyful. Plus, it showed off his dimples. The combination hit her square in the chest, which always took her by surprise. Yes, it was a great smile, but after a few weeks of knowing this man, she should be used to it, right?
He nodded his head atDream Catcher. “You ready for this?”
“I think so. Check this out.” She pulled Ellyn’s snorkel and mask far enough out of her bag so he could see it.
Grant whistled. “Look at you with your own fancy equipment.”
“And I even know how to use it.” Molly waggled her eyebrows. “Although, in full disclosure, it’s not mine. I borrowed it from my neighbor. But who knows? Maybe I’m one trip away from becoming an avid snorkeler.”
“Or a diver. If you like this reef, you should see the underwater art museum that’s a little farther out.”
Molly held up both hands to stop him. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. I can only conquer one adventure at a time.”
“Right. We’ll save that conversation for after you fall in love with the reef.” He winked, which delivered a second punch to that same part of her chest. Maybe Molly needed to stop looking at his face altogether.
“Then I’d better get on board so we can get to it.” She gripped the rail of the boat and stepped off the solid dock onto the gently rocking catamaran.
