as she put her face in with eyes wide open.
She forgot every worry in her mind.
A turquoise world greeted her below. Waving ocean plants and coral. A royal blue fish with a yellow stripe swam lazily by them; hundreds of tiny black fish sped beneath her flippers startling her. She popped her head out of the water and gasped.
Nate had been watching her and they removed their mouthpieces simultaneously.
"So, was it as good as I promised?"
"Better." She laughed. "I did it! Did you see them? I never dreamed it would be so wonderful."
"That's only a taste. I'll show you more if you'll let me."
She nodded, her eyes shining.
Nate held her hand, never letting go as they swam past multicolored coral and hundreds of fish of all sizes.
Kara had never seen anything like this underwater world. The fish were so brightly colored, so unusual. Several times she tried to speak, to tell Nate something before forgetting he couldn't hear her with the mouthpiece. They pointed and communicated with their eyes. His hand never left hers. She drank in the comfort and felt safe and alive.
He motioned to her, asking her if she wanted to go down further but she shook her head no. It was one thing to float on top of the water with her head in and quite another to swim down below. What she'd accomplished probably didn't seem like much to him, but to her, it was a huge step.
When it was time to go, they swam back to the Rhino Rider. He helped remove her mask, now caught in her long hair. He pulled the golden strands loose and traced his fingertip across her lips, which tingled beneath his touch.
A wave crashed over them, surprising them both. She swallowed salt water. Choking and coughing, she reached out for him, touching his chest.
"Hey, Kara." His voice soothed as he pulled her close. "It's all right. I've got you."
She started to speak, but he kissed the top of her nose.
"It's time to go." Huskiness lingered in his tone.
If only they didn't have to.
"I know." She sighed.
Moments of joy could bloom. But they didn't last. Any more than red roses did. Then you had only the memories of what was to hold.
"Kara." The timber of his voice called her mind back from where it hovered. "If I get out first, I can pull you out of the water. But you'll have to float for a minute by yourself."
She nodded, and he let go. As soon as he did, she began kicking. Without him to hold onto, she couldn't hold her legs still.
He pulled himself out and removed his gear quickly. "See if you can take off your flippers first."
She struggled with her flippers in the water while the others climbed out of the sea, but she got them off. He took them, stuck them in the side of the Rhino Rider, and then held his hands out to her. "Grab hold."
She reached up.
He grasped her hands, lifted her out, and plopped her on the side of the boat.
She had no idea he was so strong.
He smoothed wet strands of hair off her forehead with a gentle hand. "Are you ready to head back?"
"As ready as I'll ever be. I wish we could stay."
"Me too." He smiled. "But I'm looking forward to taking you dancing tonight."
"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."
Than in your arms.
She didn't finish the statement out loud but the wish went up.
"I'm glad, Kara. You're very special to me." His finger stroked under her chin and he bent to kiss her, his lips brushing hers slowly and tenderly.
When he pulled away, giving her a deep smile, she realized what a gift he'd given her today. More than just teaching her to snorkel, he reminded her what it was to be alive. Alive under this blue Caribbean sky, the aqua water below them full of life.
She looked around, soaking everything in. Her job at the bank seemed far away and lifeless. A dead end. She'd been at that dead calm ever since Neil died, when nothing had moved forward again.
Until Nate.
The drivers started the engines. Kara slipped her hands around Nate's waist again, and they sped toward the pier. Her hair flew in the wind, and this time
She forgot every worry in her mind.
A turquoise world greeted her below. Waving ocean plants and coral. A royal blue fish with a yellow stripe swam lazily by them; hundreds of tiny black fish sped beneath her flippers startling her. She popped her head out of the water and gasped.
Nate had been watching her and they removed their mouthpieces simultaneously.
"So, was it as good as I promised?"
"Better." She laughed. "I did it! Did you see them? I never dreamed it would be so wonderful."
"That's only a taste. I'll show you more if you'll let me."
She nodded, her eyes shining.
Nate held her hand, never letting go as they swam past multicolored coral and hundreds of fish of all sizes.
Kara had never seen anything like this underwater world. The fish were so brightly colored, so unusual. Several times she tried to speak, to tell Nate something before forgetting he couldn't hear her with the mouthpiece. They pointed and communicated with their eyes. His hand never left hers. She drank in the comfort and felt safe and alive.
He motioned to her, asking her if she wanted to go down further but she shook her head no. It was one thing to float on top of the water with her head in and quite another to swim down below. What she'd accomplished probably didn't seem like much to him, but to her, it was a huge step.
When it was time to go, they swam back to the Rhino Rider. He helped remove her mask, now caught in her long hair. He pulled the golden strands loose and traced his fingertip across her lips, which tingled beneath his touch.
A wave crashed over them, surprising them both. She swallowed salt water. Choking and coughing, she reached out for him, touching his chest.
"Hey, Kara." His voice soothed as he pulled her close. "It's all right. I've got you."
She started to speak, but he kissed the top of her nose.
"It's time to go." Huskiness lingered in his tone.
If only they didn't have to.
"I know." She sighed.
Moments of joy could bloom. But they didn't last. Any more than red roses did. Then you had only the memories of what was to hold.
"Kara." The timber of his voice called her mind back from where it hovered. "If I get out first, I can pull you out of the water. But you'll have to float for a minute by yourself."
She nodded, and he let go. As soon as he did, she began kicking. Without him to hold onto, she couldn't hold her legs still.
He pulled himself out and removed his gear quickly. "See if you can take off your flippers first."
She struggled with her flippers in the water while the others climbed out of the sea, but she got them off. He took them, stuck them in the side of the Rhino Rider, and then held his hands out to her. "Grab hold."
She reached up.
He grasped her hands, lifted her out, and plopped her on the side of the boat.
She had no idea he was so strong.
He smoothed wet strands of hair off her forehead with a gentle hand. "Are you ready to head back?"
"As ready as I'll ever be. I wish we could stay."
"Me too." He smiled. "But I'm looking forward to taking you dancing tonight."
"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."
Than in your arms.
She didn't finish the statement out loud but the wish went up.
"I'm glad, Kara. You're very special to me." His finger stroked under her chin and he bent to kiss her, his lips brushing hers slowly and tenderly.
When he pulled away, giving her a deep smile, she realized what a gift he'd given her today. More than just teaching her to snorkel, he reminded her what it was to be alive. Alive under this blue Caribbean sky, the aqua water below them full of life.
She looked around, soaking everything in. Her job at the bank seemed far away and lifeless. A dead end. She'd been at that dead calm ever since Neil died, when nothing had moved forward again.
Until Nate.
The drivers started the engines. Kara slipped her hands around Nate's waist again, and they sped toward the pier. Her hair flew in the wind, and this time
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