Page 25 of Echoes at Driftwood Cottage

“Try me,” she said with a wink.

Daniel leaned in closer, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “It’s like a woman, you see. She’s beautiful, she’s powerful, and she’s always there to take you away from your troubles at the end of the day.”

Rowan tried to hide the amusement that threatened to bubble within her. “More like an escape hatch from the day’s grind.”

Daniel chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “That too. I won’t lie. To me, the wind and waves can cast a magical spell when you’re on the water.”

She could see his pride in the boat on his face and knew it held a special place in his heart. She knew he expected her to be more thrilled about it. “I’m not suggesting it’s a bad thing. Everyone needs an escape hatch. No argument from me. I appreciate you trying to take my mind off things.”

“But you’re ready to head back home.”

“No, not yet.” She took his hand in hers and stood up. “Let’s walk down to where it’s anchored and take it slow. Don’t get your hopes up. I have no intention of getting on it. But why don’t you hop on board, and I’ll take a photo on my phone, maybe even a video.”

“It’s a start,” Daniel said, looking into her eyes. As soon as he got the chance, he planned to look up fear of water. Because something seemed way off about Rowan’s phobia. But for now, he accepted the offer at face value.

Hand in hand, they walked toward the Avalon. But he felt her stiffen up the closer they got to the ramp.

“I’ll stay here,” she said as she gave him a little push onto the slip. “I’ll watch you board.”

Beginning to feel silly about the entire exercise, he made his way out onto the dock and hopped aboard. He immediately felt the hypnotic rhythm that had always lifted his spirits whenever he was on the water. Now, standing on the bow, he felt the weight of her gaze. He saw her take out her phone, saw her lining up the shot, and waved while she took a series of photos.

The tide came in and out, the ocean lapping against the boat. The gentle rocking of the skiff became a mesmerizing fear, slowly inching its way to the pit of Rowan’s stomach. The darkness of the water crept in, enveloping her like thick molasses. Her head began to ache. She felt like she could no longer breathe. She tried to claw her way to the surface.

Unaware Rowan was in trouble, Daniel hammed it up for the photos until she dropped like an anchor in front of him, he couldn’t get off the boat fast enough. He ran to where she’d fainted. Out cold, he patted her cheeks. When that didn’t work, he picked up the water bottle and used the contents to douse her face.

That brought her around with a shriek, stuttering incoherently in a half-moan just before her eyes fluttered open. She tried to sit up but instead managed to latch onto his T-shirt. Trembling, she whispered, “I think I just blacked out.”

“Scared me half to death,” Daniel grumbled, wrapping his arms around her. “Give a guy a warning next time, will you? You tried to tell me this was a problem and that you hated the water. But I didn’t listen. Has this ever happened before?”

“It happened a couple of times in high school,” she confessed. “Since then, I got the message and steered clear of the bay.”

“That might be an excellent idea,” he sputtered. But he was still trying to recover from the stunned panic of watching her fall, his stomach churning in knots, his heart beating at a rapid rate. Doing his best to regain his composure, he plopped down next to her. All he could think about at the moment was how the hell she planned to live this close to the water in a seaside village.

She must have read his thoughts because, still clinging to him, she muttered, “I’ll be okay. What I could really use about now is some lavender ice cream—a double scoop.”

“Are you sure you’re okay? Do we need to go to the emergency room?”

Wiping water from her face, she tried to get to her feet. “I’m fine. It’s a panic attack. Some people categorize it as an anxiety attack.”

“Do you take medication for it?”

“No. I usually just avoid the water. Can we go now?” She looped an arm through his.

“Sure. Let’s go get that ice cream.”

“Mind if I hang onto you for a bit?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing.”

Chapter Six

They spent Sunday evening back at his place. After scrolling through several streaming channels, they agreed on a movie—an action-packed thriller—with Keanu Reeves taking on a steady flow of underworld assassins. They watched the film munching on popcorn without much chatter between them.

But Daniel couldn’t get past the event near the water. It nagged at him. He couldn’t forget how she had dropped like a rock right in front of him. If she’d been in the water, she might’ve drowned.

As intriguing as the final scene was, when the movie ended, he’d lost track of the plot.

While the credits rolled, Rowan yawned and stretched and curled up next to him, snuggling into his side. “You’ve been awfully quiet.”

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