Page 42 of Commit

“They love human interaction,” she says.

“Why is it interacting with me?” Matt’s head is on a swivel, rocking his board back and forth as he looks for the animal. He lifts his paddle in the air like he means to use it to fight off the giant mammal.

“Dude, you can’t hit the manatee with your oar,” Peter says.

“I think it’s illegal,” Reece yells.

“What am I supposed to do, then? Let the thing attack me?”

“They won’t hurt you,” the guide reassures.

I smile, throwing his words back on him. “They’re friendly, remember?”

Matt doesn’t even react to me. His entire focus is on the water around him.

The manatee slowly swims around, heading back in our direction.

“What’s its problem?” Matt shouts.

My hand goes to my mouth as I watch the mammal bump its body above the surface right under Matt’s board. His arms swing around and around as if that will somehow help him hold his balance. His eyes go wide as he flops into the water, making a huge splash. When he comes up for air, he’s kicking and yelling, “Where is it? It’s after me!”

The rest of us have no sympathy. We’re laughing too hard.

Matt holds the side of his board, flinching as the manatee glides by him, skimming across his arms and shoulders. “It’s on my back! It’s on my back!”

I’m laughing so hard I can barely catch my breath. There’s something so cute about Matt when everything goes wrong, when his perfection is challenged. Those are the times I relate to him the most, and it hits me. Maybe I don’t have to be the perfect wife, mother, and partner for us to work out. Maybe there is beauty in the imperfection of it all.

We could be perfectly imperfect together.

That is, if he takes me back.

Matt kicks his legs, swimming to get his paddle that floated away during his fall. “I swear if it comes by me again, I’m punching it in the gut.”

Dalton’s voice goes deep and serious as he impersonates a newscaster. “Florida man gets thrown in jail for attacking the friendliest sea animal there ever was.”

Peter’s voice mimics Dalton’s. “Florida man arrested after punching a sea cow in the gut.”

“Florida man?” He shakes his head. “Are we back to that?”

I burst out a heavy laugh, causing Matt to look at me. “What are you laughing at?”

“Nothing, Florida man.” I smirk.

Matt swims to my board. “Don’t act like you’re not scared of the manatees too.”

I step to the back of my board, out of his reach, but he lurches his body forward, pulling on my ankles. I scream, trying to keep my balance, but his force is too much. I fall in the water, landing next to him. Matt’s arm wraps around my waist, and the other holds my board. Even through the water, I feel the burn of his fingers on my bare skin. I place my hands on his shoulders, letting our chests skim together as we bob up and down.

“Maybe I should feed you to the manatees.” His lips twitch, and it’s all I can do to drag my eyes away from his mouth.

“You love me too much to do that.” Five minutes ago, I wouldn’t have said something so bold, but my confidence grew the second Matt pulled me into the water.

His cute smirk turns into a sad smile. “You’re right. I love you too much.”

“Hey, Florida man,” Reece says as he floats past us. “Quit flirting and get back on your board so we can continue our tour.”

Matt squeezes my hip once before releasing me.

I just decided that manatees are my new favorite animal.

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