Page 34 of Something Blue

“Okay, I’ll do it.”

“Let’s do it right now before you lose your nerve.”

The blood drained from her face, leaving her skin a pasty white.

It took another hour to convince Sadie to follow him down the beach to where the rental shack was set up. Four-wheelers, kayaks, and small boats were parked on the sand. As they stood in line, Sadie wrapped her arms around her stomach and shivered.

“Are you cold?” he asked, scooting her away from the shade of the shack.

“Nope. Scared.”

He held out his hand. “Hold this. You’ll feel better. People have said I give off a calming presence.”

She snorted. “Really?”

He closed his fist and opened his hand out to her again. “Really.”

She nodded and held his hand tightly as they signed waivers, paid, and were assigned to a group of eight. They had to swim out to the boat. Andy made sure to stay close to Sadie, but her face had taken on a determined look.

Once they were on the boat, and Sadie was finding a seat, Andy found the captain. “Can we go first? My fiancé is a little worried, and I think she’ll enjoy it more if she doesn’t watch the other couples first.”

“Sure, no problem.”

Her teeth chattered as she turned to the captain. “Has anyone died doing this?”

“Not on my boat,” he said. “Captain Jack will take care of you, honey. Don’t worry.”

“Like Captain Jack Sparrow?”

“Yep,” he said, “but with a whole lot less hair.” Captain Jack rubbed his bald head and replaced his hat with a chuckle.

The two of them laughed, and Andy was glad to see her shoulders relax a little.

While the other couples boarded the boat, Andy and Sadie had extra time to get their gear on. She fiddled with the zipper on her life jacket as Captain Jack went over safety precautions and procedures. Andy thought Sadie was okay until he saw the tears brimming in her eyes. He reached for her free hand and pulled her closer.

“If this is too much, we can just take a nice boat ride and come right back.”

She smiled up at him, and a teardrop fell from her eye. As he lifted a hand to wipe it away, he rested it against her cheek. Her skin was so soft. In that moment, he felt something. A connection? An urge? He wasn’t sure, but instinctively, he turned her around and wrapped his arms around her. It was a little awkward with the extra bulk from their equipment, but he didn’t budge.

Her breaths were small and shallow, and he was sure he’d ruined everything. “What do you want to do?”

“I’m not fine, but I need to do this.”

Captain Jack started the boat and headed in their resort’s direction.

Sadie gave him a worried look. “What if everyone sees me?”

He sighed and scooted over. “If you are doing this for Chase or anyone else, we should take the equipment off. I want you to do this for you, because you deserve to feel that rush of adrenaline. You need to feel alive and happy, and if you’re focused on what others think about what you’re doing, you won’t—ever. Do you think your mom would be okay with that?”

He bit the side of his lip. As the words came out of his mouth, he knew he’d said the wrong thing.

She blinked a few times, but remained quiet. The boat slowed down, and she reached for his hand and squeezed.

Captain Jack stalled the engine and called for them to join him at the side. He introduced his assistant as Dan and grabbed one of the harnesses and headed straight for Sadie.

Andy looked down at her white fingers. “It’s not too late to back out.”

She shook her head. “It’s okay. I’m already here, and you promised to take care of me, right?”

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