Page 38 of The Billionaire Love Match

“Yeah. It’s stupid. But it’s been like this since I was a kid.”

Ty eyed the cameras, which at the moment were far too interested in something Colt was doing further down the line. He put his hand on hers. “Hey,” he said gently. “You don’t need to do this.”

Casey shook her head fiercely and set her jaw. “Yes, I do.”

“No, we could just—”

“Yes. I have to do this.” Without intending to, her gaze flicked to Colt.

Ty patted her hand, looking frustrated about something. “For that guy?” He gestured toward Colt, who was talking to one of the other girls and helping her adjust her mask. He was making his way down the line, talking to each girl.

She sighed. “For that guy.” She grabbed his hand and looked at him desperately. “Help me?”

His jaw clenched and she blinked back the tears, mentally trying to replace them with an iron resolve. He nodded. “I’ll be right here. No matter what.”

“Thank you,” She whispered, giving his hand a squeeze.

Ty began gathering the equipment together. “I hope he’s worth it.”

“Me too.”

Ten minutes later, she stood at the edge of the pool in a wetsuit, flippers, and a snorkel and mask. Ty didn’t break his promise and stayed by Casey’s side, helping her step into fins and practice swimming with her head in the water and just a mask and snorkel.

“If it freaks you out to breathe with the snorkel, you may have trouble with the scuba part. Don’t think about that yet. Let’s just be right here. One thing at a time. Do your best to relax. It’s mental, okay? As long as your head is horizontal in the water, the tube is above. You’ll have air. Do you think you can swim?”

“Yes. I can do basic stuff in the water, it’s just when I go all the way under...” she shrugged.

He grasped her shoulder. “I’ll walk beside you, okay? Would it help if I keep my hand on your back?”

She nodded. He was leading her into the water when Colt came swimming over and popped up. In his wet suit and damp hair, he reminded her of a seal. Despite the fear tangling in her gut, she giggled.

“Hi,” he said.

“Hi.”

“Want to swim a lap together?”

She opened her mouth but Ty spoke before she could answer. “I’m going to help Casey get used to the equipment. Why don’t you circle back in a few?”

Colt looked hard at Ty, who gazed coolly back. He did not flinch or take his hand from Casey’s arm. It was awkward. She realized, watching what appeared to be a standoff, that they weren’t strangers. In fact, this was the same kind of unspoken talk she and Amanda sometimes shared.

Colt nodded, finally, and his jaw softened as he smiled at her. “I’ll see you in a bit, Casey.” He touched her face, briefly, then swam away.

Casey registered the touch down to her knees, which were already shaky. This may not be the best time to be thinking about Colt. As much as everything in her body wanted to gravitate towards him.

She turned to Ty. “Old friends?”

He looked surprised, then smiled. “Best.”

“Well, if I didn’t like you before, I have more reason to now. What next?”

For the next ten long minutes, Ty helped ease Casey into swimming a full lap with her face in the water. The first few times she tried to breathe through the snorkel, she panicked and broke for the surface, even as the air reached her lungs, just as Ty had said it would.

“Hey, you had air. Did you get any?”

She nodded, feeling shame-faced. “I’m trying. It’s just...like a reaction.”

“Easy. It’s physiological. You can’t always control those with your rational thoughts. Personally,” he said with a smile, “I think your mental game is strong. You can do this. But if you don’t, that’s okay. We can stop here for the day and that’s nothing to be ashamed of. You’ve done great so far. You’re very brave. Now what do you say we try one more time. Let’s get you from here to the end of this lane. Just to the wall. You with me?”

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