Page 67 of Obsession Under the Southern Stars

“All right. I’ll start loading the car.”

By the time I come out, washed and changed, he’s packed the car with the picnic hamper, towels, and a bag containing a flask of coffee, sun lotion, and other bits and pieces we might need during the day.

I bring my backpack with a change of clothing and throw it into the back, and then we lock up the villa and set out for the marina.

“Beautiful day for it,” I say. The rising sun is a bright lemon-yellow, already carrying quite a bit of heat in it.

“There might be a storm this evening,” he replies, taking the turning for the cruising club and heading down the steep hill. “But we should be all right for most of the day.”

“Well, we have enough food to last us if we get shipwrecked for a fortnight,” I joke, and he grins.

He parks in the car park by the marina, and together we carry the items from the car to The Codfather.

“Who came up with the name?” I ask.

“I think it was Clive. I suggested the Marlin Monroe, but I got voted down.”

I snort, and he chuckles and starts doing his safety checks.

I make sure everything’s stowed safely, and before long he declares he’s happy and ready to go. We cast off, and soon we’re heading up the Kerikeri Inlet toward the open sea.

“Where are we going today?” I ask him, joining him at the helm.

“I thought we’d head out to Waewaetorea Island. It’s got a white sandy beach and it’s fantastic for swimming and snorkeling.”

“It sounds great.”

He holds up his arm. I move closer to him and slide my arms around his waist, and he lowers his arm and gives me a hug. “We’ll have a fun day,” he says, “and blow away all the cobwebs from last night, okay?”

“Yeah.” I feel a surge of happiness. It’s a shame not to be diving today, but he’s right—one more day of rest will be good for me. I’m sure that when we dive tomorrow, I’ll be feeling much better.

Chapter Fifteen

Joel

It takes around ninety minutes to get to Waewaetorea Island. We pass several boats—most of them fishing boats with rods on the back, some with motors, some with sails, and at one point a luxurious yacht.

“Wow,” Zoe says, eyes wide as it slides past us. “Look at that.” A group of young women dressed in bikinis and sunglasses are sipping from champagne glasses, and they all wave, whistle, and then laugh when I wave back.

“I bet it’s a hen party,” I say.

“You want to hop on board? You could do a striptease for them or something.”

I snort, and she chuckles. “It’s such a beautiful day,” she says, tilting her face up and closing her eyes as the sun beams down on her. “It’s hard to believe there’s going to be a storm later.”

I look at the clouds on the horizon, which are like the faux-fur trim on a woman’s coat. Heavy rain, thunder, and lightning are forecast, so I want to make sure we’re back well before it hits. But I don’t say anything to Zoe. She’s distracted by a pod of dolphins that are swimming alongside the boat, and I smile when one leaps out of the water, and she squeals.

“Oh my God, Joel, did you see that?”

“I did. They’re amazing.”

“Are they bottlenose dolphins?”

“Yep.”

“Look how fast they’re swimming beside us. Hey, are we likely to see any orcas out here?”

“Yeah, maybe.”

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