Page 49 of Chasing Sunrise

In an unspoken agreement, he and Harper concentrated on work. As much as he’d like to think he was the reason for the show being a hit, he wasn’t a fool. She’d discovered him, and the success of the show came from her ingenuity, ideas, and promotion. He didn’t agree with everything she did, the proposal refusal newsreel a prime example, but she found ways to make viewers, lots of viewers, watch each season.

“I’ve never been so cold.” She bounced on her toes. “No one would blame you if you changed your mind about going into the water.”

“We didn’t come all this way for nothing.” He spun toward Simpson. “Let’s go.”

“Swim up next to a penguin, and then we’re out of there.”

“No longer than twenty minutes in the water, gentlemen.” Lilly darted back inside the trailer.

Penguins slid into the water and catapulted out at a constant pace. He’d learned the animals stayed on shore for three weeks and out in the water for the same amount of time. However, there were so many of them, they were in a constant state of influx and outflux.

Two of the camera crew came out of the trailer and filmed Kasey and Simpson dropping into the water.

Expecting to be shocked by the temperature of the water, Kasey didn’t feel cold at all.

Simpson began filming immediately. The bright light attached to the camera illuminated the water.

“They’re so cute.” Lilly’s voice crackled over the headphones.

As Kasey gave the viewers information, the penguins kept their distance. After a while, one circled Kasey. It looked smaller than the others. The bird lifted almost to the surface and looked back. It turned around and circled Kasey’s head this time, then nudged him on the shoulder.

He laughed. “I guess it’s telling me to ‘come on.’” Intrigued, he swam as fast as he could. “I can’t possibly keep up. It’s going so fast.”

“Kasey,” Beau warned. “You’ve been in the water fifteen minutes. Time to wrap it up.”

The tiny penguin who’d made friends with him skirted around a penguin toward the bottom who was flailing his right flipper while the left didn’t move.

“What’s wrong with that little guy?” He pointed to the floundering bird “What should I do?”

“Get out of the water,” Beau urged.

“He can’t leave the poor creature,” Lilly argued. “It looks hurt.”

“We’ll send someone else down,” Beau insisted.

“Just tell me what to do.” Kasey swam downward. Suddenly, the coldness registered in his body, taking his breath away.Damn. He swam harder, hoping to warm up.

No luck. All he was doing was making it harder to breathe. He kept his focus on the injured animal, ignoring how his body now shivered.

The penguin’s good flipper jerked back and forth quicker the closer Kasey got.

“Kasey, Jerico here,” a scientist stationed at Doorman said. “It might be docile or it could try to fight you, but if it does, it shouldn’t be able to do much damage. Try to wrap your arms around it from the back so it can’t attack with its beak.”

“What about other penguins?” Lilly inquired.

“If his parents aren’t around, there shouldn’t be a problem.”

“And if they are?” Kasey swam up behind the bird.

Jerico quietly uttered, “Let’s just hope they’re not.”

~

When the last bellrang, Amanda pulled her phone out of her purse and checked her messages. Seeing one from Kasey, she opened it.I’m not sure when you’ll receive this, but please know whether I make it back from this frozen-ass tundra or not, and with all my body parts or not, it’s been nice, really nice, spending time with you. And I take pride knowing that, even in my season of celibacy, I was your virgin country dance and camping companion.

Amanda took a quick intake of breath. She read through his words again, slower this time. She couldn’t believe his text made her so giddy. He’d only been gone a week, but it felt like a month. Not sure if she liked the idea of how much she missed him, she couldn’t help wanting to see his smiling eyes. He’d taken such good care of her when she was sick.

I must say, Mr. Hunter, you have a way with words and know how to make a girl feel special while potentially saying goodbye forever. I do hope you make it back and, in the most platonic way, with all your body parts.