Page 78 of Hard Luck (Blackstone House)

“There shouldn’t be much current, but if there is, stick close to the reef wall,” he reminded her.

“Okay.”

“Take as much time as you need to get your ears equalised. Don’t worry about me. Then we’ll do our drills—regulator recovery, buddy breathing, flooded mask. Ready?”

“Yes, Dad.”

She rolled her eyes, and he chuckled.

“I’m only concerned about your safety. In case you haven’t noticed, you’re important to me.”

They’d already gone over the hand signals, and Bella seemed confident. With good reason. It only took her a minute to equalise, and she didn’t panic during the drills. There were no problems with her buoyancy either. She was a natural. So damn graceful underwater.

Bella did as instructed and stayed by Cole’s side as they swam across the lagoon, past fish that darted behind rocks covered in coral. The reef wall didn’t disappoint. Schools of orange anthias darted around, and a moray eel poked its head out of a crevice. A scorpionfish was barely visible against a rock.

Cole had brought an underwater camera with him, and he tapped Bella on the shoulder. They both hung vertically as he took a selfie. It would be a nice memento to show her friends, and as he checked the picture to make sure neither of them got caught blinking, he realised it was the only photo he had of her. She preferred to avoid her past rather than record it.

He tapped his wrist as a question:how much air do you have left?

She signed back:140 bar.

He checked his own gauge—130 bar. No way. Was she not breathing or something?

Just in case she’d gotten her signals wrong, he checked the gauge attached to her tank. 140 bar. How could that be? They’d both started off with two hundred, and he was never heavy on air.

Something caught his eye in the blue, and he turned to see a reef shark zipping past. Bella looked where he pointed, and even with the regulator covering part of her face, he saw her lips curve up in a smile.

We need to head back, he signalled, and she followed.

When they reached the beach, they reversed the process with the gear, and he helped Bella up to the deck.

“Are you part marlin?” he asked. “Do you have gills?”

“Funny, the guy who taught me to dive said that as well.”

“And?”

“I do a lot of yoga.”

Cole used the outdoor shower to rinse the saltwater off himself and their equipment while Bella went inside to change. A day and a half until the Blaylock party arrived, and he was stressed in a way he’d never been before. Vegas was bleeding into his relaxed island vibe. So far today, the head chef had called in sick, and a guest had caused a partial evacuation by smoking in his room. The Galaxy was the first resort on the Strip to implement a no-smoking policy, but some people just couldn’t stop themselves from breaking the rules.

“You want a ride into Bishop’s Landing?” he called to Bella.

Emerald Shores’s largest town lay on the other side of the island, beyond the mountainous middle. The lagoon area was prettier, but Bishop’s Landing had the deep water necessary for ships to dock, and the town had grown around the harbour. TheCrosswindwas berthed at the marina there, which was also home to the only dry dock outside of Ilha Grande and the best marine services business in the country.

“Can I come see the boat?” she asked, appearing at the top of the stairs. Damn, she was beautiful. An athletic body,striking features, hair that tickled when she took the steps down and leaned in close to kiss him.

“Sure, you can come see the boat. I’m taking her out for a quick run this afternoon. Want to join me?”

“Why not?”

“Huh. It’s bigger than I expected,” Bella said as Cole helped her across the wide gangplank and onto the swim platform at theCrosswind’s stern.

“Something else I have Uncle Mike to thank for. When I told him I wanted to run a charter boat, he spoke with a friend of a friend of a friend who helped me to find theCrosswind. She was originally equipped to run shark tours—that’s why she has the crane and the cage on the back.”

Now the crane was used to lower the occasional research vessel, and he’d secured the cage to the deck, bought a waterproof cover, and filled it with cushions for the outdoor seating areas.

“I thought great whites didn’t live in the Caribbean? Isn’t it too warm?”

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