Page 20 of Ace

They started to pick up speed. “Stop paddling.”

He did. She turned to him and smiled. “We’re still moving faster than I thought.”

“Must be the Malaysian current. We’ve caught it.” His gaze travelled over the length of her, and she suddenly became aware of every one of her own movements.

“Come keep me company.”

She stood and walked carefully, her feet stepping on each side so the raft didn’t tip too much, and came to sit at his side.

“Now, all we do is paddle once in a while to keep ourselves in this current.”

She looked back at Panau, her arm brushing against his warm skin, sending all the hairs at attention. She searched the shoreline, too distant to see movement. It looked like one green mass, but she knew beautiful humans walked along the shores and in the villages where she had lived for the past year. “I’m going to miss them.” The island was much smaller on the horizon than she thought it would be. “We’ve really come far.”

He looked back. “That’s excellent. We can’t have far to go now.” He scooted back, leaning against the back of the canoe. “Come keep me warm.”

She laughed. “Are you cold? In this heat?”

He shrugged, and the look in his eye, the spark of interest that had attracted her in the first place, almost danced in excitement.

So she gave up any reason to resist. Who knew what they could make of a relationship when this was all over. But at the moment, did it matter? Not really. She was alone at sea with a beautiful man who she had loved most of her life. She snuggled up against him with her back to his chest. His arms immediately circled round her, and she leaned her head back.

He rested his chin on her head. “Remember how we used to win every newlywed game ever made?”

She laughed, surprised at his unrelated thought. “Oh yeah. We were better than the people married for twenty years.”

“Way better than our parents.”

“Well, yeah. That’s ’cause…parents.”

His chest shook with a quiet laugh. “Think we still got it?”

“I don’t see why not. Have we changed all that much in the last few years?”

“Let’s see.”

She twisted and looked at him with a smile. “How?”

He pulled her back against him. “I’ll ask you a question about me. And you ask me a question about you.”

She nodded. “Okay, that’s fair. And it will pass the time.” She looked over her shoulder. The island was much smaller. “Wow, we’re really moving.”

Snuggling into him felt nice, familiar. And she imagined many moments like this one if they were ever to find a way to be together. Ever. She sighed. Nothing had really changed in that regard. But she pushed the thoughts aside. “Okay, you first.”

“Right. What am I afraid of?”

“Like, the crowded room answer? Or the deep-rooted don’t-tell-anyone answer?”

“Uh, both?”

“Okay.” She tapped her chin. “You’re afraid of spiders, of course.”

“I am not.”

“Oh my word. You totally are. I have two words for you: Camp Waxahachi.” She laughed, the sound carrying out over the water.

“Too true. You caught and killed twenty daddy long legs for me that summer.”

“Twenty? More like a hundred.” She lifted her chin. “But your real fear is letting people down. It haunts you.”

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