Page 80 of Swept Up In You

She sped home with a grin on her face.

As she walked in the door, Jess and Belle both looked up from the couch.

“You’re back early. How did it go? You’re smiling at least.”

“I haven’t seen her yet,” Taylor replied, grabbing a few things on her way to the bedroom. She put her bathers on, then shoved what she needed into a waterproof bag, rolling it up as Jess appeared in the doorway.

“Taylor? What are you doing?”

“Paddleboarding.”

“I can see that. Why the hell are you paddleboardingnow?”

“I’m going to get the girl, Jess. She’s out on her boat, not far, it’s a beautiful night, and I just have a good feeling.”

“You’repaddlingout to her boat?”

“Yep,” she said, popping the P.

“Now?”

“Uh-huh.”

“You’re crazy.”

“Maybe. But I have to try. Can you look after Belle? I’d bring her, but it’s too dangerous for her with no light.”

“Of course. Just… be careful, okay? It sounds dangerous.”

“I will.” Taylor picked up the bag, giving Jess a big hug as she moved past her. “Promise. I’ll text you either way okay?”

“Thank you. Just so I know you haven’t been, like, eaten by sharks or mauled by seals.”

“Cheers for the vote of confidence!” she shouted as she shut the door behind her.

Twenty minutes later, her board was in the water, her bag secured. The water was still fairly flat, and she could see Manny clearly, bobbing in the distance. This was the craziest thingshe’d ever done. Her heart was pounding, adrenaline pumping through her veins, helping to combat the chill starting to creep in as darkness settled.

It felt so different on the water at night. There was an added stillness and quiet, beyond what she usually experienced floating on the ocean during the day. There were no gulls squawking overhead, or kids laughing on the beach—just the sound of her paddle cutting through the water, the gentle lapping as she cut through the waves. The invisible swell under her board had her swaying off balance, making her realise how much she normally watched the horizon to keep steady. She stayed on her knees instead of standing for extra stability. Capsizing was the last thing she needed.

Manny was getting closer and closer. She’d made it about halfway before she started second-guessing herself. What if Sam refused to speak to her and she had to paddle all the way back? What if shedidget eaten by a shark right before she made it to the boat? She gulped, looking around at the darkness. The water below was like a black hole, containing who-knew-what and who-knew-how-big swimmy things. Something splashed to her left, making her wobble and rebalance on the board. She shook herself.

Stop it.

It’s probably just a fish catching a moth.Oh god, don’t think about moths!She didnotwant to fall in the water right now.

Why did her brain always like spiralling to doom and gloom? Where were the rainbows and unicorns? She looked up, spying the brightest star in the sky above Sam’s boat, remembering Sam’s story. Smiling, she sped up, focused on the one goal in front of her.

The big yacht drew nearer, its stern light drawing her in. She realised her first mistake as she reached the boat. How the hell was she going to get up? Then she realised her second mistake.How the hell was she going to get her board out of the water? Yeah, she really hadn’t thought this through.

After bobbing around for a minute, looking for a spot to get up, she realised she didn’t want Sam to think she was some pirate trying to raid her boat, so she went all in. She cupped her hands over her mouth and yelled out, “Hey, uhh… Sam?”

She waited, the boat bobbing and tinking around softly on the water.

Just when she was about to turn around, the sound of sliding wood echoed in the air as the cabin door opened, a flashlight beaming left and right as Sam stepped out. “Hello?” came the tentative response.

“Hey, over here, it’s me.” She carefully stood up, waving her paddle in the air.

Sam shrieked, the flashlight shining in Taylor’s eyes as she flung a hand up to shield them, sending herself completely off balance. She yelped, grabbing onto the side railing of the boat, catching herself just in time. “Hey, it’s okay, it’s just me. It’s Taylor,” she replied quickly, trying to calm Sam.

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