Page 8 of Loving Roman
As I hold Alice’s board steady for her, I shake my head with a chuckle. “I can’t believe you insist on these water activities when you can’t swim.”
She looks around quickly. “Shh. I don’t want the instructor to know, or she might not let me participate.” Kneeling on the board, she grabs her paddle. “Anyway, this life jacket will save me if I fall in, and Icandoggy paddle.”
“If you fall in, I’ve got you, Tesoro.” I wink at her, then climb onto my board, trying to remember each step our instructor showed us.
There’s a slight breeze creating small ripples on the water, but it feels pretty stable beneath my knees once the initial movement settles. I grab my paddle and push up into a standing position, using the paddle in the water to stabilize myself like we were shown. Once I’m on my feet and standing tall, my cheeks lift with my smile. I really wasn’t convinced I’d be able to stand on this thing. It feels like a momentous achievement to be upright and not falling off the board.
I look across at Alice to find her grinning from ear to ear. “This is magic.”
“Yeah, it is.”
Especially with her by my side.
6
–alice–
The morning sunbeats down on my bare shoulders, but I don’t feel hot with the light breeze coming off the ocean. I thought I’d feel nervous being on the water, but having Roman close by fills me with a sense of safety. After seeing how quickly he responded to the young man falling overboard yesterday, I know if I were to fall, he’d be there to help me in a flash. Having that worry lifted from my shoulders allows me to enjoy the experience and the serenity of gliding across the water.
Roman’s grumbles reach me, so I peer over my shoulder. The concentration etched on his handsome face has laughter bubbling up from deep inside as he weaves left and right across the water.
“Are you okay?”
He glances up at me. “I can’t work out what I’m doing wrong,” he huffs. “How are you paddling in a straight line?”
I shrug. “Are you keeping your paddle close to the board like Bernadette showed us?” I call out.
He adjusts his paddle, bringing it closer to the board, and digs it through the water. “Oh, that’s better. Iteven feels more comfortable.” He looks up at me with a devastating smile. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” It feels good to help him because I get the sense that he’s very competent at whatever he does.
Within a few strokes, he comes up alongside me, and we paddle side by side. For a moment, I picture us doing a lot of things together. Regular, everyday activities as well as sharing simple adventures like this. The image is so vivid it almost steals my breath.
“I wish I could do thisandhave my camera with me. It would be great to capture the bay from here. The lighting is perfect.”
Looking back toward the shoreline, I have to agree with Roman. The view from here is stunning, with the morning sun making the water glisten and the rocky outcrops almost glow. “Yeah, the photos would be amazing.”
“I could take some photos from the kayak tomorrow, but it’ll be later in the morning, which means the lighting will be different.”
Even though today’s barely started, my heart skips at the idea of spending another day with Roman … of spending the rest of my vacation with him. His steady, calm presence and quiet confidence put me at ease. And while I promised Noah and Heather that I’d enjoy everything this vacation had to offer, I truly feel like I’m going to get so much more out of the experience now that I’m sharing it with the man beside me.
We paddle side by side, each lost in the coastline’s beauty, laughing occasionally as we momentarily lose our balance.
“This is harder than it looks,” Roman grumbles.
I push my paddle into the water. “Oh, I don’t know. I think we’re doing pretty great, considering this is our first time.”
He looks over at me, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. “I guess so.” His brown eyes catch on something behind me, and he points upward. “Hey, look at that.”
I shield my eyes and look at where he’s pointing. A large bird with an enormous wingspan glides overhead. I stop paddling, and my mouth drops open as I take in the breathtaking sight. “Oh my gosh,” I murmur. “It’s beautiful.”
“I don’t think I grasped how big a pelican actually is,” Roman whispers with reverence.
We both watch the majestic animal in silence until it disappears over the ridge. This is a moment I will always remember, and it takes barely a heartbeat to store Roman’s expression in my memory bank. Experiencing this special moment with this man, who feels like so much more than a stranger, fills me with warmth and gratitude. Once it’s out of sight, our gazes drop to each other, and the sparkle I see in Roman’s eyes causes my breath to catch. We grin at each other, and I can read his thoughts clearly—he wishes he had his camera to capture that special moment. Awareness that I know what he’s thinking, even though we haven’t shared anything too deep, washes over me.How is that even possible?
“All right, everyone. Can we please turn around and head back? Time’s almost up,” Bernadette calls from the front of the group.
She demonstrates how to turn, and we all follow suit, heading back the way we came. I wonder if there’s anywhere close to my new home where I can do this because I’ve really enjoyed the experience. Even if there isn’t, I guess it’s not too far to drive to come back here now and then to paddle board.
