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“Why do you think I’m so concerned?” she groaned, sinking down on the bench.
“You know, I think it’s really great that you took us out on the boat,” I decided to tell her. “I know it’s probably really scary for you after what happened to Gibsie’s family, but Hugh really loves the water.”
“I know he does, sweetheart,” she replied with a sad smile. “He’s always been my water baby.”
I didn’t doubt it. My best friend loved the water more than anyone I’d ever known. Hugh had a lot of hobbies and played a wide range of sports, all of which he excelled at, but I knew his true passions were books and swimming. He was never more alive than when he was in the water, and it made me sad that he didn’t get to take these kinds of trips with his family as often as they used to.
I completely understood why Gibsie had remained back at the holiday home with Claire and her cousins, but I also thought Sinead Biggs was one hell of a strong woman to take her son back out on the water.
“Breathe, Sinead,” Aunty Sarah mused from where she was sprawled out on her father’s deck, trying to catch a tan. “You’ll get wrinkles.”
“Are you mental?” Sinead screamed when Hugh reached the boat. “Of all the irresponsible, stupid, reckless things to do, you decide to throw yourself off a bloody cliff.” Towel in hand, she leaned over the edge of the boat and continued to rant. “And worse, you take your life jacket off to do it. You could’ve killed yourself, you bloody eejit!”
“Did you see that?” Hugh asked excitedly, heaving himself back onto the boat. Ignoring his mother’s rant, he looked at his grandfather and laughed. “Did you see my flip?”
“I did, boyo,” Grandad Healy chuckled, giving his shoulder a proud squeeze. “That was something else.”
“That was fucking epic,” Hugh chuckled, spraying everyone near him when he shook his head. “What an adrenaline rush.”
“Language,” his mother snapped, slapping him upside the head before draping a large, navy towel around his shoulders. Not an easy feat nowadays considering her son towered over her. “And for the love of all that is holy, put your life jacket on, will you?”
“It slows me down, Mam.”
“It keeps you floating, that’s what it does.”
“Liz.” His whiskey eyes landed on me, and he grinned before making a beeline for me. “What did you think?”
“That was amazing!” I blurted, still thrumming with excitement. “You have to take me up there.” Reaching up, I grabbed the sides of his towel and readjusted it to cover his broad shoulders. “I want to feel that rush, too.”
“Over my dead body,” Sinead interrupted. “Hugh, don’t you dare take that girl up the cliffs. Do you hear me?”
“I hear ya, Mam,” Hugh replied, while offering me a sneaky wink. Entwining his hand with mine, he nudged me toward the other side of the deck, while whispering, “Come on, I want to show you something.”
My heart fluttered with excitement. “You’re going to take me up there?”
“I’m going to take you somewhere even better,” he replied with a cheeky smile, as he swung one leg over the side of the boat and discarded his towel. “But we’ve got to be quick.” He gestured to the water and gave me a knowing look. “Okay?”
I nodded eagerly, knowing exactly what I needed to do. “Okay.”
“Hugh,” Sinead said in a warning tone, eyeing us warily. “No funny business, ya hear?”
Too late.
Her son was already in the water with his arms outstretched toward me.
I didn’t hesitate.
Not for a second.
Releasing a squeal of excitement, I clambered over the side of the boat and dropped into the water.
“Oh my God,” I yelped, momentarily startled when my body registered the frigid temperature. “It’s so cold.”
Hugh’s arms came around me instantly. “I’ve got you.”
“Oh, for the love of God,” Sinead groaned, leaning over the side of the boat to glare down at us. “At least this one has the good sense to wear a life jacket.”
“Mam, I’ve got this,” Hugh laughed, swimming us away from the boat. “We’re just going to go for a swim,” he explained. “Over to the fairies’ sea cave and back. Just to show Liz the caves.”
