Page 65 of The Art of Loving Lacy
Dane took her hands in his. “Let’s go over again what to expect.” He couldn’t shake the worry that this would be too difficult for her. She couldn’t go near the sharks in tanks. How would she handle seeing them over the side of the boat? He took a deep breath and continued. “Rob will throw chum into the water, and you’ll see it. You’ll see fish, blood, and a trail as we go, okay?”
Lacy swallowed and set her lips in a tight line. Her eyebrows drew together and Dane felt tension stiffen her arms.
“We may or may not see a shark, Lace. I don’t know if we will. Sometimes it takes hours, and other times…” He shrugged. “It could happen really quickly.”
She nodded again.
Rob put a hand on Lacy’s shoulder. “Dane and I are right here, Lacy. We would never let anything happen to you.”
Now, that’s the Rob I know and love.
She smiled, and Dane knew it was forced. “I know. Thank you,” she said. “Let’s do it.”
Dane’s heart thumped against his chest so hard he was sure he was more nervous than she was. He moved closer, pressing Lacy’s body tight against his side, one arm around her shoulder, the other covering both of her hands in her lap. He nodded to Rob, and Rob went to work chumming the water. Lacy sat rigidly beside him. He kissed the side of her head. “I’m right here. Nothing is going to happen to you.”
She stared straight ahead as she nodded, but it was her silence that worried him.
“Lace, look at me, babe.” When he saw the fear in her eyes, it was all he could do not to turn the boat around and head for shore, but this was Lacy’s choice, and he respected her decision. “I just want you to know that even if you are never comfortable on a boat when I’m working, we can make this relationship work. That doesn’t worry me one bit.”
Lacy let out a breath. She lifted her lips into a nervous smile, and an ounce of fear disappeared from her eyes. “Thank you,” she whispered. “But I want to do this anyway.”
“Okay.” He nodded. “Okay. I just wanted you to know.”
Forty-five minutes later, Rob gave Dane a silent signal, indicating that he’d spotted a shark. Dane looked over the side of the boat and spotted a five- or six-foot shark just below the surface in the chum trail.
“Babe, do you still want to do this?” Dane asked.
She nodded, her eyes wide. “Is there a shark?” She grabbed his hand.
“There is. It’s a small one.”
She licked her lips, then pressed them tightly together and nodded.
Dane helped her stand, his arm wrapped around her shoulder, her body pressed to his side. Rob came to her other side and put a hand on the small of her back. Then he and Dane both took a half step forward, so Lacy was tucked safely between and slightly behind them.
“We’ve got you, Lacy,” Rob said.
Lacy stared straight out into the water, but Dane knew her eyes were riding the surface.
“Lace, to your right about fifteen feet from the boat is where the shark is,” Dane said. “I’ve got you, and the shark can’t hurt you. You’re safe in the boat.”
She nodded and dropped her eyes to the water. Dane watched as she dragged her eyes in a slow line toward the chum trail. She sucked in a breath and pushed her body closer to him.
“You’re okay,” he said. “He’s a small one, Lace. He’s too far away to hurt you. You’re safe.”
She nodded. Her fingers dug into the waist of his pants.
“You did great, Lacy. I think that’s enough. You saw it. Now let’s sit back down and head in,” Dane said. He nodded toward Rob.
“Wait,” Lacy said, grabbing Rob’s arm. “Wait. I want to look again. I need to do this.” She whispered, “I’m okay. I’m okay. I’m okay.I’m safe. I’m in control. One, two, three…”
Her shoulders were pinched tight and high, just below her ears. A deep vee had formed between her eyebrows. Dane held his breath as she stared at the shark, whispering her mantra and counting to ten into the breeze. Her heart thundered against his side.
“Ten. Okay,” Lacy said. Clutching Dane’s side, she walked backward two steps. The words tumbled from her mouth. “Okay. Can you please get me to the seats? And can we leave?”
Dane led her to the seats as Rob took them toward shore. Dane didn’t let out his breath until Lacy was settled safely on the aft seating. He knelt before her and rested his hands on her thighs.
“You okay?” he asked.
