“He’s literally getting rid of the baby and the bath water.” Molly glanced at Max. “Why doesn’t he use a net?”
“Because newborn seahorses can’t be exposed to air. They’ll swallow it and it’ll lead to fatal buoyancy problems.” Max pointed at the four smaller tanks in the wall where Nate was carefully relocating the newborns by submerging the beaker into the tank’s clean water and waiting for the babies to make their way out. “The newborns are moved into smaller tanks with brighter lighting so they can spot food more easily. Also if they’re not removed from the tank with Silver, he might eat some of them. These little guys are really fragile, and we want as many as possible to thrive.”
Ursula stood on her hind legs in an effort to get a better look at what had captured everyone’s attention. Max released Molly’s hand to gather the puppy in his arms. He lifted her up and held her in front of the tanks so she could see. Ursula went wide-eyed at once.
Molly couldn’t take her eyes off of the two of them. They couldn’t have looked more adorable together if Max had gone full-on dog dad and worn Ursula in a baby sling on his chest. She could never have imagined Max treating her puppy with such tenderness back when he’d fired them. So much had changed since that terrible morning.
Molly swallowed hard and turned back toward the collection of tanks in the seahorse dude ranch.
“Did you know that the proper term for newborn seahorses is ‘fry’?” Max said quietly.
Molly shook her head.
He shrugged and that goofy, boyish grin made a comeback. “I’m starting to prefer ‘babies.’”
Molly’s heart did a full-on flip-flop and she realized she’d been wrong just now. Yes, so much had changed since the morning Max had fired her and Ursula. But more than that,he’dchanged. She wasn’t sure if it was Turtle Beach or the aquarium or being so close to his uncle again, but Max was becoming a different man…a good man. A man who just might be able to make her forget all about her no-dating rule.
No. This isnotthe time. You have far too much going on right now to lose your focus.
So she did her best to put those forbidden feelings in a box and lock them up tight, like a sunken treasure chest. She pasted on a bright mermaid smile, greeted aquarium guests, and painted seahorses on children’s faces.
But while she presided over the planning meeting for the Under the Sea Ball, Max strode into the conference room with handfuls of pink and blue bubblegum cigars. He passed them out like a proud dad, and despite every effort to keep her treasure chest of feelings buried in the deepest possible part of the ocean, Molly felt it rising up to the surface.
Then its rusty old padlock fell away, and the lid creaked open…just enough for her to catch a glimpse of the riches hidden inside.
***
Max had never thought he’d be in a position where all his hopes for his professional future would rest on the shoulders of a poodle named Betty White, but alas, here he was.
The dogs, plus Skippy, were due to arrive at the dog beach for the final night of scent training class in just a few minutes. It would be their last chance to show promise and give Molly some good data to work with before she put the finishing touches on the grant proposal and turned it in. Max couldn’t stand still. If he didn’t stop pacing, he was going to wear a trench in the sand.
“Can I give you a hand?” he asked Molly. Surely there was something constructive he could do.
She glanced up from the park bench where she was unpacking the little metal tins she’d prepared that contained small amounts of packed sand—some from the sea turtle nests and others from neutral places on the beach. “Do you want to help me spread out the scent samples?”
“Sure.” Anything to get his mind off of the fact that thus far, Betty White and Ursula were the team’s saving graces. And in an hour, their time would be up.
Max didn’t know for certain whether or not the grant team would dismiss their proposal outright if only two dogs on the island had shown any real promise, but he didn’t feel good about the odds. If they could get lucky enough for even one more dog to alert to the hidden turtle sample tonight, their proposal might have an actual shot.
Molly had worked so hard. The entire proposal was written and ready to go out tomorrow morning, just in time for the noon deadline. All she had to do was plug in the final numbers. Max did his best to give off a supportive, confident air as she instructed him on where to put the sample tins.
There were eight samples in all, with only two containing sand from the sea turtle nest. Max had excavated fresh sand from close to the egg chamber just half an hour ago so the scent would be as fresh and strong as possible. He and Molly placed the tins in random spots around the dog beach, while Sam and Cinder waited by the dune for the teams to arrive.
Tonight’s class was to be a test of sorts. One by one, each team would search the beach. The handler would follow the dog’s lead, letting the pup sniff the ground and any scent tins they came across. The goal was for the dogs to immediately sit down when exposed to the correct sample scent. If they barked too, even better.
Max would take a silent sit. He’d even take a meow at this point—from any of the trainees, not just Skippy.
“I think we’re ready.” Molly wrapped her arms around herself. She was wearing a Turtle Team T-shirt, her hair was piled into a messy pink and blonde bun on top of her head, and her nails were painted a shimmery, iridescent mermaid-blue.
She looked as lovely and quirky as ever, but she seemed a little lost. Max knew she had to be nervous about tonight, but he wasn’t crazy about the way she kept crossing and recrossing her arms as if trying to hold herself together.
Then he realized what was missing.
“Where’s Ursula?” he said.
“Sam and I decided she probably shouldn’t be here tonight. We didn’t want her accidentally giving hints to the other dogs.”
“Throwing them a bone, so to speak?” Max said.