Page 2 of Only Ever You
Casey rolled her eyes. “Look, this is my first time watching this. Everybody keeps talking about their nets, so I’m trying to understand why they’re so important.”
Parker’s grin sent sparks pinwheeling inside of me. “A lot of people build their own nets.” He gestured to the net I was holding. “I’m on team-Luna. I like them with a cedar handle and a rectangular net. The cedar floats in the water, so it makes those easy to hold.”
Casey nodded along. “Hmm. I guess I have until next year to figure out what kind of net I want.”
The beach was getting more and more crowded. Amelia caught my eye. “I like the cedar handle too because it floats.”
Beck chimed in, “Well, now there are advantages to the stainless-steel ones because your grip slides more easily if you need to adjust it.”
“You undercut your own point. If your hands can slide easier, you can lose your grip,” Maisie pointed out. Maisie stopped beside Casey, pulling her into a side hug. “I was new at this too, but I’ve done it for a few years now and it’s really fun. You’re gonna love it when you get to go next year.”
“I sure love salmon, so I’m looking forward to it.” She glanced toward me, worry creasing her brow. “I can eat the salmon Leo catches, right?”
I burst out laughing. “Of course, you just have to officially be a resident before you can get a dipnetting permit.”
“Too bad we can’t keep any king salmon,” Amelia commented.
I nodded when I glanced her way. “I know. I remember when it was a big deal to catch them dipnetting. Here’s hoping the numbers improve again.”
It wasn’t long before we were all wading into the ocean. I tended to push the envelope on this and go as far out as I could. I loved the feeling of the water rushing against me. Today, the fish were coming in fast and I could feel them bouncing against my legs. I had almost caught my limit when I waded back into the water to try to catch one more salmon.
The sun was high in the sky, and the wind was starting to pick up so the water was getting choppy. I didn’t think much of it when a boat came rolling down the river. The boat’s wake was high enough that my feet lifted off the sandy bottom. I still didn’t worry until several minutes ticked by and I realized I was drifting further away from the shoreline.
“Luna!”
I recognized Beck’s voice and glanced back. “Yeah?”
“You okay?”
I wanted to tell him I was completely fine. I was independent, some people would probably think I was stubbornly so. I hated asking for help. Ever. But I didn’t want to be stupid and I was deeply practical. I knew that if I didn’t somehow change course, I might start drifting too far out into the current where the water could carry me out to sea. Literally.
The water was also cold. Alaska wasn’t a place where people swam without a wetsuit, even on the hottest days of summer. That cold water was beginning to seep over the tops of my waders. I was smart though, and I was wearing a life jacket.
I glanced back at Beck and called out, “I’m not sure!”
I turned to face the shore so I could keep an eye on how fast I might be drifting away. I wasn’t alone in this predicament. I could see another person, maybe fifty feet away, who was trying to swim directly back to shore. I knew that wasn’t the best move. It was safer to swim at an angle across the current.
I was a strong swimmer, but I had a fishing net in hand and was wearing waders that were starting to fill with water. I did theonly practical thing I could do. I kept a hold of the net because it was floating, but I began to kick with my feet and unbuckle the tops of my wader straps. After I got them off, I turned them upside down so the water drained out and hooked the boots under my armpits. When I glanced toward the shoreline again, I noticed it was further away.
There were voices calling to those of us who had gotten swept away due to the boat’s wake.
“Don’t panic, Luna,” I said to myself. “You’re going to be fine.”
I was starting to shiver. I kept my eyes on the shore and began to swim, letting go of my net finally. Only a moment later as I was starting to despair, a small boat approached and someone called my name.
When I looked over, I saw Parker and Griffin in the boat. Parker caught my eye. “We’re cutting the engine and I’m going to get you out of there.”
Parker slowly reached a hand out, saying, “Just grab my hand, Luna. I’ve got you.”
Cold as I was, my hands felt numb so it was difficult to hold on. Parker’s grip was strong and he kept a firm hold on me as he reached for my other arm. He lifted me into the boat, scooping me in his strong arms. I didn’t realize my teeth were chattering until I tried to talk.
“I didn’t kn-kn-kn-know…”
“Wait to talk,” Parker said. He held me in his protective embrace.
With it being so crowded and busy, I couldn’t even remember when I’d last seen him on the beach. He was in jeans and a T-shirt. I savored the feel of his warmth. Griffin leaned into the water to get my net and tossed it over the side of the boat. I glanced over to see another boat had gone to rescue the two other people who had drifted out.
“All right, I’m headed to shore,” Griffin said.
