Chapter 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Isaiah ran his fingers through his hair, taking a deep breath of the tangy, salty smell of the ocean. He smiled, feeling a wave of excitement. He was on the dock, getting ready to take the jet boat that he was renting for the duration of his visit out onto the water. He was looking forward to coasting along the waves and watching the sunset, which he expected to be breathtaking considering how nice the sunsets had been the last few days.

Just before he got into the boat, he caught sight of Gwen walking along the end of the dock. He froze the moment he saw her, finding that his heart was suddenly thumping. She had a stack of papers in her hand, and he realized that it was the fliers that she’d made for advertising about paint donations for Little Clams. She must be in the middle of going around town, posting fliers, and her wanderings had led her down to the dock—to right where he was. All of a sudden, he felt extremely lucky.

“Gwen!” he called.

For a moment, she didn’t seem to know where his voice was coming from—he guessed that the sound was being carried oddly because they were close to the water. She turned around in a circle, looking around for the person who had called her name, and then she caught sight of him. For a moment, she froze, and then she raised a hand in greeting.

Grinning, he began to hurry along the dock toward her. She approached him a little more slowly, with the fliers flapping in her hand and a polite smile on her face.

“Hey,” he said, stopping when he was a few feet in front of her. “How’s it going?”

“Good,” she said, holding up the stack of fliers. “I’ve been wandering around town putting these up.”

“I see that,” he said, a grin tugging at his lips. “A carefree task looks good on you.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he wondered if she might get annoyed by them—he’d been pretty forward.

But she laughed and nodded. “It is kind of nice to do a task that doesn’t involve a person’s life or well-being. I’m used to there being a lot of pressure when it comes to work. This is a nice change.” For a moment, the two of them stood there smiling at each other, and then she asked, “What brings you out here?”

He gestured with this chin back toward where his jet boat was bobbing in the water. “I’m about to go out on the ocean in that. Isn’t she a beauty?” There was a short pause, and he watched her taking in the sight of the jet boat with a slight frown. “Have you ever been out in a jet boat?”

“Oh my goodness, no,” she said, laughing breathlessly. “I’ve heard they’re very dangerous. Can’t people get flung off the side?”

He shook his head. “Lots of things are dangerous if you’re not careful. If the weather is bad or if the person piloting the boat is inexperienced, it’s possible for people to get flung off the side if the boat gets rocked too far one way or the other. And you want to stay away from the jet in the back, that’s for sure. But those dangers are very rarely encountered. Not something a careful person like yourself needs to worry about.”

“I don’t know,” she said. “Maybe a careful person like me just wouldn’t get on the boat in the first place.” She returned his playful smile, and he chuckled.

“Can I have a chance to prove to you that the boat isn’t as bad as you seem to think?” he asked. “It might even be a little bit of fun,” he teased, wheedling a little.

She hesitated for a moment, biting her lip. “I shouldn’t,” she said, holding up her stack of fliers. He saw her glance nervously at the boat, making it clear that she still felt it would be unsafe to get on it.

He felt his stomach squirm—he didn’t want to stop talking to her or hanging out with her. “Are you being a chicken? I dare you to come on the boat with me.”

She rolled her eyes. “No wonder you work at an elementary school, you fit right in there.”

He laughed, delighted by her teasing. “Okay.” He shrugged. “I guess you’re chicken.”

She reached out and swatted his arm, and they both laughed. “Okay, fine,” she said. “I’ll get on the boat.”

“Amazing,” he said, feeling his heart do a couple of somersaults in his chest. “And rest assured, I’m very experienced with boats, and I’ll be careful.”

She nodded, still looking a little nervous, as they walked down the dock to the boat. He got in first and then helped her get into it. She took a deep breath as she clambered on, looking nervous, and he gripped her hand firmly to reassure her.

“You’re going to be just fine,” he said, and she smiled at him, seeming to be steadied by his words. “You can sit right there,” he said, gesturing to the seat placed alongside the pilot’s chair. “And don’t worry, there are lots of things to hold onto,” he teased, and she stuck her tongue out at him.

Laughing, he sat down at the helm and started the engine. She tucked the fliers into her purse, which they stowed inside a compartment. Carefully, he pulled the boat away from the dock, glancing at Gwen to make sure that she wasn’t feeling too nervous. She was holding tightly to the boat railing on one side and the edge of her seat on the other, but her eyes were bright with interest, and he smiled.

“Feels nice, doesn’t it?” he said, as a gust of wind whipped their hair back. “I’m going to start giving it some speed, okay? Let me know if it’s too much.”

She nodded, and he accelerated the boat. It whipped across the waves, and he let out a whoop of excitement. He glanced over at Gwen, who was clutching her handholds and closing her eyes a little. After another second, she shrieked.

“Is that too much?” he shouted over the wind. “Do you want to stop?”

She hesitated for a moment and then shook her head, and he grinned, liking her bravery. He continued to steer the boat farther out into the ocean, feeling excited that she was there with him and wondering what adventures they were going to have together.