Chapter 15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Gwen shut her eyes tightly, feeling the wind rush against her face. She hadn’t expected being on the boat to feel so exhilarating—her heart was thumping, and she was feeling an adrenaline rush like she hadn’t experienced in years. She felt terrified, but the good feelings she was experiencing were so intense that it was as if her fear didn’t matter. She was strangely having the time of her life.

She loosened her grip on the chair and railing a little bit and opened her eyes slightly. The feelings of both fear and exhilaration rushed through her—it was a strange combination, but she liked it. It felt almost as if she was flying. As Isaiah accelerated the speed of the boat even more, she let out another shriek that sounded more like a whoop than the previous one had.

After another few minutes, he finally slowed down the jet boat. It began to coast slowly across the waves, and she opened her eyes fully, laughing breathlessly. She looked over at him and saw that he was grinning at her.

She took a deep breath, feeling her pulse start to slow down a little. She was grinning too—she couldn’t seem to stop smiling. All of that adrenaline was still rushing around inside her, making her feel wild and alive.

“Well?” he said, cocking his head to one side. “What do you think?”

She took another deep breath, looking out across the ocean. The coast was a vision of green in the distance, and all around them sparkled vibrantly blue water. It was breathtaking, and she felt a leap of joy at the sight.

“It’s extremely beautiful out here,” she said, smiling at him.

He laughed. “I mean the boat. What do you think of the boat?”

She grinned. “It’s actually pretty fun. I have to admit, I’m very surprised that I like it.”

“Amazing.” He stood up and came to sit next to her on a bench seat placed close to her chair. “I’m glad you like it. Surprises are exciting.”

“Oh, I don’t like surprises, usually,” she said, laughing breathlessly. Her heart was still thumping, although now that the boat had slowed down, everything around them felt calm and peaceful.

“Really?” he teased, pretending to be aghast. “How come?”

She shook her head. “Doctors learn to hate surprises. I find comfort in things being orderly and predictable. Scheduled.” She smiled.

“How’s that working out for you? That life with no surprises?” He was looking right into her eyes, and her stomach did a somersault.

“Pretty well, I’d say,” she said. She pointed to his hand. “It looks great, doesn’t it? I’m a good doctor. I’m great at my job. Orderliness is very important to me.”

“You definitely are a good doctor,” he said, sounding as though he meant it sincerely, although he had a slightly impish smile on his face. “A very good doctor. And thanks for stitching up my hand.” Then his smile faded, and his expression became more serious. That made her heart start to thud all over again, almost as much as it had when the boat was going fast. “But what about in the rest of your life?” he asked softly.

Her lips parted, and for a minute she didn’t quite know what to say. “You mean in my personal life?”

He nodded, his eyes on her face, smiling again.

“Well,” she said, letting out a deep sigh, “my ex, Ron, kept telling me I was too inflexible. He always complained about how efficient I was about everything. I have my ways of doing things, because they’re the best ways I’ve found. He didn’t like how organized I am.”

He listened to her compassionately, nodding as she spoke. “That sounds like a tough situation for you to be in. But maybe letting some surprises into your personal life wouldn’t be a bad thing. It’s never too late to try a new mindset and give things a chance. I mean, hey—you thought you hated boats, but yet here you are. Having fun, right?”

“You’re right,” she said, smiling softly at him. She felt grateful for his empathy and his kind words. What he said made a lot of sense—maybe she had been missing out on opportunities by sticking too closely to what she had already decided to do and how to do it.

For a while, they didn’t talk very much. Isaiah sped up the boat again for another few minutes, and both of them laughed and cheered over the thrill of the speed. Soon, glorious pinks and oranges began to fill the sky as the sun set, and he slowed the boat down again so that they could properly soak in the breathtaking view.

This is actually a lot of fun, she thought. It’s the first ‘just for fun’ thing I’ve done in a long time.

She smiled, feeling as though a weight that she hadn’t known she’d been carrying lifted from her shoulders a little. Beside her, Isaiah leaned back in his chair, watching the sky with a rapt expression on his face. He looked almost as though he’d never seen a sunset before, he seemed so happy.

Finally, the light around them began to fade, and he turned the boat around and brought it back to the dock. He tied it down, and then helped her out of it. She felt a twinge of reluctance for their adventure to end, and she realized it was the first time in a long time that she hadn’t been thinking about her schedule or to-do list at all.

“Thank you for pushing me out of my comfort zone,” she said, shaking his hand once they were both standing securely on the dock.

“Anytime,” he said, grinning.

For a moment, they both hesitated, and then he said, “I’ll see you around?”

“Yes, I’ll see you at Little Clams again soon.”

He nodded, still smiling. “Sounds great. See you soon.”

He turned and started walking down the dock. She watched him for a brief moment, and then began to walk away in the opposite direction. The wind ruffled her hair, and she smiled to herself as she meandered down the dock. She was glad she’d run into him, and that he’d convinced her to get on the jet boat in spite of her fears. It had been an unexpected adventure, and a good experience. She felt grateful to Isaiah for showing her how much fun being on a boat could be.

She glanced over her shoulder as she walked, looking for him. He was striding along the dock, his hands in his pockets. She could hear him whistling faintly, and she chuckled.

As she made her way home, she kept thinking about him. He was a bit of a puzzle to her, but he was a nice puzzle. He made her feel comfortable and at ease in a way that no one ever had before.