26. Cole

CHAPTER 26

COLE

“ T hat’s nice equipment. Real nice.”

Bella had managed to lose her PADI card and her dive log, but she did have top-of-the-line dive gear. Her BCD was a Zeagle Ranger, and her regulator was a Mares Abyss. And her shortie wetsuit made her ass look fantastic.

“Is it?” She gave a soft giggle. “I just went into a dive store in Hawaii and the sales guy picked it out for me.”

The sales guy—who was probably on commission—had definitely taken advantage, but Cole didn’t want to make Bella feel bad by saying so. She could have bought everything she needed for recreational diving for half the price.

“It’ll be great to dive with.” Other than the fins. She’d be using one of her own plus one of his that was big enough to fit over the cast. “Do you remember how to put everything together?”

“I think so? And what’s that checklist we have to go through? BCD, weights, regulator…”

“Air, final check. Don’t worry, I’ll help you.”

She’d brought her own weights, but Cole slipped an extra kilo into the pocket of his BCD in case she needed it. Better to be a little heavy than a little light. It was easier to put extra air into your BCD than kick like crazy to submerge.

And more than anything, he wanted Bella to enjoy her stay here. They’d slept together last night, but there was something different about her. In Vegas, she’d been fire and energy, throwing her all into the two weeks they had together. Now, she was quieter. Not relaxed, more that she seemed to be pacing herself. Was she nervous about the future? He wanted to show her there was no reason to worry.

That he wasn’t the same as the man who’d hurt her in the past.

Today, he’d chosen a nice, easy dive. They’d cross the beach in front of the house, do a few practice drills in the shallows there, then swim across the lagoon and cross a saddle in the barrier reef that protected the island. The seawall beyond was teeming with life, and they were going out in the morning when the light was better.

“You’re certain that cast is waterproof?” he asked again, just to triple-check.

“The doctor said it was, and I’ve been showering in it all month.”

The logistics were a challenge. Cole steadied Bella as she hobbled down the steps, then carried her to the sea. Once she was waist-deep in the water, he returned for the equipment. Far easier for her to put it on in the sea, where Mother Nature could take some of the weight. He quickly checked her kit over before he picked it up, pleased that she’d remembered how to connect the BCD, the tank, and the regulator. Their buddy check went smoothly.

“There shouldn’t be much current, but if there is, stick close to the reef wall,” he reminded her.

“Okay. ”

“Take as much time as you need to get your ears equalised. Don’t worry about me. Then we’ll do our drills—regulator recovery, buddy breathing, flooded mask. Ready?”

“Yes, Dad.”

She rolled her eyes, and he chuckled.

“I’m only concerned about your safety. In case you haven’t noticed, you’re important to me.”

They’d already gone over the hand signals, and Bella seemed confident. With good reason. It only took her a minute to equalise, and she didn’t panic during the drills. There were no problems with her buoyancy either. She was a natural. So damn graceful underwater.

Bella did as instructed and stayed by Cole’s side as they swam across the lagoon, past fish that darted behind rocks covered in coral. The reef wall didn’t disappoint. Schools of orange anthias darted around, and a moray eel poked its head out of a crevice. A scorpionfish was barely visible against a rock.

Cole had brought an underwater camera with him, and he tapped Bella on the shoulder. They both hung vertically as he took a selfie. It would be a nice memento to show her friends, and as he checked the picture to make sure neither of them got caught blinking, he realised it was the only photo he had of her. She preferred to avoid her past rather than record it.

He tapped his wrist as a question: how much air do you have left?

She signed back: 140 bar .

He checked his own gauge—130 bar. No way. Was she not breathing or something?

Just in case she’d gotten her signals wrong, he checked the gauge attached to her tank. 140 bar. How could that be? They’d both started off with two hundred, and he was never heavy on air .

Something caught his eye in the blue, and he turned to see a reef shark zipping past. Bella looked where he pointed, and even with the regulator covering part of her face, he saw her lips curve up in a smile.

We need to head back , he signalled, and she followed.

When they reached the beach, they reversed the process with the gear, and he helped Bella up to the deck.

“Are you part marlin?” he asked. “Do you have gills?”

“Funny, the guy who taught me to dive said that as well.”

“And?”

“I do a lot of yoga.”

Cole used the outdoor shower to rinse the saltwater off himself and their equipment while Bella went inside to change. A day and a half until the Blaylock party arrived, and he was stressed in a way he’d never been before. Vegas was bleeding into his relaxed island vibe. So far today, the head chef had called in sick, and a guest had caused a partial evacuation by smoking in his room. The Galaxy was the first resort on the Strip to implement a no-smoking policy, but some people just couldn’t stop themselves from breaking the rules.

“You want a ride into Bishop’s Landing?” he called to Bella.

Emerald Shores’s largest town lay on the other side of the island, beyond the mountainous middle. The lagoon area was prettier, but Bishop’s Landing had the deep water necessary for ships to dock, and the town had grown around the harbour. The Crosswind was berthed at the marina there, which was also home to the only dry dock outside of Ilha Grande and the best marine services business in the country.

“Can I come see the boat?” she asked, appearing at the top of the stairs. Damn, she was beautiful. An athletic body, striking features, hair that tickled when she took the steps down and leaned in close to kiss him.

“Sure, you can come see the boat. I’m taking her out for a quick run this afternoon. Want to join me?”

“Why not?”

“Huh. It’s bigger than I expected,” Bella said as Cole helped her across the wide gangplank and onto the swim platform at the Crosswind ’s stern.

“Something else I have Uncle Mike to thank for. When I told him I wanted to run a charter boat, he spoke with a friend of a friend of a friend who helped me to find the Crosswind . She was originally equipped to run shark tours—that’s why she has the crane and the cage on the back.”

Now the crane was used to lower the occasional research vessel, and he’d secured the cage to the deck, bought a waterproof cover, and filled it with cushions for the outdoor seating areas.

“I thought great whites didn’t live in the Caribbean? Isn’t it too warm?”

“We have bull sharks, which are mildly dangerous but not deadly enough to discourage people from swimming with them. Which is why the company that owned the Crosswind ended up bankrupt. Uncle Mike gifted me some of the money I needed to buy her and loaned me the rest. Even though we weren’t close, he always supported me.”

The loan had finally been repaid in full just before his death, and Uncle Mike had never once hinted that he was short of money. Paying off the debt had felt good, but it had left Cole with little in the way of savings.

“You think he felt bad because his brother was an asshole?” Bella asked .

“Probably, yeah. Whenever I spoke about Dad, he’d get a pissy look on his face and change the subject.” Cole decided to take a chance. “Were you close with your parents?”

He used the past tense. Bella never mentioned them, plus she’d once told him that the Porsche was an inheritance. He figured there was a good chance they’d passed. He also figured it was more likely than not that she’d avoid the question.

But she surprised him.

“I never knew my dad. My mom died three days after my eighteenth birthday.”

“Damn, I’m sorry. Was it sudden?”

“She was shot in a robbery where she worked.”

Cole had watched his mom waste away from cervical cancer that had spread, and that had been hard. But it would have been ten times harder if she’d just gone. Blinked out like a light. At least he and his mom had the time to say what they needed to say. Judy Gallagher had planned her own funeral, decided she’d rather be buried than cremated.

Bella had been forced to make all the big decisions alone when she was barely an adult herself.

“Tell me the guy who did it is in prison.”

“He was for a while.”

“They let him out?”

She nodded. “Sometimes the justice system isn’t so just. And sometimes justice takes other forms. The cops found him dead in a dumpster soon after he was released.”

“I won’t shed a tear.”

“Neither did I. This is way too morbid—aren’t you going to show me the rest of the boat?”

Most women who toured the Crosswind were interested in the cabins, especially the bathrooms for some reason, but Bella wanted to see the engine room, and then she asked about buoyancy aids, life rafts, and communications.

“We’re only going a couple of miles, and I promise you she won’t sink.”

“Yes, but then you’ll be gone for three weeks, and safety is important.”

“I love that you care.”

“Less of the L-word, please.”

Vintage Bella was back. Well, not quite vintage—she’d included a “please,” which sounded strange coming from her lips.

“Okay, I like that you care.”

“Better. Are we leaving?”

“In a minute. Think positive—this boat won’t rock as much as Frankie’s, so you might not puke over the side.”

“Shut the fuck up.”

Cole laughed to himself and headed to the bridge. Bella’s tongue might be the death of him, but it would be a pleasurable way to go.