“Snorkeling and a sunset cruise. You think you could make that happen for us this afternoon?”
Juan gives me a decisive nod. “Of course. I fueled the boat yesterday after I went for supplies in San Pedro. I have the perfect place for you both.”
“That’s great. Greer will love it.”
“Okay. Leave in an hour? I’ll get the gear.”
“Thank you, sir.” I hold out my hand for him to shake.
When he does, he says, “My phone has been ringing a lot. I don’t answer it anymore, but the messages are getting . . . unhappy.”
My jaw clenches because I can only imagine just how unhappy those messages are becoming.
“No need to listen to them. There’s nothing you or I want to hear.”
“Okay. If you say so.”
“Thank you.”
I head back to the house, already putting it out of my mind.
“It’s a manatee!” My voice sounds like a little kid tearing into a favorite gift at Christmas as I point at the large gray shape in the water.
Juan slows and shuts off the engine. “You want to go swim with it?”
Cav’s already anticipating my response. “Up to you, baby.”
I grab my mask and snorkel. We’ve been in and out of the water a half dozen times already, and I’m beginning to tire. But it’s a manatee, so hell yeah, I want to get in the water and swim with it.
We’ve already seen nurse sharks, rays, sea turtles, an octopus, and loads of fish, but a manatee? Just seeing the big gray sea cow reminds me of my class adopting one in kindergarten. Didn’t everyone’s class do that?
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Cav says as I slip the mask over my head for the seventh time today.
“Take that as a hell yes.” I slip my feet into my fins and I’m already over the side before I hear Juan’s shout of caution.
I’m paddling for all I’m worth when I hear a second splash in the water behind me that must be Cav, but I’m too excited to wait for him. Come on, we’re talking a manatee. It’s only about thirty feet away from me, and I dive under the water to get a better look, making sure to blow through my snorkel to keep the water out.
I mentally squee when I realize there are two of them. A mother and a calf float together in the water, and I’m awed by the experience. Seeing them in person is amazing. They’re so big and goofy looking and completely endearing.
Knowing I need to keep my distance, I work to stay in place rather than indulge my instinct to keep swimming toward the pair.
A flash of orange appears beside me—Cav’s borrowed board shorts. He’s a hell of a swimmer, and I’ve been meaning to ask him all day if he has tried out for roles that were water-based because my guilty Google searches didn’t tell me about any.
I flail excitedly, but he doesn’t look as amazed by the manatees as I do. Needing to catch my breath, I swim to the surface and blow the salt water from my snorkel tube. Cav’s next to me before I’m finished.
Cav pulls his snorkel from his mouth and says, “Come on, baby. We’re going back.”
I shake my head, pulling my snorkel away as well. “Why? I want to see—”
“Because you’re in such a hurry, you didn’t wait to hear Juan tell you he just realized there are jellyfish everywhere around here. We need to get you out of the fucking water before you get stung.”
“Jellyfish?” Fear paralyzes my limbs, making my head duck under the surface, and I suck in salt water. I thrash to pull myself back up and emerge coughing.
Cav’s arm wraps around me and he pulls me against him, keeping my head above water. “You’re okay. I got you. I’m not going to let anything happen to you, not even a fucking jellyfish sting. Understand me?”
I nod, wanting to get the hell back in the boat. I didn’t know I had an irrational fear of jellyfish, but it’s really freaking clear now that I do.
“Good. Juan is coming toward us, and you only have to swim a little farther.”
“Okay. Okay. Let’s go.”
I swim toward the boat, caught between wanting to be careful while making sure I’m not going to tangle with some barely visible monster with tentacles, and getting there as fast as humanly possible. I go for option two.
We get to the side of the boat as Juan shuts down the motor and Cav lifts me up and over the edge. Sometimes his strength still blows my mind, and right now I’m really, really grateful for it. Once I’m back in the boat, Cav climbs in beside me.
I reach for my beach towel, intent on wrapping it around me and forgetting this whole experience, except for the manatees, but Cav snatches it from my hands.
“I need to check you for stings. Did you feel anything? Did they get you?”
Confusion reigns as I shake my head. “No, I didn’t feel anything.”
He gets to his knees in front of me, checking my legs and torso before lifting me to my feet and turning me around. Only once he’s satisfied that I escaped the jellyfish without incident does he wrap the towel around me.
“Fuck, you scared the shit out of me, Greer.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t hear him and I wanted to see . . .” My words trail off as I see two red spots on his calf. “They got you? Holy shit. Oh my God, Cav. I’m so sorry!” I turn to Juan. “What do we do? How do we treat it? Do we need something special? Do you need to pee on him?”
Cav spins me around in the rocking boat and presses a kiss to my forehead. “Shh. Calm down.”
Juan comes over and squats down to look at Cav’s leg. “Tentacles didn’t stick. Just barely stung you. Let me get a bucket of seawater and you can rinse. Should only sting for a few minutes and you’ll be good.”