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Hope wasn’t as vulnerable as she’d been on the boat, but he had no business moving in on her like that. Thank God she stopped it before it happened, though her reaction hadn’t exactly been normal.
And he was even more baffled that he’d felt so natural doing it. After years of enduring sweaty palms even thinking about being with a woman again, he’d come very close to jumping in with both feet yesterday. Gooseflesh rose on his arms. He wasn’t ready for this yet. Hope had done him a big favor, even if she didn’t know it. And he didn’t want her to know it.
He hadn’t seen her since she’d left him on the beach. When he’d come up to the resort after the morning dives yesterday and again last evening, she’d been nowhere to be found. Finally, this morning he’d texted her, asking if she still wanted to dive like they’d planned. She’d surprised him by answering yes. He admired her grit.
Regardless of what had almost happened yesterday, he still had a job to do. Alex was damn good at what he did, and was determined to help Hope overcome her accident. She’d said point blank she wanted that.
There was a steady case of fluttering in his stomach, and he couldn’t help smirking at the thought of him being nervous before a dive. Of course, it wasn’t the diving he was worried about.
Hope walked down the beach from her house, dressed in a tank top and long board shorts, her hair in a ponytail. No makeup. Then again, Hope didn’t need it.
Knock it off, Monroe.
Normally Hope moved with a graceful, confident stride, but now she walked slowly with short steps, as if she wanted to disappear into the sand. Alex bent down, fiddling with his BCD so it didn’t look like he stood there waiting for her. Two feet sporting dark-pink nail polish and flip-flops appeared in front of him.
“Do you ever wish you could get a do-over?” she asked.
You can’t even imagine.
“Sometimes.” He straightened. “How are you?”
Hope rubbed the back of her neck. “Embarrassed. Ashamed I ran away like a ten-year-old girl instead of talking about it like an adult.”
“Maybe we got a little carried away in the moment. Maybe I did. I’m sorry.”
“Me too. I’m not looking to get into a tropical romance down here. Can we just forget it happened?”
“What?” He gave her a small smile, even as he experienced a pang at what she’d said. “I don’t remember anything.”
Hope returned the smile, but it faded as she shifted from foot to foot, shaking her hands out. “I have to admit, I’m pretty nervous about diving again.”
“Don’t be. It was an accident. You’ll do fine.”
“That’s what I keep telling myself. Now I have to prove it.”
Alex had known plenty of divers who had flat-out refused to get back in the water after less traumatic events than what she’d faced. He just needed to build her confidence back up. “After a couple dives, you’ll probably be showing me how to do it.”
She turned warm eyes to him, and Alex completely relaxed.
“Maybe I’ve got my next goal then,” she said. “See if I can knock you down a few pegs.”
“You can start giving me classes.”
She looked down and frowned as she placed a hand on her hip. “Maybe we’ll start by not setting equipment in the sand when there’s perfectly good wood planking available, Mr. Monroe. It makes a mess everywhere.”
Alex grinned. “Sand generally comes off pretty easily in the water.”
“Already arguing with me. I see how it is. Let’s get going—I don’t have all day, you know.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
They began tugging on their wetsuits. Hope stripped off her tank top, revealing a sporty one-piece swimsuit. Her tattoo drew his eye. A caterpillar becoming a butterfly was a pretty symbolic emblem, and he wanted to know the story behind it. But he didn’t want to disturb the tenuous balance they’d regained, so he kept quiet. Alex was a patient man.
It wasn’t the most exciting dive in the world, but routine was exactly what Hope needed. Had he been with anyone else, Alex would have been bored out of his mind, but watching Hope kept him focused and alert. She was nervous to start, as he’d seen on the beach. Her hands shook as she clipped her BCD closed.
As they entered the water and began the dive, Alex stayed close to her, offering solid support but without holding her arm like he had immediately after her accident. It didn’t take long for Hope to regain her confidence. He enjoyed watching her explore, though she kept a close eye on him, needing his reassurance.
Alex hovered a few feet behind her as she studied a large lobster. She looked up and didn’t see him next to her, spinning to her other side before finally whirling around and spotting him immediately. He waved to her, and her eyes filled with relief at finding him again.
