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Feels kind of nice to be wanted . . .
The rest of the dive passed uneventfully, and by the end Hope was relaxed and at ease in the water again.
They’d accomplished something important.
After exiting the water, Alex tossed his fins on the pier near the stairs. “Just set your tank on the planks. I’ll take it to the gear room.”
Hope unbuckled her BCD and redressed, turning to him with a smile. “Thank you, Alex. That helped a lot.”
He returned her smile, riveted to her eyes. “You’re welcome. You were great down there, Hope.”
* * *
Later that night, Alex took a big pull of his beer and sat down on his deck with a relaxed sigh, watching the black sky above. He was relieved to end the day in a much better frame of mind than when he’d started it.
After getting cleaned up from the dive, Alex had gone to the kitchen for dinner and done something unusual, sitting down with Patti and Clark. He’d mostly kept to himself since his arrival at the resort, but lately had found himself seeking people out more. The three of them had a great time, with Gerold joining in when he wasn’t cooking for guests.
Alex stretched his shoulders, feeling the pleasant ache after his workout. He’d performed a ninety-minute weight routine every other day since January. He was pleased to see some of his old muscle tone returning.
Physically, he was getting back. Mentally, he was still working on it.
It was fully dark now, and he finished his beer but made no move to get up and get another one. He was experiencing a strange sensation, and it wasn’t the beer. After thinking a minute, Alex was surprised to discover it was happiness.
He actually looked forward to getting up in the morning now. He enjoyed his job more, and the people around him . . . It had been a long time since he could remember being anything but numb. Hope had a lot to do with that.
Alex set the bottle down and leaned his chair back on its two rear legs, gazing toward the shore. The water shimmered as it lapped upon the beach in front of the restaurant and the lights reflected in the water. Putting his feet up on the table in front of him, Alex leaned back, watching the stars above. A meteor streaked across the sky and he smiled, appreciating the beauty of it.
CHAPTER 25
Hope walked down the wooden pier toward the palapa, enjoying the early morning sunshine. Swim goggles in hand, she tossed her towel over her shoulder. Alex was already there, getting ready for his swim. Their initial encounters after her accident had been somewhat strained as they tiptoed around each other. But as the days turned into weeks, they fell back into their easy banter, though both of them avoided the precipice they’d reached the morning after her accident.
Being around Alex was one of the highlights of her day. She’d never been this at ease with a man, but was too scared to risk anything further, though she still couldn’t figure out her reaction to him. She’d never run away from Kyle when he’d tried to kiss her—and she wasn’t some dewy virgin who’d never been around a man.
Why does Alex inspire these reactions in me?
It seemed a moot point, anyway. Alex was friendly and caring, but didn’t make any romantic gestures toward her, only friendly teasing. It was what she wanted, so why did that fill her with regret?
Hope tossed her towel on the bench next to his with a smile, ready to enjoy the morning.
“You joining me today?” he asked.
“Sure, but I’m thinking about swimming longer, maybe an hour. You have enough time?”
“Plenty of time. I haven’t swum long in a while. It’ll be good for me.”
“Ok, but I don’t want you to strain anything trying to keep up with me. I need to keep my dive guide healthy.”
Alex looked at her, eyes lighting up. “If I get into trouble, I’ll call for help. Or you can just tow me back to the pier.”
“Or maybe I’ll leave you to your own devices and let you suffer the consequences of biting off more than you can chew.”
“I’ll take the risk.” With that, he dove in with no goggles.
Hope finished adjusting hers and followed. Setting off at a measured pace, she enjoyed the powerful movement her body produced, catching up to Alex quickly. They swam side by side as she checked her watch periodically. The ocean floor steadily slipped by beneath them, occasional black spiky orbs scattered on the sand. She pulled up at the thirty-minute mark and called out, “Halfway.”
They treaded water and caught their breath. “How come you don’t wear goggles most of the time? Doesn’t the saltwater sting your eyes?”
“I’m used to it, I guess. I wear goggles sometimes, but I like the feel of the water on my face.”
