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Shark.My stomach flips as the dread washes over me.
Dex’s eyes widen and he shakes his head fervently at the boat captain. He unsubtly nods his head toward me. “Some of us are a little skittish around big marine life.”
“Well, this was an almost fun dive trip,” I say, flashing Dex a disingenuous smile. I start unbuckling my equipment. “What should we do for lunch? I’m craving shrimp tacos.”
“Lennox, we’re all the way out here. It’s beautiful dive conditions and nurse sharks are bottom feeders. They are harmless unless you swim right up and punch one in the gills. I promise it’s okay.”
“Oh no, no, no, buddy. Don’t even think about it. I’m not going anywhere near a shark.”
“They’re basically sea puppies,” Dex says. “Sweet and peaceful.”
“And they’re vegetarian!” the boat captain adds with a chuckle.
“Not helpful,” I say, unimpressed with his sarcastic joke.
“There are big sea turtles down there. Rays too. So many big, colorful fish. Stunning coral in kaleidoscope colors. It’s breathtaking, Len. Don’t you want to see?”
I pucker my bottom lip and nod. “A little. But I can’t do sharks. Any kind of shark.”
Dex stands in front of me, refastening my vest one buckle at a time. “You helped me face my fear. Let me help you face yours. Do you trust me?”
“I do, Dex. But I’m scared.”
“I know. But I’ll be right there with you. I’ve got you.” Pulling me to the edge of the boat, his hand firmly in mine, he squeezes. Then he steps off the edge with barely a splash. Dex disappears under the water for what seems like an eternity, then resurfaces.
“Water feels amazing, Len.”
I shake my head, the anxiety buzzing like electricity all over my body. “I can’t do it!” Maybe if the stupid boat captain didn’t say anything. But I heard “shark,” and now my flippered feet won’t move.
Dex holds out his hand. “Come on, baby. You and me. If we’re going to be shark bait, we’ll be shark bait together.”
“That’s not as romantic as you think it is,” I call back.
He laughs. “Lennox Hessler, get your perfect ass in this water. I won’t let anything happen to you.Please?I want to share this with you. It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen. I promise.”
I blow out a deep breath and keep my eyes fixed on Dex’s face. Like I always do around Dex, I push out all logic and reason and trust my gut. I trust the man who holds my heart and has since the very first day I met him. My best friend. My partner. He smiles at me, and I know with my whole heart it’s the only smile in the world that could convince me to swim with motherfucking sharks.
I clamp my eyes shut and draw in a deep breath. I hold it as I force my feet forward.
One…two…three…
Splash.
Epilogue
Dex
Two Years Later
Miami
Lennox holds up the old, taped-together Polaroid, lining up the dock in the picture perfectly. Grandma and Jacob are sitting side by side in the photo, a few inches between them. Grandma’s hand is planted flat on the dock, and his is draped over hers. Jacob’s staring at her, his profile clear while Grandma looks out ahead at the water.
“Right here,” she says. “This is exactly where they must’ve taken the picture.” Lennox points to the rickety gazebo behind us. “Whoever took the photo must’ve been standing there. I bet there are more pictures lost out in the world. No way they would’ve just taken one. Look at this view.”
You can’t buy property like this anymore. It’s all been snapped up by real estate developers. This might be the last quiet marina in Miami. The water is still, undisturbed by boats. The neighbors are far away, their homes veiled by the thick foliage. This is as close to a private retreat anyone can get.
After some heavy investigative research, we learned that this residence belonged to Jacob’s employer long ago—a ship captain from a revered family line. They owned an entire acre right along the marina and let a few of the ship’s crew members stay in the guest houses from time to time. This gazebo is apparently where Grandma and Jacob would sneak away to be together. Fifty years later, the property is all but abandoned, the family now living in Europe somewhere, or so our real estate agent tells us.