Page 34

Story: Sunburned

I stood at the railing for a moment, watching Moon Two for any sign of movement before I returned to the pool.

“Can I borrow that sunscreen?” I asked Samira and Gisèle.

I heard the motors of the dinghy fire to life as Gisèle tossed me the bottle and I squeezed a generous amount of coconut-scented cream into my hand.

“Where’s Laurent going?” Gisèle asked.

I cast a glance at Samira as I rubbed SPF50 into my face. I didn’t want to worry her unnecessarily, but I also didn’t want to lie. “To the other dinghy.”

“Why?” Samira asked, picking up on my hesitation.

I squeezed more sunscreen into my hand, working it into my chest and arms. “To make sure the rest of the divers surface smoothly.”

“They’re not back yet?” Samira rose and crossed to the railing, squinting across the dazzling water at the bobbing tender.

Gisèle pulled on a loose crop top and we joined Samira, watching as Moon One skipped over the waves toward Moon Two . “They should be back by now,” Samira muttered.

When the boats were side by side, Laurent climbed into Moon Two, and I could make out him and Evan shouldering their tanks while the others conferred. Then they splashed into the water on the far side of the dinghy.

“Shit.” Samira pressed her fingers into the bridge of her nose.

“It’s gonna be fine,” I said, willing my voice to sound more relaxed than I felt.

Gisèle glanced at me, understanding the need to calm her friend. “Tyson probably swam off and they had to make him come back.”

Samira was breathing more rapidly now, her knuckles white as she gripped the railing. “What if he got lost?”

“Laurent and Evan know the area and they have full tanks,” I assured her.

Samira took a gulp of her drink. “I told you I lost him. I couldn’t find him in the shipwreck.”

“I saw him,” Gisèle said. “And so did Jennifer.”

She leaned into Samira, whispering something in her ear too low for me to make out. Samira shot her a frown with a sharp shake of her head.

Out on the dinghies, there was a commotion as the two guys on Moon Two rushed to the back of the boat. “What’s happening?” Samira asked.

The boats were too far away, the light off the water too bright to see any detail, but it looked like they were pulling divers from the water.

“They’re back,” I said, patting her shoulder. “Everything’s okay.”

“What’s going on?” I turned to see Jennifer, freshly showered and made up in a teal one-piece with a colorful sheer caftan, giant white sun hat, and sunglasses. Cody trailed behind her in fresh swim shorts and a polo, holding two white plastic Sea Ray cups.

“It’s the other divers coming back,” I said.

Cody checked his watch as they joined us at the railing. “They took their time.”

I nodded. “Laurent went over to make sure everything was okay, but it looks like they’re loading into the dinghy now.”

Samira took another long draw of her drink, showing us her shaking hand as Gisèle rubbed her back, soothing her like a baby.

“You feeling better now?” I asked Jennifer.

She nodded. “I don’t know that diving is my thing.”

“That was just a fluke,” Cody placated. “In over twenty-five years of diving, I’ve never had that happen.”

“It wasn’t fun,” Gisèle concurred. “But did you guys see that turtle right before we entered the Snares?”

Watching Gisèle with Samira now, I could see the calming effect she had on her friend and had a new appreciation for her grounded energy. “It was so cute,” I agreed.

“The nurse shark was my favorite,” Samira said. “I love sharks.”

“There was a shark?” Jennifer asked, alarmed.

“And it didn’t hurt you!” Cody laughed, shaking his head.

Jennifer glanced over her shoulder toward the indoor dining area. “I’m starving. Do you think they—”

“They’re setting something up for us on the deck up there,” Gisèle said, pointing to the next level. “I think it’s pizza.”

My mouth watered, conjuring up warm, salted crust and melted cheese. I hadn’t eaten since breakfast and suddenly realized that I, too, was starving.

“But they’ll bring you anything you want,” Samira added.

“I’m gonna go find someone,” Jennifer said.

“Tell them I need another one of these,” Samira requested, tapping her drink before she set the empty cup on a nearby table.

As Jennifer wandered away, I turned back to the water, watching Moon One pull away from Moon Two trailing a white wake as it headed back toward the yacht.

But there appeared to be only two people aboard.

Marielle was driving, and I couldn’t make out who the other passenger was, nor could I tell what was happening or how many people remained on Moon Two, where everyone seemed to be clumped together at the stern.

The corner of Cody’s mouth tugged downward as he took in the tender speeding toward us. Gisèle cast a concerned glance at Samira, who leaned over the railing as though getting a foot closer would help her determine what was going on.

After a moment, Cody pulled away from the railing, heading toward the stern. Samira quickly followed, stopping by the pool to don her sunglasses and slip a cover-up over her head before jogging down the stairs to the sugar scoop with Gisèle and me on her heels.

A male crew member awaited the dinghy’s arrival, the radio clipped to his belt crackling with the voice of someone wanting to know what time food should be served. As the dinghy approached, I saw it was Allison on board.

Where was Tyson?

Allison appeared stricken, her face pale, as the crew tied up the boat. Unease shot through me.

Something was wrong.