Page 63 of Tiger's Voyage

That statement made Kishan glower even more fiercely.

“There, you see, Kishan? Wes will be a perfect gentleman, and you know darn well that I’m fully capable of protecting myself.” I raised my eyebrows, so he’d get my meaning. I turned to Wes and said, “I’d love to see the sunset with you.”

Wes gave me a brilliant dimpled smile and held out his elbow. I took his arm, shooting a meaningful glance at Kishan over my shoulder as we turned the corner. We walked to the railing at the front of the boat and I sighed.

“Those two sure are keeping you hopping,” Wes said.

“You have no idea. Have you met the captain yet? Would you like to?”

“Maybe later. I’d rather enjoy the sunset with a pretty girl first.”

I smiled, sat on the deck, and rested my arms on the railing, letting my feet dangle over the side. Putting my chin on my arms, I looked out at the beautiful Arabian Sea.The ocean is so beautiful … and dangerous,I thought.Just like tigers.

He soon joined me. “How long are you planning on juggling those two?”

“I don’t know.” I flashed a smile. “You’re incredibly astute for a dumb hick, you know.”

“Hick I am, but dumb I ain’t,” he said with a dimpled smile. “But seriously, you look about as trapped as a piglet at a baby-back-ribs cook-off. Wanna talk about it?”

“They fought over a girl a long time ago, and she died accidentally. They both blamed each other until they finally got over that. They’ve come to terms and forgiven each other.”

“And now they’re doing it again … but with you.”

“Yes.”

“How do you feel about it?”

“I love both of them. I don’t want to hurt either one. Ren has always been the one I wanted, but there’s a good chance we can’t be together.”

“Why not?”

“It’s, umm … complicated. Our relationship has been bumpy. Kishan adds another major bump.”

“There never was a horse that couldn’t be rode; never was a cowboy who couldn’t be throwed.”

I laughed. “What does that mean?”

“It’s cowboy wisdom. It means that there’s no such thing as an insurmountable object. If you want to, for lack of a better term, ‘ride that horse,’ you do it. You might get thrown, but at least you’ve tried. It’s worth the bruised posterior if that’s what you want. And if you let that opportunity pass you by, you’ll always wonder ‘what if.’”

“Right, but what if I can’t fit the pieces of our relationship back together? What if there are too many parts broken or even lost?”

Wes considered for a moment. “My momma always said, ‘You can’t tell how good a man or a watermelon is ’til it gets thumped.’ If he’s not willing to help you find the pieces or rediscover the lost ones, then he’s not worth keeping.”

“Being willing and being capable are different things.”

“Not even the most willing mule with the biggest heart will ever win the Kentucky Derby, honey. Sometimes we don’t get a choice. We want something out of our reach, and no amount of wishing will make it happen. If he’s not capable of being the man you need, then you need to move on. Find a strapping stallion, such as myself, for example.” He laughed but stopped when he saw I wasn’t. “I’m sorry. I’ve made you droopier than a corsage the morning after the prom.”

I laughed and wiped away a tear.

He sighed. “When the girllovesthe mule, he wins her heart, even if he can’t win the Derby,” the charming Texan remarked.

I nodded and stayed with Wes until the moon came up. It wasn’t long after I climbed into bed that I heard a soft scratch on the connecting door. I opened it and wrapped my arms around my white tiger’s neck.

I mumbled, “I do love my mule,” and resettled in the bed. He gave me a questioning look, jumped up next to me, and snuggled against my back.

The next day, Wes had us watch diving videos all morning. We learned about diving safety, techniques, equipment maintenance, how to plan a dive, and how diving affects the body. He also told us about common dangers and mistakes novice divers make.

“Decompression sickness, or the bends, happens when you ascend too quickly. Tiny gas bubbles form in your body when you’re deep diving, and they need a chance to dissipate. Following the rules of ascent will greatly diminish your risk.