The Best of Me

by Tina Wainscott

  “Mmm, I’m trying to forget about that.”

  He wore a pair of cut-offs and absolutely nothing else except for the necklace and bracelet. She felt a hitch in her chest and cleared her throat. He picked up his bottle and settled back on the lounge chair. She sat down across from him, finding herself leaning forward and stroking the rough edges of his necklace.

  “Is it a shark’s tooth?” She was staring at it, and when she looked up at him, she realized they were too close for comfort. With a quick breath, she moved away.

  He watched her, his eyes analytical. “Yep.”

  “Why do you wear such a thing?”

  “When I was sixteen, this was imbedded in my arm.” He twisted his arm, and she could see a faint scar running from shoulder midway to his elbow.

  “Ouch. And you wear it?”

  “A reminder that I’m not invincible.”

  She leaned on her arm, propping up her chin with the palm of her hand. “And the bracelet?”

  “A college student I met a few years ago made it for me. She was into that kind of thing, making bracelets with these colored threads.”

  She felt a strange twist in her stomach. She pictured a young, lithe blonde hanging on his shoulder. “And this reminds you of her?”

  “No, it reminds me not to get attached to anything or anyone. She was working on a marine biology project, so I let her hang around for a few months. Kid thought she was in love with me, wanted to give up everything and follow me around the world.” His smile was both wistful and cynical. “I knew she’d outgrow it, and she did.”

  “So you got attached to her?”

  “I liked having her around.” He looped his finger around the band. “This reminds me to keep my head straight.”

  “Ah, I see.” So, someone had gotten to him, at least in a marginal way. Maybe he was human after all. “No wife?”

  He laced his fingers behind his head, distracting her for a moment with his biceps.

  “This may surprise you, but traveling all over and dealing with fish doesn’t have a big appeal to most women. I get my company when I can take it.”

  She remembered the women he’d told her about who sat there and said nothing with him. But she didn’t want silence now, not when he was actually talking to her. She took another sip of her Ting, which was already warm.

  “You said you grew up on a fishing charter boat.”

  “After my mother died when I was just a kid, my father sunk all our money into a fishing boat down in the Keys that we also lived on. He usually had two fishing charters a day, one scheduled for right after I got back from school. If I didn’t come right home, he’d fillet me just like the fish I helped the customers catch and clean.”

  “Your dad abused you?” She felt angry at the thought, all tight inside.

  “I wouldn’t call it abuse. He was oppressive. He worked me hard and he yelled a lot. Geez, Lucy, don’t look so mad. I was a tough kid. I survived.”

  She glanced away for a moment, taking the pained expression from her face. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. It wasn’t all bad. I spent every spare moment I had in the water. I traded some fish for a friend’s mask when I was ten, then saved every penny I could get my hands on to buy a snorkel. The world beneath the water was magical, mysterious, endless. I wanted to explore every inch of it. In that quiet world, I couldn’t hear my father yelling. There was only the ocean and the thousands of creatures within it.

  “When I was thirteen, I lied about my age and got certified to scuba dive. Diving made me feel a real part of that underwater life for the first time. Like the fish, I didn’t have to go up for air.”

  “What happened after that?”

  He met her gaze, making her realize how anxious she sounded. “Why do you want to know?”

  “I just do.” She used the same tactic he’d used on her, waiting patiently for him to continue.

  “I left home when I was sixteen, tired of having to deal with my father, tired of life at sea. But being alone, being a loner, had been ingrained into my soul, and that I remained. I knew I wouldn’t leave the water far behind as I made my way up the Keys. I had no use for any other kind of life.

  “Then I found the job at Aquatic Wonders. They needed someone to feed the dolphins, maintain the facility and be a general boy Friday. The thought of working with dolphins piqued my interest, and I took the job. So now you know more about me than probably anyone else.”

  Lucy couldn’t help smiling. “Sometimes persistence pays.”

  He tipped his head back, looking up at the sky. “Beautiful and curious, just what I wanted.”

  Those words swirled through her stomach, but she couldn’t think of any suitable reply.

  “When do you go back home, Miz Lucy?”

  “A couple of days from now.” She was watching him carefully now. “Still eager to get rid of me?”

  “Doesn’t matter what I want. If you’ll recall, I wanted you to leave me alone, and now you’re sleeping over.”

  A warm flush crept up her cheeks. “Yeah, well.” She met his gaze, but found only a relaxed expression on his face. “Do you still want me to leave you alone?”

  “In a few days you’ll go back to your life and your Beemer and your ex-husband and your business. I’ll eventually free Liberty, go home for a while, then head off to another park and another dolphin.”

  Maybe that was his way of telling her that he didn’t want her to leave him alone anymore. He was right: she was leaving soon, and they’d never see each other again. Her throat went dry at the thought, and she took another sip of Ting.

  “Right now it’s hard to believe I could be home in my apartment and not even know that anything like this place exists.” Or anyone like him.

  “This is only one of many, many places like this. I’ll bet you’re too busy to take vacations.”

  “Mostly.”

  “See, that’s my problem with your kind of life. You work hard so you can afford nice things, and then you want nicer things, so you work harder, and pretty soon you work so much you don’t have time to enjoy the nice things you’re paying for.”

  “Maybe some of us don’t like being a martyr.”

  He laughed. “You think that’s what I am? A martyr?”

  “Not exactly.”

  “It’s hard for you to comprehend that someone doesn’t want success, isn’t it?”

  She chewed her lip again. “Well, yes.”

  “Different worlds, you and I,” he said, coming to his feet. “Come on, Miz Lucy. Let me show you to your hammock.”

  She followed him into the boathouse. “Er, did you say…hammock?”

  8

  LUCY STRETCHED in the early-morning light, reveling in the smile that made her feel alive and ready to conquer the world.

  Smile?

  She ran her finger over the curve of her lips. She was smiling. How long had it been since she’d woken up with a smile? The memory eluded her. A thousand birds chirped and sang outside, and sunshine filled the wooden interior of the boathouse. Even the large, padded hammock had been comfortable.

  A bank of storage cabinets ran along one wall to a door that she hoped would reveal a bathroom. Two duffel bags and a wooden crate sat beneath a glassless window that looked back on the house. Next to the bags a guitar leaned against the wall. Chris’s?

  She scrambled out of the hammock and walked out onto the deck. A pillow and rumpled sheet covered the lounge chair where he had slept. She spotted him near the beach where some fishing nets made a half-moon in the water. He looked like some exotic island boy with his wild, golden curls and bare chest gleaming wet in the early sunshine. She passed off the twist in her stomach as a need to go, and went back inside.

  As she made her way along the deck a few minutes later, she watched small schools of silvery fish moving in perfect unison against the backdrop of smooth, white sand. He crouched by the shore wearing headphones and turning the dial on some electronic box.

 
“Hi,” she said, then touched his arm when he didn’t hear her.

  He smiled and took off the headphones. “Morning, sleepyhead.”

  She inhaled quickly to dispel the tightness his smile caused inside her. “When I wake up to this, I think I could live like this.” Look at the water, Lucy. That’s what you’re talking about. Isn’t it?

  He followed her gaze oceanward. “As long as you know you’ve got a job and apartment back home.”

  “I suppose that’s true.” It was hard to believe she did have a home somewhere faraway. It was harder to believe she felt that way after only being away for four days.

  “You know it’s true.” When she looked at him, his expression wasn’t cynical. “I’m not saying it’s a bad thing.”

  “Ahem. The Great Green Lie. Greedy, materialistic…ring any bells?”

  He grinned again, and she tried to remember what they were talking about.

  “Ah, you’re not so bad, Miz Lucy.”

  She shivered, blaming it on the warm breeze. “Well, I guess that’s a compliment.”

  “Closest you’ll get from me. I’m long out of flattering practice.”

  She kicked at a wave that rolled in to tickle her toes. “Well, I got beautiful and curious out of you.” She glanced at him. “I’d say I’m doing pretty good then.”

  He looked at her. “You’re doing just fine.”

  The smile he gave her was slighter than the previous one, but it had no less of an effect on her heart. She averted her attention to the device sitting on the ground with the black cable snaking into the water.

  “What is that?”

  “It’s a recorder. I’m making a tape of the sounds in this lagoon. I’m going to play them for Liberty so he’ll get used to this place before I move him here.” He looked out over the water. “From here, it’s freedom.”

  “What kinds of sounds are out there, anyway? I mean, I always thought it was silent down there.”

  He placed the headphones over her ears. Their fingers touched when she pressed the earpieces closer. Why just that simple brush could send a thrill of excitement through her was a mystery. Her ex had to do a lot more than that to elicit that much of a thrill. She refocused on listening. There were sounds down there! Clicks, water rushing up on the shore, a low-pitched humming noise…a virtual cacophony.

  She handed back the phones. “That is so neat. You’re right, there is a whole different world down there.”

  He turned off the recorder and pulled in the rubber microphone. “I’ve got to swim out and check my traps tomorrow. What I get will be used as fish-catching training. Wanna come?”

  His invitation took her off guard. Her usual routine was to get all details before committing to anything, which was why she was so surprised when her mouth said, “Sure.” She glanced out to the ocean. “Out there, you mean?”

  “That’s where the fish are.”

  “In that boat?”

  He started heading toward the boathouse. “Nope. We’re going to swim out to them. With fins, mask, snorkel, that kind of thing. Then you can see what’s making those noises.”

  She nodded, scrambling for an excuse to back out. Seasickness? Lame leg? Nah. Besides, he might not think she was all right anymore. Darn, what did it even matter?

  “But I don’t have any of that fin stuff you mentioned.”

  “There’s some in the shed at the park. I saw it when I was looking for the pump equipment.”

  “Oh. Great.”

  When they got back to the boathouse, she gathered up her shirt and put on her shoes. “I guess I’ll get a hotel room for my last two nights here.” She glanced around, wondering where she could stay to get this kind of view in the morning. “I’d like to take some pictures.”

  He pulled on a T-shirt and baggy shorts. “Bring your camera when we go snorkeling tomorrow.”

  Snorkeling. The thought seized her with both panic and excitement. She was going to do it. No excuses. Wait till she told Vicki! Somehow she had to get a picture of Chris and Liberty, just to remember.

  Like she’d ever forget.

  LUCY SNUGGLED against Chris’s back as he started the moped and headed toward town. There was something to be said for meager transportation.

  Wait a minute. What was going on here? She wasn’t supposed to be enjoying the warm feel of him against her cheek. Certainly not supposed to be relishing every dip in the road when her breasts slid across his back. Yes, it had been a while since she’d partaken in the sensual pleasures of life, but Chris wasn’t her type. And flings…out of the question.

  When they arrived at the park, she said, “Can you please give me a ride to my father’s apartment later? I’ll get a cab to the hotel from there.”

  He pushed the sunglasses he’d been wearing up a few inches. “Miz Lucy, I’ll take you anywhere you want to go on that moped.” And then he walked off, just like that, to leave her wondering what he’d meant.

  Bailey waved as he tossed chunks of fish into one of the pools. The chunks landed with a dull splash and quickly sank to the bottom where a disinterested shark hovered above the floor. The sign identified the brown creature with the round head as a nurse shark.

  Bailey grinned widely, giving her a raised eyebrow and nod toward Chris. “Good morning, Miss Lucy.” He looked at Chris. “Mister dolphin fish man. Miss Lucy, I need to talk to you today.”

  “Stop by when I’m in the office.”

  “Sure t’ing.” He dropped one last piece of fish in the pool and wandered to the stingray pit.

  “He’s going to tell you about a friend who wants to buy this place.”

  “Well, I’m open for offers.”

  “Is that a fact?”

  This time he met her questioning gaze, and it was Lucy who turned away. He was going to drive her crazy, to be sure. He squatted down to get a closer look at the shark. It was in a pool much smaller than Liberty’s. She thought the shark looked bored and lonely.

  “Is it dangerous? Like the kind you see in the movies?” She glanced at his necklace. “The kind that bit your arm?”

  He trailed a finger along the surface of the water. “Nah, not this one. They’re rather docile unless they’re molested, which is why they’re responsible for most shark bites. People tend to think they’re tame, but they’re still a wild creature. If you’d fallen into this pool, for instance, the shark would probably stay as far away from you as he could. If you grabbed him, though, he’d probably bite you.” He stood and pulled his T-shirt off in one movement, revealing lean muscles and a taut stomach. “Off to work.”

  Liberty’s head was already out of the water, as though he somehow sensed his hero had arrived.

  “Lucy.”

  That particular voice crawled up her spine like the thought of touching dead fish. Worse than that! Crandall made his way over to her, an apologetic expression on his face. Of all the nerve. He seemed to sense her hostility and paused, his hands in midair.

  “I have nothing to say to you, Mr. Morton. Please leave.”

  Out of the corner of her eye she could see Chris watching them. Even Liberty was observing. This time she didn’t need anyone to come to her rescue.

  Crandall tilted his head. “Lucy, I know I made a bad impression, and I apologize. I was getting signals—”

  “You were not getting signals from me, buster.”

  He raised his hands. “I misinterpreted.” His smile marked the skill of a true actor. “It was probably the wine. After you left, I felt…well, bad. I drove by your father’s apartment, but you weren’t there.”

  She was glad she’d been with Chris. Well, for more than that reason. “Fine, you’ve apologized. Now leave.”

  Crandall laughed softly. “Lucy, let’s talk about this. I think we can come to an understanding.”

  She glanced down into the nurse shark’s pool. “Are you familiar with sharks, Mr. Morton?”

  He followed her gaze, taking the opportunity to step up beside her. “Not really.”

&nbs
p; She narrowed her eyes. “I’m surprised.” Then she turned back to the shark. “This is one of the fiercest sharks known to man. Just a tad nicer than the great white shark. See those pieces of fish down there?” Crandall nodded, giving her a patronizing smile that would have grated on her nerves if she didn’t already despise the man. “That was a whole fish when it went into the pool only moments ago.” She tried not to grin at his widened eyes.

  “Should we be inside the fence like this?”

  “His teeth are this long.” She indicated two inches. “Bailey told me that one of the former employees accidentally fell in.” She lowered her voice. “He was shredded in less than a minute. Not even a shoe left. The water was a blood bath.”

  Crandall shivered. “Well, then, maybe we should take this conversation away…” He gestured away from the shark.

  “And I think that, since you have so much in common with this fellow, you two should be properly introduced.” She turned toward the shark. “Malevolence, meet Crandall Morton. Crandall, Malevolence.”

  And she gave him a shove right into the pool. His eyes widened in horror, arms scrabbling in the air before plunging into the water. Lucy was sure she’d never seen a man move so fast in her life. He was churning up the water something fierce, screaming and grabbing for the edge.

  “Help me!” he shouted.

  She looked behind him, her eyes widened. “Get out, Crandall! Oh, I can’t watch!” Her fingers were splayed as they covered her eyes, leaving spaces for her to peek through.

  He launched himself from the pool and looked behind him. The poor nurse shark was in the farthest corner near the bottom. She was doubled over in laughter. When she heard a male echo of that laughter, she looked over to see Chris sharing it with her. Their gaze and smiles held for a moment before he gave her the okay sign. Even Bailey was guffawing from near the aquarium house.

  Rivulets of water ran down Crandall’s expensive clothing, and he shook out his leather shoes. “Okay, fine. You got your revenge.” He glanced back at the shark. “That thing isn’t dangerous at all, is it?”

  She shrugged. “Must be full, lucky you. But I happen to know that the sawfish has not been fed yet this morning, and if you don’t leave the premises this moment, I will introduce you to him as well.”