“Then you take him.” She crossed her arms.
“Fine, I will.”
It was one of the few arguments they’d had about parenting.
When Thomas had seen the water that day, he’d kicked and screamed. Dane had thought he’d made a mistake and Pam had been right. But once he waded into the water with Thomas, the young boy had calmed down. And he’d ended up becoming one of the best swimmers in his class.
Dane always thought of that moment when Thomas looked up into his eyes with complete trust and relief, as if he knew that as long as he was with his father, he’d be safe. That meant the world to him.
Now he had to face another milestone—letting his son grow up and head off to college.
He glanced back toward the woman in the water, and his heart jumped. She seemed even further out. He edged his way along so that he would be closer to her in case she had trouble. He was startled by the blare of the lifeguard’s whistle.
“Too far!” The lifeguard blew his whistle again.
At first Dane thought it might be directed at him, but the lifeguard was looking past him toward the floating woman.
She continued to simply float. It occurred to Dane that she might not even realize how far out she had drifted. When she did, she would likely panic.
After the woman ignored the lifeguard’s third warning, Dane swam a little closer to her. He didn’t want to get on her bad side again, but he also didn’t want to let anyone drown. He spent a lot of time swimming in the pool at the gym and had done some lifeguard training in college.
When he looked back at the lifeguard, the man in bright red shorts had already jumped down from the stand. He ran toward the water. He was in the shallow water and headed toward the woman, when a child screamed for help. The lifeguard was much closer to the child. When Dane saw him turn toward the boy, he knew he had no choice. The lifeguard couldn’t rescue both. Thomas swam over to him.
“What’s going on? Why is that woman so far out?”
Dane grimaced. He looked over at his son. “Stay there. I’ll be back.”
“What are you going to do? Dad?”
Dane swam toward the woman with strong swift strokes. He could hear Thomas shouting for him to come back, but he ignored the calls. He couldn’t just watch her get further and further out.
As he swam he could feel the tug of the current. It was strong enough that he knew even he’d have a struggle with it. It grew stronger the further out he went. Even as he swam toward her, she didn’t seem to notice that anything was out of place. The closer he came to her, the more certain he was that she would never be able to make it back to shore without help. The lifeguard likely wouldn’t be able to make it to her in time either.
A subtle sense of fear snaked through the pit of his stomach as he realized that he’d put himself in real danger as well. It was quite possible that he wouldn’t be able to get back to shore, with or without the woman. As he realized that, he wondered if he’d made a mistake. Was he going to leave his son an orphan?
He reached out with his last stroke and brushed his fingertips along her upper arm. He didn’t want her to panic, but he had to get her attention. If she didn’t work with him, they could both be in trouble.
In the split second between his touch and her recognition of it, he caught sight of the way her body was dappled by both the sun and the water. It was as if she’d blended with sun, sky, and water and became a part of the natural beauty that surrounded him—but that moment didn’t last. He felt the tug on his own body and knew that she could be swept away at any time.
When she thrashed in reaction to his touch he slid his arm around her waist.
Chapter 9
When Ella felt an arm wrap around her waist, she knew something wasn’t right.
She opened her eyes and twisted in his grasp. “Let go! Let go of me!” She squirmed and pulled at his arm.
She had yet to look at his face. But she didn’t need to. Whoever would swim up to a woman and grab her had to be a very dangerous person. As she fought him, she swallowed a small amount of water.
“Stop! I’m trying to help you!”
The sound of his voice made her freeze. She tilted her head back to look up into his face. When she saw his eyes, her heart dropped. “What are you doing? I don’t need any help.”
“Yes, you do.” He pointed toward the shore.
When she saw just how far out she was, she began to panic. Her heart raced. How would she ever get back? How could she have gotten so far out without realizing it? She gulped as she thought of how deep the water must be. Could there be sharks swimming right beneath her?
“Oh no!” She wrapped her arms around his neck and hung on to him. In the chaos of her fear, she didn’t realize that the man was beginning to sink.
“Calm down, you’re going to drown us both!” He locked his arms around her waist and pried one of her arms free of his neck. “I’m going to help you, but I can’t do that if I’m under the water. Just take a deep breath.”
“No, please. I’m going to sink. I can’t swim that far.” Her eyes filled with anxious tears.
“Look at me.” His voice was firm enough to cut through her fear. “What’s your name?”
“Ella.” She blinked back her tears.
“Ella, I’m Dane.” He continued to hold her gaze. “I can get you back to shore, but you have to work with me, okay? If you fight me, we’re both going to have a problem.”
“Okay.” She nodded but her voice trembled.
“Take a deep breath.” He stared into her eyes. “Take a nice, long, deep breath. Everything is going to be fine. Alright?”
She drew the breath as he instructed. To her surprise, her racing heartbeat began to slow. She loosened her grip on his neck, but when she looked away from him—toward the shore—her body tensed up again.
“It’s so far!”
“Sh.” He caught her cheek with his palm and turned her face back to his. “Don’t look at that. Look at me. Just keep your eyes on me. I’m a very good swimmer, Ella. I’m not going to let you go until you’re on the sand, okay?”
Despite the stress of the circumstances, she smiled. It was a purely spontaneous expression and unexpected. Something about the warmth in his voice and the glimmer of his eyes summoned the smile.
“Okay. But what if you can’t make it?”
“I will.” He looked into her eyes. “You have to trust me.”
“You won’t let go?” She looked toward the shore again and then back at him.
“No, I won’t let go.” He tilted his head toward her. “I’m going to make sure that you get back safe. I promise.”
She regarded him for a long moment, took another deep breath and nodded her head.
“Just stay still.” He pulled her close to his chest.
She could feel the ripple of his muscles against her skin as he began to swim back toward the shore. Being pinned close to his body was pleasant, but something else was what made her feel calm. She believed him. She knew he wasn’t going to let go of her until they reached the shore. She couldn’t remember the last time she trusted a person that much.
The swim back was a blur of his movement and his warmth. Maybe she could have made it on her own part of the way, but he didn’t give her that option. Once his arm was around her it was as tight as a vise.
As they neared the shore, the lifeguard swam over to them. Only then did Dane release her so that she could stand up on her own.
“Are you okay?” The lifeguard looked her over.
“Yes, I am—thanks to him.” She smiled at Dane.
“Thank you for your help. I was in a bit of a situation.” The lifeguard shook his head. “Every time the current is this strong, there are problems.” He looked back at Ella. “You need to be aware of your surroundings. There was no reason for you to be out that far.”
“I didn’t mean to. I guess I just drifted.”
“This isn’t a pool.” He raised an eyebrow at her. “You have
to respect the danger that open water poses.”
“You’re right.” She nodded. “I’ll be more careful.”
She began to wade the rest of the way out of the water.
Dane started to follow after her, but the lifeguard stopped him.
Ella looked back at the two, who were still within hearing distance.
“What you did was very brave but also very risky. You both could have drowned.”
“I didn’t want her to get any further out. And I’m a strong swimmer.”
“Maybe, but I saw her panic. Are you alright?”
“Yes, I am.” Dane frowned. “I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t think I could.”
“I get it.” The lifeguard nodded. Then he blew his whistle at some kids roughhousing. “Back to work.” He dove into the water.
When Dane turned back toward the shore, Ella was too embarrassed to even look at him. She knew she’d put him at risk, and worse yet, she’d panicked when he had tried to help her.
Dane started to walk toward her—she could tell by the slosh of the water, but his son cut in front of him.
“Dad, what were you thinking? Maybe I’m the one that needs to stay home from college to keep an eye on you.”
“I was fine, Tommy.”
“But what if you weren’t?”
Ella looked up in time to see the father and son lock eyes and the current of tension that sparked between them.
“Thomas, I’m fine.” Dane cupped the back of his son’s neck and looked into his eyes. “I promise, I’m not going anywhere.”
“You better not.” Thomas frowned. “No more playing hero.”
Ella reached the sand and kept walking. She realized that her attempt to find peace had robbed both Thomas and Dane of theirs.
Chapter 10
When Dane saw the fear in his son’s eyes, his heart broke just a little. Thomas had already endured a great loss when he’d had to say goodbye to his mother. It wasn’t right of Dane to put him through that fear yet again. He pulled Thomas into a quick hug. He knew his son wasn’t one to hug in public, but the moment called for it.
“I’m sorry I scared you.” He looked into his eyes.
“You should be.” Thomas pulled away and smirked at him. “But at least you proved me right.”
“Proved you right, how?”
Thomas looked past Dane at Ella, who’d walked toward her lounge chair.
“You like her.”
“Huh?” Dane’s gaze returned to his son.
“You like her, or you wouldn’t have gone after her.”
“That’s not true. I would have helped anyone who needed it.” Dane narrowed his eyes.
“If you say so, Dad. Anyway, I’m going to go take a shower. Are you coming up to the room?”
“Not just yet. I think I need to relax a bit after all the excitement.”
“I bet. Let me give you one tip.” Thomas quirked an eyebrow.
“What?” Dane regarded him skeptically. He wasn’t sure what kind of advice Thomas could give him that he’d actually take.
“Ask her to dinner.” Thomas smiled.
“No.” Dane shook his head and laughed a little. “I’m not going to do that.”
“Why not? You saved her life. She owes you. It’s the perfect time to pounce.”
“Pounce?” Dane frowned. “We really need to work on your dating etiquette, son.”
“Okay, sure, but after you ask her to dinner. Alright?” Thomas grinned and headed out of the water before Dane could respond to him.
He looked back toward Ella, watching her gather up her things. With some hesitation, he waded out of the water. As he walked up to her, he noticed that she seemed to be making an effort not to look at him.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” He was only there to make sure she that she was okay. That’s what he told himself.
She gripped her book tight and stared at her manicured toenails. “I’m fine.”
Dane raised an eyebrow at the cool way she’d responded. As far as he could remember, she hadn’t even thanked him. Could she still be angry about the sand being kicked on her?
“Okay. Sorry to bother you.” He started to turn away.
Before he could get far, she stepped in front of him. Her damp brown hair created a half-curtain between them as she tilted her head.
“I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what?” Dane tried to look into her eyes, but she moved her head each time.
“For putting you at risk. I can’t believe I was that stupid.”
“Hey.” On instinct he reached out and brushed her hair back from her face so that he could see her. He didn’t realize how presumptuous that was until she shied back from his touch. Only then did he notice tears in her eyes. “You’re not stupid. We all make mistakes, Ella. I’m just glad that you’re okay.”
Her cheeks reddened as she blinked back her tears. “I’m sorry, I’m not usually so emotional. I’m just embarrassed.”
“You have no reason to be.” He tried to look into her eyes again, but again she looked away. “Ella, you didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I panicked. I almost drowned you.”
“No.” He smiled and rested his palm on the curve of her shoulder. “No, you didn’t. You were scared, like anyone would be, but you didn’t even take me under. It’s a natural reaction. The important thing is that you’re safe.”
“Yes, I am. Thanks to you.”
He managed to catch her eye for a moment.
“Thank you, Dane.”
“Does this make up for the sand shower earlier?” He tried to hold her gaze.
“Yes, I think so.” She smiled just enough that he began to relax. “Actually, I think I owe you. Can I buy you a drink?”
“I don’t really drink.”
“Oh.” She nodded. “That’s alright. I should probably go.” She started to walk away, then suddenly spun back around. “Then let me take you to dinner.” She locked her eyes to his. “I’m not taking no for an answer.”
Dane’s heart skipped a beat. Was he ready for something like that? “I don’t know, I’m here with my son. I’m not sure if I should leave him alone on the first night.”
“That’s sweet, but I don’t think that your son will mind.” She tilted her head toward Thomas, who’d only made it halfway up the ramp to the hotel before his attention seemed to have turned toward a few young women.
Dane doubted he’d see Thomas any time soon.
“Still, I just—I mean, you don’t owe me anything.” He frowned. “I’m sure you have better prospects.”
One side of her mouth curved up into a half-smile as she swept her gaze over him. She cleared her throat. “Nepali’s at seven.” With a light smile, she turned and walked away.
Dane hadn’t answered, but it didn’t seem to matter to her. The woman who was in tears a moment before now walked with a gait of pure confidence. She had every reason to be confident. From the sway of her shoulder-length hair to the curves of her figure, she was beautiful. She was also the first woman he’d really considered beautiful since he’d met Pam.
That thought confused him more than anything else. Was he letting the adventure of vacation get to him?
As Dane walked back toward the hotel, he thought about the way Ella had looked at him. He knew he kept in shape, but he never thought too much about whether he was attractive to women. He never cared really. There was only ever one woman whose attention he’d wanted.
But he had to admit that when Ella had focused her eyes on him, he hoped that she liked what she saw. He didn’t know why. What could she possibly see in him? She seemed the type who wanted to stay young forever. Dane was the type that never really enjoyed being young. He didn’t find pleasure—even as a young man—in the same things that his friends did. While they were out cruising the strip, he was tucked away at home trying to figure out how to get Pam to notice him.
Now he wondered if there was any way that Ella would ever actually notice him.
Even if she did, did he really want her to?
Chapter 11
As she walked to her cottage, Ella tried to figure out what she’d just done. Why did she insist on taking Dane to dinner?
Sure, she owed him her gratitude, but dinner might be sending the wrong message. Still, she couldn’t shake the desire that she seemed to have—to want to get to know him better.
Maybe it was the way he interacted with his son that intrigued her. She’d dated a few men who were fathers, but they were the distant type. This man seemed to be very involved in his son’s life. She respected that. What could one meal hurt?
She unlocked the door to her cottage and prepared to be disappointed by it again. But this time she found the sparse decor rather comforting. Earlier, in the moments when she’d realized that she was far enough out in the water not to make it back, she hadn’t thought about a single possession. She hadn’t worried about her job. Her only thought was whether or not anyone would miss her—and not just friends and family. There it was again—the desire that she thought had disappeared with Louis—a desire for one partner who would be by her side through everything.
“Everything that’s left.” She muttered the words and sat down on the edge of her bed. It wasn’t like her to be so insecure, but for once, she felt her age. She could evade it in the clubs while she danced with twenty-something-year-olds, but the truth was that she was past forty—past the age when she’d expected to have done so many things. She would have thought that she’d be successful, wealthy, and married—or at least in a committed relationship. Kids had never really entered into the equation for her. She liked kids fine, but she enjoyed her freedom.
But here she was, alone in a hotel room—in paradise—wondering how her life ended up so off track. She did well enough financially, but she certainly didn’t have the wealth that she’d hoped for. Most of her time had been spent bouncing between dates. The only hobby she’d taken up was dancing, and that was only because of that one adorable dance instructor she’d met in a coffee shop.
It was as if she hadn’t allowed herself to get involved in anything since Louis. She’d never realized just how detached she’d become from life, all while somehow believing that she was living it to the fullest.
Forty and Free: A Sweet Romance Series Bundle - Books 1 - 4 Page 16
