Where was Sean?
As if in response to her silent cry, he launched himself off the cliff, his body plunging into the deep like a submarine missile. On his way back up, he grabbed her by the arm, yanking her toward him. They broke through the waves together, gasping for breath.
Elizabeth couldn’t swim very fast with an abdominal injury, but she didn’t give up. And, despite the crashing surf, a powerful undercurrent was pulling them all away from land, out to sea.
Swimming toward the shoreline was impossible; the waves were so strong they’d be dashed against the rocks. Their only choice was to search for a safer haul-out. The longer they stayed in the water, however, the greater the possibility that a shark would come. Elizabeth and Sean were both bleeding.
That was when she felt it. Daniela didn’t think the situation could get any tenser, especially when the madwoman was heading in their direction. Nevertheless, every nerve in her body went taut. The hairs on her arms, which were already standing on end from the cold, practically vibrated with awareness.
Shark.
Sean felt it, too. His face went white. Rather than panicking and trying to flee, he continued to paddle steadily, making no frantic movements. Daniela followed suit, her heart pounding with terror.
The sea in his immediate vicinity was tinged with blood.
“Swim away from me,” he ordered.
Her stomach dropped to the ocean floor. Her boots were so heavy, her body wanted to sink down there, too, away from this horror. “No,” she said, fury replacing her fear. “No way.” Teeth chattering, she sidled closer, until her shoulder was touching his.
Sensing trouble, Elizabeth began to tread water, scanning the ocean around them.
Daniela unbuttoned the shirt she was wearing with trembling fingers and took it off. “I’m going to tie this around your forearm.”
He nodded, holding still while she wrapped it tight. “If a shark comes—”
“I won’t leave you.”
A muscle in his jaw ticked, but he didn’t argue with her. In fact, he pulled a utility knife from his belt and held it at the ready. Never mind that white sharks had a mouthful of teeth almost the size of his blade, and the striking power of a semi, rendering their victims too insensible to fight back.
The water around them seemed to sing with energy. She felt an immense presence, an unstoppable force. There was a juggernaut beneath the surface, parting the sea beside them, passing with the speed of a runaway train.
Elizabeth splashed wildly, trying to escape, and the shark struck. Her body jerked forward, rocketing through the water, twenty feet or more. In the next instant, she was pulled under, into a boil of brilliant red.
Daniela bit back a scream, burying her face against Sean’s chest.
“You have to swim away from me,” he said, his voice flat. “Head for a haul-out. I’ll start thrashing to get his attention.”
“No,” she whispered, shuddering.
“Dani—”
Elizabeth’s body resurfaced, much closer to them. Her eyes were blank and her head was hanging to the side at an odd angle.
She was very clearly dead.
A moment later, a fin appeared, thick and black and menacing, slicing through the surface of the water. Coming right at them.
This time, Daniela couldn’t hold back her scream.
Sean put his arm around Dani and tightened his grip on the knife, pointing it at the approaching threat. He’d never been so scared in his life.
The shark must have mistaken Elizabeth for the injured party. In addition to a keen sense of smell, whites had excellent eyesight. More likely than not, the shark had been drawn to her frantic movements.
Sean tried to stay still. He could feel the burn of his wounded arm, and even the seep of his own blood, tainting the water, but it was almost as if he were watching a scene in a movie, one step removed from reality. The pain was a dull throb, entirely manageable. Barely discernible, actually.
Faced with a humongous shark intent on taking an exploratory bite, and a six-inch laceration, he found his thoughts wandering. Instead of the here and now, he was thinking about the more-pleasant, semi-distant past.
His memory conjured a kaleidoscope of great moments. Kissing Dani on their wedding day, grinning at the crowd while they were pronounced husband and wife. Feeling their baby kick for the first time. Touching her last night…making her his again.
No more space between them.
Keeping the promise he’d made, he brought her even closer, his injured arm like a band across her stomach. He didn’t want to die, and he certainly didn’t want her to die. But they couldn’t outdistance a great white.
The shark breached in front of them, jaws gaping. Sean jerked Dani backward, out of harm’s way. To his utter amazement, the shark didn’t attack. He recognized the scar above her eye; it was Shirley. They all stared at one another for an extended moment, and then she sank below the surface, disappearing in a flurry of bubbles.
The rain picked up, pelting the rippled surface where she’d just been.
After a moment Daniela’s stunned gaze met his. They were alive!
He couldn’t explain why the shark had spared them. Humans weren’t their preferred prey, after a fat-rich diet of seals and sea lions. Even so, it seemed like an impossible occurrence, a miracle of God.
Swimming back to shore took every ounce of their energy. They hauled themselves out of the water, with the last bit of strength they possessed, and stumbled back toward the house, shivering with cold and numb from shock.
They both heard the helicopter the instant before it appeared at the edge of the horizon. While it hovered above them, preparing to set down, Daniela pressed her face to Sean’s soaked shirt and cried.
Epilogue
San Diego
Daniela and Sean walked toward the gravesite, hand in hand. He did the honors, crouching to place the bouquet near the headstone.
Natalie Ann Carmichael
Beloved daughter
Rest in Peace
It was still difficult for Daniela to visit this place, but less so as time wore on. The harrowing experience at the Farallones had inspired her to appreciate what she had. Natalie was gone, but they were here.
Daniela felt lucky to be alive.
When he straightened, she put her arms around his neck and pressed her face to his chest, holding on tight. They stayed that way for a long while.
In the weeks since the ordeal, they’d gone back to counseling, working with a female psychologist who specialized in grief management and post-traumatic stress disorder. They talked about Elizabeth, dealing with the aftermath of a violent, shocking end.
Elizabeth’s death had hit Jason hard. She’d been a part of his team, his responsibility. He seemed to think he should have been able to prevent the tragedy. Although he’d been in contact with Elizabeth’s family, and they bore no ill feelings, he continued to blame himself. Daniela hoped Jason would be able to move on, but she knew better than anyone else that grief was an individual experience.
Her heart broke for him. Jason was like family to her now.
And so was Taryn.
She’d accepted a position at the Marine Mammal Center in San Francisco, rehabilitating injured dolphins. It was a dream job for her, but she seemed melancholy. The disturbing events had changed her, too.
When they’d said goodbye, Taryn had sent them off with lingering hugs and a solemn promise to keep in touch. They’d exchanged a few emails since then, most of them about Brent’s progress. After spending several weeks in a coma, he was expected to make a full recovery.
Life on Farallon Island was returning to normal. The Coast Guard had done a quiet, thorough investigation, a new crew was in place and repairs were underway.
Daniela disentangled herself from Sean and pressed a kiss to her fingertips, touching the top of Natalie’s gravestone in goodbye.
They strolled down the flagstone path together, hand in hand. It was a beautiful Novemb
er day, sunny and bright. She had an important matter to discuss with Sean, an issue she’d been mulling over since they’d reunited.
“Let’s walk down to the beach,” she murmured, tugging on his wrist. At the base of a long row of steps, she stopped to remove her high-heeled sandals, bracing one hand on his arm. His wound, a reminder of another nightmare they’d endured, was healing nicely.
Carrying her shoes by the ankle straps, she ventured onto the soft sand.
At the edge of the water, they both fell silent for a few moments, struck by the magnificence of the view. San Diego Memorial Park overlooked a breathtaking stretch of coastline.
Sean probably wanted to go surfing.
“I got an interesting job offer,” he said, preempting her speech. “Teaching science and coaching the surf team at La Jolla Shores High School. I think I’ll take it.”
She turned to stare at him, astounded by his nonchalance. “But you love working in the field.”
He smiled at her reaction. “You don’t want me to consider the position?”
“I would never ask you to make that kind of sacrifice,” she said, her heart pounding.
He nodded, sobering. “I know, but I don’t really consider it a sacrifice. Just a change. Traveling the world, chasing sharks…well, yeah, it’s awesome, but there are more important things.” His gaze cruised over her face, assessing her reaction. “I loved coming home to you, Dani, but I’d love staying home with you even more.”
Tears blurred her vision, clogging her throat. “Oh, Sean,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. “There’s something I have to tell you.”
His shoulders stiffened, almost imperceptibly. “Go ahead.”
She looked up at him, moistening her lips. “Do you remember when I asked you not to give me too much space?”
“Of course.”
Since they’d been back together, he’d spent every night with her, giving her everything but space. They’d always related well to each other in bed, and now their sex life was more active than ever. He loved her endlessly, almost desperately, as if he was afraid each time were the last, and that she’d retreat from him again.
“I meant…emotionally.”
His eyes darkened. “I knew what you meant.”
She paused, struggling for the right words to explain her feelings to him. “I know you said it didn’t matter if we had children. But I thought you might want to reconsider.”
His brows rose. “Do you?”
After a short hesitation, she nodded.
He glanced out at the majestic waves, contemplative. “We’re not even married anymore.”
She bit down on her lower lip, blinking back more tears. This was so difficult, and not at all like she’d imagined.
Noticing her distress, he squeezed her hand. “When I envisioned having a family, I always assumed it would happen naturally,” he continued, his gaze searching hers. “It didn’t work out, and I’m okay with that. I’m not going to change my mind, or pressure you into anything. Is that what you’re worried about?”
She shook her head, trying to hold the panic at bay. Her hands were trembling, her pulse throbbing at the base of her throat. “I’m worried that I’ve made a big mistake,” she said, taking a deep breath.
His expression became pained. “What do you mean?”
“At the Farallones, I realized that I can’t live without you. And I can’t live in fear, either. I can’t let my anxieties hold me back.”
He just stared at her, waiting for her to explain.
“I had a checkup the other day, and the doctor said I’m fine. Perfectly healthy. There’s no reason we can’t try again. To have a baby, I mean.”
His reaction wasn’t what she’d expected. He didn’t let out a shout of joy and twirl her around the deserted beach. In fact, he seemed unmoved.
“If you’re still interested,” she finished, her spirits sinking.
He studied her intently. “Are you doing this for me? Because you think I’ll resent you later?”
Earlier, she’d demanded his complete honesty. Owing Sean the same courtesy, she told him exactly what she thought. “No,” she said, filled with hope. “I want to try again. For me. For the both of us. I want everything we had before, and all that we have now. I want a family.” She paused, casting him an uncertain glance. “There’s no rush, of course. Like you said, we aren’t even married anymore.”
“That’s easy enough to remedy.”
Her heart fluttered as he got down on one knee. “What are you doing?”
“I was going to do this later, but what the hell.” Digging into his pocket, he brought out a black velvet box. While she gaped at him, lips parted in astonishment, he proposed to her, right there on the sun-warmed sand. “Will you marry me…again?”
Tears filled her eyes. “Yes,” she said. “Oh, yes.”
After he put the ring on her finger, he rose to his feet and she threw her arms around him, hugging him tight.
“I’m ready whenever you are,” he said in her ear. “Do you think it’s possible to have a divorce annulled?”
Laughing with pure, unadulterated joy, she laced her fingers through his hair and buried her face against his neck, loving him with all her heart.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-8952-3
STRANDED WITH HER EX
Copyright © 2011 by Jill Sorenson
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