When I Fall in Love(29)
“Hanauma Bay. It’s the top of a volcanic cone, and it’s one of the most beautiful places to snorkel on the island, at least for beginners. You’ll love it.”
“What if I get water in my snorkeling tube?”
“Then you blow it out. I promise—I’ll be right there. I won’t let you drown.”
Swim buddy, right. “I am a good swimmer, by the way. I grew up on a lake.”
“I’m sure you are.”
“And I’m a good cook too. I just . . . Okay, I don’t follow the rules. If it tastes good, that’s enough for me.”
He said nothing.
“You, however, approach cooking like it’s a competition.”
“I just want to get it right,” he said quietly. “I don’t have time for mistakes.”
He offered nothing more and she stared at the scenery, puzzling out his words.
The bay stretched out below them in a perfect arc, the water so blue it belonged on a postcard. They parked in the lot and stopped by the rental center for equipment. Max bought an extra sanitizer packet and sat on the bench, cleaning his gear.
Ho-kay.
They watched a short film about the ecology and sea life of the bay, then headed down the hill, towels tucked under their arms.
“Why is the color so patchy—dark in some areas, turquoise in others?”
“That’s the coral depth. See, to the left, it’s dark because the coral is near the surface. But in the middle, the sea is sandy. Over to the right, it’s patchy. That’s where we’ll find our sea turtles.” He looked at her, stuck out his tongue. “Remember, they don’t bite.”
They picked a spot on the shore, dropped their gear, and Grace donned her flippers, mask, and snorkel. She kicked up sand as she walked to the ocean and nearly tripped on the edge of the flipper.
Max had walked into the cool water, then sat to fit his flippers on. His mask he’d strapped onto his head, pushing it up to his forehead. “Let’s get into the water. I’ll show you how to clean your mask, and we’ll practice breathing.”
He’d stripped off his shirt, revealing his wide, sculpted shoulders, still a little on the pale side thanks to his indoor profession. He had a toned chest, probably from his hours in the gym, and a tight six-pack stomach.
Yeah, she—and the rest of the female beach population—might need to practice breathing.
“Right,” Grace said and duckwalked into the water. Cool, refreshing. She sank into it, floated out until she was chest-deep.
Max joined her, taking off his mask. “You want to make sure you have a nice snug seal on your mask and that the snorkel fits easily into your mouth.” He demonstrated, then came over to adjust her mask.
The world became pinched, and she had the sense of looking through a window. She fitted the tube into her mouth and stuck her head in the water.
Magic. She didn’t know how else to describe the abruptness of peeking under the surface and seeing the sea vibrant and bright, suddenly alive. She spotted an orange sea urchin nestled into the rocky sand and a small school of black- and white-striped tangs swimming by.
“Wow,” she said and managed to gulp in water. She popped up, coughing.
Max lifted his face from the water and removed his snorkel. “You can’t talk. I know that’s going to be a bit of a challenge, but if you need to say something, just tap me. We’ll surface. Now, blow out your snorkel.”
She blew hard and found it cleared. “I think I can do this.”
“Of course you can. Here’s a hint—keep your face straight down, and let yourself glide on the water.” He pointed toward the reef. “Let’s head out there.”
She nodded, fitted in her snorkel, and followed him as he paddled out. Keeping her face down, she watched the sea world scuttle beneath her. They floated over formations of coral, hard cones and divots of rock in which fish rooted for food. She spotted a few from the ecology movie—triggerfish, with their long orange mouths; a blue bullethead parrot fish; a school of yellow butterfly fish. Even a sinister-eyed moray eel slid by.
Grace didn’t even yelp.
In fact, she experienced a surreal sense of power as if she were flying, fearless. She looked around, saw Max swimming nearby, and watched as he inspected hiding places, studied fish. She met his eyes once and saw the smile in them.
I just want to get it right. . . . I don’t have time for mistakes.
She didn’t understand the reason for his words, but yeah, she could embrace them. Even send up a prayer. Please, God, don’t let me be making a mistake here. Don’t let me dive in only to have me land hard.
Except what exactly might she be diving into?