Chapter Nineteen
Sia
The boat rocks gently under the clear blue sky as I’m nestled against Zach’s side. I’ve given up trying to put space between us. It’s like we’ve gone back in time. He’s the same man I fell in love with nine years ago, but more carefree than he was then. He can’t keep his hands off of me, and I like it... a little too much.
The sun grows warmer the longer we’re on the water, and the brightness shimmers on the surface as a gentle breeze carries the scent of salt and freedom. Life goes a different speed in Seaville than in Seattle. I love it. I want to kick myself for not appreciating it when I was visiting here.
We have a great group on the boat. Callan’s driving at the helm with Sasha by his side, looking for crab pots and buoys. She announced she’s the greatest co-captain ever. Of course Callan agrees with her. The way Callan looks at Sasha warms my heart. I’m glad my friend has such a wonderful man to love her. If I let down my guard, I might be able to admit Zach looks at me the same way. No matter how much I try to push back the negative thoughts, though, I wonder how long he’ll look at me this way. Will it be long enough for me to fall in love with him all over again, only to have my heart shattered? That’s my biggest fear. I don’t think I get a choice anymore though. It might be too late already.
Nikki, Emily, and Jess are sitting around the large deck of the boat, soaking in the sun more than fishing. I haven’t done a whole lot myself. Growing up in a coastal town, I saw lots of people fishing, but it never appealed to me. Now, riding in a boat on a flat ocean is pure heaven. I love fishing once I have one on my hook. I only hate how long it takes sometimes.
“This really is heaven,” I tell Zach. “Thanks for renting a boat.”
His arm tightens around me and he leans in and gives me about the hundredth kiss of the day. My friends have stopped teasing me about it. They’d have to keep making kissy sounds every five minutes and they grew bored with it.
“I’ll do anything for you. I love seeing you and your friends having fun. We can buy a boat and come down here every week if you like,” he says. The scary thing about these words is I think he’s serious. He certainly has the money to go out and buy any boat he wants. But in this moment, I think he believes we’ll stay together long enough to come back here again and again. I want that. I’m not so foolish as to believe it’s not what I want. I’m cautious about expecting to have just that. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. That mantra goes through my head twenty-four/seven since Zach stepped back into my life.
Nikki moves to the edge of the boat and casts her line into the water. She grins over at us. “You know my grandfather taught me to fish when I was barely walking. He started with that little fish game they still sell in stores, then got me my first real kid rod when I was about four. I caught my first tiny fish that year and have loved it ever since.”
“I remember spending hours at the dock with you. I’d lie in the sun while you’d sit all day, sometimes never catching a single fish,” I tell her.
She grins at me. “It’s all about patience and the right bait, of course.”
“Don’t you ever get bored with it?” I ask.
“Nope. Never. It’s relaxing. Sure, I want to catch as many fish as I can, but if it was super easy, no fish would be left for us to catch. I’m glad people get turned off by it. That means more fish in the sea for me.” Her line dips and she turns back to the water, giving a little slack as she tries to draw her fish in. She has a real knack for snagging the suckers when she’s starting to get a bite.
“I don’t have the patience for fishing,” Emily says with a laugh as she adjusts her sunglasses. “I love being on the boat though with good friends, good beer, and better conversation.”
“More fish for me then,” Nikki says as she wiggles her line.
“I’m with Emily,” Jess says. “I’ll leave the fishing to the experts. I can’t stand touching the bait. Totally grosses me out.”
“Quit sounding like such girls,” Nikki says with a laugh.
“Look who’s talking. You might like all things fishing, but I remember that one time a tick got on you and you screamed like a two-year-old. You took an hour-long shower and demanded we all check every inch of your body, including going through your hair three times to make sure there weren’t more.”
A shudder goes though Nikki. “Ticks carry Lyme disease. Those tiny little pests are deadly,” Nikki says. “A worm has never killed anyone.”
“I don’t know if you can prove that. Some worm somewhere might’ve killed a person. Those creatures in whatever alien movie that was looked like giant worms, and they sure killed a lot of people.”
“That’s fiction,” Nikki says.
I’m laughing as we all banter back and forth. “Fishing makes for the best stories though. I remember one time on my uncle’s boat, he was reeling something in for about an hour. When it finally came up to the boat, it was an eight-foot shark. He was trying to bring it onboard and all of us were screaming. We could see its teeth, and that thing was beyond ticked to be pulled up. It was ready to take some flesh out of each one of us.”
“I love watching the videos online. There’s a great one where they’re all fishing, and a shark launches itself right into the back of the boat. There was a lot of screaming as the camera dropped right in front of the huge thing and we all got a good view of its massive teeth,” Jess says.
“I would die if that happened. I’m telling you all right now, I’m throwing you to the shark if it jumps on board,” Sasha says from the front.
“Not a chance. You’d be the one to save us all,” Emily says with confidence.
“I think we’d all die, because we’d be saving each other and the dang thing would pick us off one by one,” I tell them.
“That’s true,” Nikki says. “But if I do catch a shark, it’s coming on board. I’ve never made a shark recipe before. That could be fun. I wonder if it tastes as good as tuna.”
“The most important part of fishing is how to tell the tales. It’s not about how many fish you catch, it’s about who has the greatest story,” Zach says.
Nikki gives him a huge grin. “Exactly! I’m going to make a great vlog about this entire adventure. From Sea to Table. Be ready to record when I get a fish hooked,” she tells me.
“I won’t fail you,” I promise. “This will be your best vlog ever.”
“I don’t want this day to end. This is the perfect life right here and now. No worries. Only good friends and the open sea,” Emily says.
“And hopefully some fish or we’re going to be starving when we get home. Your aunt Eileen says that when you fish you’re not allowed to eat anything else. It’s either feast or famine,” Jess says. “As soon as Nikki catches a fish, Sasha will have to fish so she can catch a bigger one because she doesn’t care but knows it will drive Nikki crazy.”
“That’s not true,” I say.
“It’s so true. Remember at the fair a few years ago when you two were here? You had a basketball competition and for some strange reason Nikki was totally off her game and kept missing. You only made two shots, but you beat her. She still gets mad over that one because you remind her all the time how lady beat the tramp, I mean how you beat the all-star,” Emily says.
“Oh, that was a good day indeed,” I say. “I might have to fish now just to gloat some more.” I give Nikki a cocky smile. She sends me a mock glare.
“I so didn’t lose. That was a carnival game and doesn’t count. You didn’t even own tennis shoes until high school,” she points out.
“Carnival games count,” I tell her. “I’m glad our friends are here to remind me of my great triumph. I played softball and was pretty good at it.”
“Once you got tennis shoes,” she says. “And I’m so not amused.” Nikki’s rod dips down and she squeals in delight as she begins reeling in her line.
I start recording as Nikki reels in a really big ling cod. She beams with excitement as she does a little dance, and I record it all. Her reaction isn’t for her vlog, she truly loves doing anything active like this, and when it involves food, it’s all the better. Her joy is one-hundred-percent real.
I decide I better put my rod in the water now. Nikki shoots me a look when I do, which makes me laugh. We continue fishing and Zach continues kissing me as we laugh, talk, tell stories, drink, and have an amazing day on the ocean.
When it’s time to come in, relief is on Nikki’s face, because she not only ends up with the biggest fish, but the most fish caught. Of course, that’s because she’s had her line in the water the whole time, while the rest of us mostly sunbathed. It doesn’t matter, though. We have plenty to do a fish fry and the day is only half over. I might not be able to leave Seaville this time. I’m loving it so much.
Our poles are all in the boat, when I lean over as we hit a small swell. Before I know what’s happening, I lose my balance and with a surprised yelp, topple over the side of the boat, quickly sinking below the water. I hear Zach shout out my name before I see a huge splash next to me as he comes to my rescue.
I reach the surface and take in a gasp of air as his arms wrap around me. I can’t help but laugh at the raw panic on his face. It takes me a moment to talk. In between giggles I assure him I’m okay, it’s only water and I’ve known how to swim since I was two.
“My parents weren’t raising me next to the ocean without teaching me how to swim. I even know how to get out of currents,” I assure him. He still looks worried, and his hand isn’t letting go of my side. I tread water as I stay in place.
“You scared the hell out of me,” he says, still looking like he’s about to launch me over the side of the boat to safety. The water is cool, but it feels good after being in the sun all afternoon. I want a few minutes in the water.
I lean back, then splash him. His shocked expression makes me do it again. “Since we’re in here, we might as well have a little fun.” He refuses to splash me back. I think he’s still worried I’m going to drown.
“The ocean’s dangerous. And no matter how much I tried to get you to wear the life jacket you’ve refused.” He sends a glare my way as I lie on my back and float for a while.
“You aren’t wearing one either,” I point out.
“I don’t need one.”
“Neither do I. In fact, I’d guarantee I’m a stronger swimmer than you. Plus, I’m so relaxed I can literally lie here and float for hours.”
“What if you hit your head?”
“I can ask you the same.” I’m not giving in.
If he could cross his arms right now, that’s exactly what he’d be doing. It’s funny, but I also love that he’s worried about me. It’s really nice actually. I’m sure I could out swim him. I’m not that good at sports, but maybe I was supposed to be born a mermaid because I can swim for hours on end.
I decide to quit stressing Zach out and move to the ladder on the boat. Callan comes over and gives me his hand, practically throwing me into the boat like a rag doll. Zach climbs in right behind me. Sasha hands us both towels.
“Did you two have fun?” she asks.
“That was refreshing. You should try it,” I say.
“Nope, I’m good. I’m not losing any toes to sharks,” Sasha informs us.
“I know there are sharks here, but we haven’t seen any signs of them today, so I wasn’t too worried.”
“That’s exactly why I didn’t jump in,” Jess says with a shudder. “I watched The Meg. It was terrifying.”
“Those are way deep down. We don’t have to worry about them,” I assure them. “It’s Jaws you want to worry about out here.”
A shudder goes through both Jess and Emily as they look out over the water as if Jaws is going to appear at any moment. This makes me laugh even harder.
We all settle back into our seats then laugh and call out as Callan puts the boat to full throttle and the wind whips through our hair as we make our way back to the shore. Our laughter is carried away in the wind. We have a cooler full of fish, and even more memories to add to a book of a lot of good times.
Jess, Sasha, Emily, nor I are willing to clean fish. It’s gross. Nikki’s more than happy to clean our share for us. She, Callan, and Zach get busy at the fish cleaning station cutting the meat out, cleaning it, and stacking it in the cooler. We gather around Nikki and cheer her on as I get some good videos of her getting splashed and really getting into her cleaning. She’s wearing a smile and doing a little dance the entire time, impressing Callan and Zach. She finishes her last fish, then tosses the skin my way. I scream and run backward, nearly landing on my butt, sending Nikki into a fit of laughter.
Nikki stands before me, holding her last fish filet, which happens to be the biggest one. She’s dirty, wet, has smudges on her face, and her hair looks like it’s been through a tornado, but her eyes sparkle, and her lips are turned up so big, she looks absolutely stunning. I focus the camera on her, even though I haven’t forgiven her for throwing fish skin at me quite yet.
“And this is how you catch your meal, filet it, and get it ready for a perfect fish fry,” she says. She holds her hard work up for all the vlog world to see.
“Cut,” I say with a grin. I can never stay mad at her. She tosses her last filet in the ice chest, then washes her hands before taking her camera.
“I can’t wait to put all of this together. I hope you got great pictures along with the video.”
“I took the pictures,” Sasha says. “I’ll send them now, then send dinner ones after that’s over.”
The boys take the cooler and we all go back to Callan’s vehicle. He drove down with the cooler. The rest of us are walking. Nikki offers to ride with him, and he laughs as he shakes his head. “No way is fishgirl stinking up the rental car,” he tells her.
“Ah, come on, Cal, don’t you want a big hug?” she asks as she holds her arms wide.
He runs from all of us and jumps in his car... then locks the doors, sending us all into another fit of laughter.
“I’ll meet you at the house. I’m going to run home and change,” Nikki says. She and the boys are the only ones who stink, and Nikki’s worse than the boys as she managed to get fish gunk all over her. The guys were a lot more careful in cleaning the fish than she was.
The rest of us arrive at my parents’ house, and soon the kitchen is in full swing as chairs and tables are set up in the backyard and music is on. It doesn’t take more than an hour before a few dozen people are at the house, including Mrs. Jones from next door who avoids my mother, which I find hilarious. Eileen, Vivian, and Martha all show up with side dishes. It’s crazy how quickly word gets out about a fish fry. Good thing Nikki caught so many fish.
Nikki comes with her parents, Betty and Paul, and since the diner’s closed, even Amelia stops by with some fresh bread. The fire chief shows up with a couple of his men and big appetites, and soon the party is in full swing.
Everyone is having a great time, and I make sure to get some footage of Nikki in the kitchen with my mom and hers as they bread and fry the fish, then make taco stuff so people can have their fish over rice or in tacos. Fish tacos are one of my absolute favorite foods if the fish is done right. Most restaurants butcher it. I might be biased because I grew up in a coast town where it’s done right.
It’s getting later, and after everyone is full, the crowd starts to clear out. Zach pulls me to the side, takes me into his arms, and gives me a sweet kiss that instantly curls my toes. “You do realize we can have this and so much more all the time,” he says before giving me another kiss. I sigh against his mouth.
“Just let me in, Sia. I want to give you the world.”
I pull back and look into his eyes, feeling the certainty of his words. “I don’t know if I really have a choice anymore,” I admit. “It scares me, but I’m involved now.”
He beams as I say these words. He kisses me again, this time harder. We aren’t as hidden as we think.
“Hey, this is a G-rated party,” Nikki calls from about twenty feet away. I pull back from Zach, completely embarrassed as I turn and see all eyes on us.
“Not your boyfriend, huh?” Mom mocks me.
“Mom,” I gasp.
She shrugs. “Looks like a boyfriend to me,” she mumbles. Then everyone loses interest in us and gets back to visiting.
As the party winds down, Zach takes my hand. “Let’s sneak out of here and watch the sunset from the cabin.”
I feel like my eighteen-year-old self again. I giggle as I take his hand and we sneak out the side gate. I don’t think we’re fooling anyone, but it’s still fun. We jog to the beach, then run down it until we reach the cabin, both of us out of breath.
I collapse on the swinging chair with him, and he quickly lifts me into his lap, his arms wrapped tightly around me. He nuzzles my neck as we gaze out at the perfect sky, painted in hues of pinks, oranges, and purples. In this moment, all is right in the world. There’s no chance of our bubble popping.
Tomorrow we’ll head back to Seattle, but I don’t want to think about that right now. Today has been all about us, and it couldn’t have been better. I’m determined to make these last moments in my favorite place last for a lifetime. I like this world better than the world I came from a couple of days ago. I don’t want that world back.
After the sun dips below the horizon, Zach stands, keeping me in his arms. He walks inside the cabin, and together we fall onto the bed. We won’t be getting much sleep tonight.