Chapter 19Aiden
Chapter Nineteen
Aiden
Dove Key Marina slid slowly past as I motored out at an easy idle. Once past the breakwater, I turned the key, and the rhythmic purr of the engine gave way to more natural sounds—a chorus of lapping waves and the soft flutter of the sail I unfurled. The late morning sun cast an iridescent gleam on the water, like a thousand diamonds scattered across a blue velvet floor.
“Feels good, doesn’t it?” I said to Stella, who stood beside me with the kind of easy grace that comes from years of being in tune with the sea. The breeze tugged playfully at her hair, making her look like the wild, carefree creature she was out here.
“Better than good. It’s magical.”
On impulse, I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her toward me. I kissed her soundly, tasting and exploring those incredible lips. We’d settled into a happy routine, as routine as we were able to, anyway. When we weren’t together, I missed her with an ache that felt almost physical, a phantom pain from a part that wasn’t there. Her mouth drove me to extremes, and this kiss was no different. A slight vibration in my hand holding the wheel made me end the kiss with a reluctant groan. The boat, still unnamed, was yearning for direction, like a living thing waiting for a command. I slightly adjusted course as Stella laughed beside me.
“Oh, this is wonderful!” She inhaled the bracing air. “We’re firing on all cylinders, aren’t we?”
“That would be an understatement. Want to take the wheel?” I gestured toward the helm with an inviting tilt of my head.
“Really? All our boats are motorboats.” Stella turned to me, her eyebrows arched in playful skepticism. “I’m not experienced with sails.”
“You’ll be fine.” I stepped aside to make room for her. “Just keep her steady into the wind. You want to maintain our heading at about forty-five degrees off the bowline. Watch the luff of the sail—if it starts to flap, ease up on the wheel just a bit.”
“Got it, Captain.” She shot me a mock salute before confidently taking the wheel. Immediately, she altered course slightly and the thrum running through the sail vanished.
“See? You’re a natural. Just feel the response of the rudder. Let it guide you.”
Stella nodded, focused, her hands firm on the wooden wheel as the boat obeyed her every subtle command. The clinking of the rigging was as familiar to me as my own heartbeat as I nudged her side. “See? I could fall overboard and drown, and you’d have no trouble finding your way back to the marina.”
She burst into laughter, though her concentration never wavered from the task at hand. “Don’t even say that! But I guess skills transfer over. Kind of like riding a bike, I guess.”
“Except with more water and less likelihood of scraped knees.”
“True, but there’s something about the ocean. It’s unpredictable, thrilling…” Her voice trailed off as she absorbed the enormity of the open waters around us.
“Thrilling, yes,” I mused, leaning against the wooden console. “ But today, she’s being kind to us. A perfect day for sailing and diving.”
I watched Stella work, admiring the way she blended with the elements, becoming part of the boat, the water, the sky. It was a dance of sorts. The sail billowed above us, full and taut, harnessing the power of the wind. Around us, the world was boundless, a horizon that promised adventure and whispered tales of the deep. Moments like these made all the complexities of life on land dissolve into insignificance, leaving only the simplicity and purity of the sea.
It was easy to let my mind wander back. Back to those carefree high school days, before we knew what pain and heartache were. They were fond memories. “Hey, remember that time in high school when we borrowed Coach Thompson’s kayak and ended up tipping into the ocean?” Grinning, I sidled up next to her.
Stella’s eyes lit up with the memory as a large swell lifted the boat and lowered it, making her wobble. “Borrowed is a generous term for what we did. And by tipped , I take it you mean you showing off and capsizing us?”
“Me? Never!”
Tucking a windblown lock of hair behind her ear, she gave me a side-eye. “I have more faith in your seamanship now. Why don’t you take over? The swell is bigger out here.”
I nodded and took the wheel from her hands. “And for the record, you were the one who dared me to do the Eskimo roll.”
Stella shook her head in mock disapproval. “Only because I thought there was no way you’d actually try it.” Standing next to me, she bumped me with her shoulder, a familiar gesture that warmed me more than the sun overhead.
“Never underestimate what I’d do on a dare, especially when it comes from you.” I guided the boat with ease, my muscle memory aligning perfectly with the vessel’s response. The wind became a willing accomplice, carrying us forward like a whispered secret between old friends.
“Look at us now, huh?” Stella mused as she slipped her arm around my waist and rested her head against my shoulder. “From capsizing kayaks to sailing into the great unknown together.”
“Life has a way of coming full circle.” I glanced at her, catching a glimmer of something in her expression—a mixture of nostalgia and anticipation. And maybe something stronger lurking in her eyes.
Or was that just wishful thinking on my part?
I wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. It felt right, like she’d always belonged there. We snuggled together comfortably, watching the horizon stretch out before us, the sea a canvas on which our day would unfold.
As we settled into silence, my mind tried to turn to those days after I’d left Florida, times I had no desire to relive. The contrast was so dramatic between how I’d felt about life then and what I was experiencing now. Even in Michigan, I’d always felt this was home. It took more than a decade, but at last I’d made it happen. I wondered if Stella’s thoughts were similar.
Then she turned and answered my unasked question, her expression sobering. “So how did you end up back in Dove Key?”
I took a deep breath. “After medical school, I joined a large internal medicine practice in Lansing. It was difficult, especially with family expectations.”
“Your parents?” Her voice was soft, understanding.
“Yeah.” I looked away, focusing on the horizon. “My mom had a hard time dealing with my divorce from Ainsley, and Dad… he had his heart set on me becoming a surgeon.” The words felt heavy, like anchors dragging behind me. “When I chose internal medicine, they tried to be supportive, but I could tell they were disappointed.”
“God, that’s harsh!” Stella’s brow furrowed, and her eyes flashed. “They should’ve been proud of you—internal medicine isn’t exactly a walk in the park. You realized your dream of becoming a doctor. Who cares what specialty you decided to go into?”
“Thanks.” I offered her a half-smile that probably didn’t reach my eyes. “It was pretty rough between me and them for a while. I’m glad we reconnected and cleared the air. Especially my dad—he’s not the most emotional guy. And when he finally apologized and said he was proud of me, it meant a lot. But I really wanted a change—location, mindset, everything. I needed a reset. So when I heard about Dr. Nelson retiring, I jumped at the opportunity.”
“I’m glad you did,” she said, her words as soft as the breeze.
“So am I.”
Leaning in, I caressed her lips with mine. As I returned my eyes forward, the conversation I’d had with my mother yesterday ran through my head. More gentle probing about how things were going with Stella, and I was pleased with how happy Mom sounded about us being together again. I even talked to my dad for several minutes about the upcoming football season. This move had been more than a rekindling between the woman I’d let get away and myself. It was also a bridge to repair my relationship with my parents.
The boat rocked gently beneath us, and I steadied myself with a hand on the wheel as our shoulders bumped. “I hated being estranged from them. Now, despite the distance, we get along better. Maybe it’s the miles between us that make the heart grow fonder, or just time doing its thing.”
“Distance has a way of putting things into perspective.”
“Exactly.” I glanced at her, then back at the sea, gathering the courage to say what had been weighing on me since she stepped aboard. “Us getting back together has meant a lot to me. I’ve missed you more than I let on.”
Her smile was a sunrise, slow and beautiful as it banished shadows. “I’ve missed you too.”
A weight lifted off my shoulders, one I hadn’t fully acknowledged carrying. The past couldn’t be rewritten. But under the vast dome overhead, with Stella by my side, maybe the future could be something different. Something better.
“Hey,” Stella said, nudging me playfully. “No more of that brooding sailor look, okay? We’re on the water, and it’s a perfect day. Embrace the adventure, Captain.”
“Affirmative, Admiral Markham.” I laughed, the last of the seriousness ebbing away. Our laughter mingled with the sound of the waves. And just like that, we were back to where we started—just Aiden and Stella, two souls adrift, and yet finding their way back to each other.
Stella reached out to stroke the back of my hand. “It means a lot to me. Your being so open about everything. It’s not easy, I know.”
I glanced at her, catching the sincerity in her eyes. That other thing flickered through them again, but this time I couldn’t deny what it was. Hesitation. My heart hitched as I sensed the conflict within her. But I just smiled, because that’s what you do when you want to believe everything’s fine. I might be doing everything I could to convince her this time would be different, but I hadn’t finished the job yet.
I reached out to smooth her hair. “We can’t get past what happened without reliving it, at least to some extent. You deserve the truth. You deserve so much more.”
As we neared a small, nameless key, I pointed out the vibrant reef below the clear, warm water. “This is it.”
Stella leaned over the side, peering into the depths. “It’s so clear,” she exclaimed, her face awash with wonder. Then, with a playful glint in her eye, she turned to me. “You keep two sets of gear on board, huh? Isn’t that perhaps a little presumptuous?”
“Ah.” I laughed, running a hand through my hair. “Both belong to Luke. He’s completely obsessed with diving. I keep them on board in exchange for being able to use them when needed.” I didn’t add that since he brought the gear on board, part of me had been hoping she’d share it with me one day.
“Convenient,” she teased. “I’ll have to thank Luke the next time I see him.”
“Don’t. He’d just want to join the dive with us.” I joined in her laughter, grateful for the ease between us .
This site had a mooring ball, and I tied us off, double-checking the clasps to make sure the boat wouldn’t go anywhere. I caught her gaze, the same sparkle from years ago still alive within them. My pulse quickened, not from the adventure ahead but simply because I was with her. “You okay with the sway?” I asked, watching her for any sign of discomfort.
“I don’t get seasick.” She grinned, steadying herself with a hand on the bench. “It’s like dancing with the ocean.”
We set about gearing up, the neoprene wetsuits a second skin. As we slid into our scuba kits, anticipation rose within me. This was more than a dive. Scuba had been one of our favorite activities during high school. Submerging under the water would be a step toward something lost, a bridge across years of silence.
I helped her walk to the makeshift removable platform Luke and I had built, then handed Stella her set of fins. “Remember how to put these on without tipping over?” I teased, recalling the first time we’d tried snorkeling together.
“Watch and learn, sailor.” Her reply was playful, but determination was clear in her eyes as she slipped them over her neoprene booties. “Maia gave me a refresher a couple of days ago, so you better look out. I’m ready to show you how this is done!”
Laughing, I checked her tank a final time, ensuring everything was secure. “Yeah, yeah. I’m not quite as lucky as you, with half your family being dive professionals.”
“Not half. Just two—and both women, I might add.”
“You won’t get any argument from me about the capabilities of women, believe me. I see that every day. Luke might not be a dive pro, but we’ve gone diving several times since I’ve moved back. I’d forgotten how much fun this is, though you are much hotter than him.”
“Oh? You noticed I’m not a guy, huh?”
“Pretty sure I’ve demonstrated that knowledge multiple times now.” I waggled my eyebrows at her. She responded by pushing me in the chest, and I staggered a little before getting my footing again .
We did a final buddy check, ensuring everything was secure and operational. Both of us perched on the edge, the crystal waters beckoning below. My heart raced with the adrenaline of embarking on a new journey with the one person who had always made my spirit soar. Our eyes met as smiles widened our mouths.
“Are you ready to jump?” I asked.