Chapter 24
TWENTY-FOUR
Brooke
The next morning, the ferry over to Kangaroo Island was anything but smooth. The bumpy forty-five-minute trip had them both on the top deck sucking in fresh air. It was Brooke’s least favourite mode of transport thanks to the guaranteed nausea it brought her.
Kangaroo Island itself was the only place JJ had requested be part of the itinerary, so Brooke thought it fitting to end the trip there. They had a handful of nights left and she wanted to make the most of it.
Brooke was four on her last visit to KI. It had been one of the rare family holidays the Mayfields had gone on together. She didn’t remember much. Only the large amount of roadkill and her dad pressing his finger to the windscreen whenever they passed another car on the dirt roads.
Time to upgrade those memories!
It was a short drive off the ferry to their accommodation.
“Aren’t we too old to be staying at a backpackers?” JJ asked, eyes narrowed.
Nondescript from the front, the place appeared to be a regular single-storey home. A simple swinging sign out the front was the only indication they were at the right place.
“It’s part of the experience,” Brooke replied. Hostels and backpackers weren’t her favourite sleeping arrangement, but they sure were entertaining. “Come on.”
The door creaked as they entered the old cottage, the ceilings low and walls thick with history.
Mary, the hostel’s owner, greeted them on arrival, ushering them through the communal lounge and dining, down a long hallway and into their room. While they were lucky enough not to be sharing with others, they were unfortunately—
“Bunk beds?!” JJ rounded on Brooke, eyes wide. “This is so exciting. I’ve got the top.” After Mary left, chuckling, JJ pushed past Brooke into the room.
Brooke blinked. This was not the reaction she was expecting.
JJ pushed her suitcase into the corner, scurried up the bunk’s ladder, and jumped onto the mattress on her hands and knees. The whole thing squeaked and groaned with every move.
JJ’s head popped over the edge. “How cool is this?” She beamed, cheeks ballooning. “It feels like we’re having a sleepover.” She bounced on the bed to make her point.
Brooke sighed. She wasn’t going to get an ounce of sleep tonight with that squeaking.
“You really haven’t stayed in enough hostels.” Brooke pushed off the doorway and moved to the bottom bed. “I don’t mind sharing with you though, just make sure you sleep really still.”
JJ bounced again with a mischievous grin.
Back out in the lounge, they met a small group of travellers and introduced themselves.
“I'm Zed, they/them,” said a short person on the couch with spiky green hair and the coolest pair of metallic rainbow Doc Marten’s Brooke had ever seen.
“Ameera,” a petite Indian woman waved, then gestured next to her. “And this is Dan.”
“Sup.” The tall guy gave a quick head nod, moving dreads out of this face. “Wanna join us?” He held up a deck of cards.
JJ looked at Brooke.
“We’ve got a bit of time before we need to leave, so sure—why not?” Brooke shrugged and sat on the empty couch across from him. JJ scooched in next to her.
They played a few rounds of Bullshit, chatting easily with the group about their adventures so far. After an hour, JJ nudged Brooke to leave.
“Where are you off to?” Ameera asked.
“The lavender farm.”
She bobbed her head as if weighing up the answer. “Sounds all right. Or—you could come jet skiing with us?”
“Oh no, we’ve already—” JJ started.
“I'm listening.” Brooke pretended to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear and grinned.
“Dan’s mate runs the place,” Zed said. “You can just hop on and go.”
“The recommended sights usually take a couple of hours to see everything. You got a boat licence?” Dan added.
“Sure do,” Brooke said, eyes bright.
JJ cleared her throat. “Thanks for thinking of us, but we have plans.”
Brooke turned to her. “You sure you'd rather go to a farm rather than on a jet ski adventure with me?” Brooke batted her eyelashes, making Ameera chuckle. “Promise I'm a good driver.”
JJ’s eyes slid to her hands twisting in her lap. “Can we think about it?”
“Of course,” Brooke replied. “Give us five minutes?” she said to the group, standing and pulling JJ up with her into the hallway.
“Okay, talk to me.”
“Our plan was to see the lavender farm.”
“It was,” Brooke said. “And this is your holiday, so what would you like to do?”
JJ’s eyes darted around as she let out a sigh. “I don’t know. I feel like we should stick to the plan.”
“Not what we should do. What do you want to do?”
“But they were expecting us.”
JJ was slipping back into old habits, so it was time for a rephrase and a little extra push. Try to get her to shake things up a little. Plus, Brooke really wanted to get on that jet ski… and unlike queasy-inducing ferries on rough seas, jet skis were so much fun.
“It’s only a cafe and not like the farm is in bloom this time of year anyway. Just something different to see. I can easily cancel the booking.” Brooke pulled out her phone and waved it around. “It’s okay if we change our mind and try something new. You’re allowed to pivot.”
A small smile curved at the edge of JJ’s mouth. Brooke wanted to kiss it.
Her smile widened. “Stuff it. Let’s do it.”
Brooke did kiss her this time.
What a day to head out on the water. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the sand felt so good between her toes.
The fresh ocean breeze played with Brooke’s hair as she clipped her lifejacket together and tightened the straps.
JJ stood next to her, face down as she tried to wrangle her own jacket on.
“Here, you’ve got it all twisted.” Any excuse to step into JJ’s space.
JJ’s arms dropped and she let out a growl. “Argh. It should not be that difficult.”
“It’s because you’ve got something here.” Brooke pointed at JJ’s chest, making her look down. Brooke flicked her on the nose, JJ’s eyes going comically wide before narrowing.
“Hey!”
Brooke laughed. “Can’t believe you fell for that.”
“You’re such a shit sometimes.” JJ was smiling at least.
Brooke went to fix her life jacket for real this time, but JJ grabbed onto her wrist.
“Oi! I’m trying to help!” she whined through more laughter.
Brooke tried to wrangle free, but JJ’s grip tightened, eyes locked on Brooke’s. Heat flashed and Brooke’s stomach flipped, their hands frozen in place. JJ’s tongue darted out to wet her lips.
“Can you two hurry up already and stop making googly eyes at each other?” Zed yelled from their jet ski, driving in slow circles, while Ameera and Dan pushed theirs into waist-deep water.
Brooke yanked her hand free and finished buckling up JJ’s jacket. “There.” She pulled extra tight on the last strap, making JJ suck in a breath.
“Race you to the water!” Brooke yelled, turning and sprinting down to the shoreline.
Legs pumping like a machine, Brooke cut through the sand; the heavy foot falls of JJ right on her tail.
She squealed, crashing into the cold water.
She made it knee-deep when hands wrapped around her middle and launched her into the water.
The last thing Brooke heard was her own screeching cackle before she plunged underwater head first.
Heart thrashing, she pulled herself up, still laughing, and flipped her now-wet hair up and out of her eyes.
“Hot,” JJ mouthed, and Brooke shoved her playfully in the arm.
“C’mon, these guys are probably regretting asking us along,” Brooke said, grabbing their jet ski and pushing it into deeper water.
She hopped on, then helped JJ get on behind her.
They’d already been through the safety training and while Brooke knew what she was doing, this was JJ’s first time.
She sat with way too much space between them.
“Squish up. You want to be as close as you can get. There’s a handle there, but honestly, you’re better off holding onto me for the best balance. Then like the operator said, make sure you’re leaning with me on the turns, yeah?”
“Got it.” JJ scooched up, the warmth hitting Brooke. She paused, momentarily forgetting what was next. Right, the kill switch! She strapped the lanyard on her wrist and clicked it in.
“You both good?” Dan checked in. Ameera had already taken off to join Zed.
“Ready.” Brooke gave him a thumbs up, then called over her shoulder, “Hold on!”
JJ’s arms tightened around her as she started the motor and fluttered the throttle, testing the power. Not bad, very responsive. She tried turning to check on JJ, but her vision was blocked by a giant row of white teeth. JJ’s grin could blind.
Yeah, this was better than taking her to a flower cafe.
Brooke squeezed the throttle, propelling them forward to catch up with the group.
The faster she went, the harder JJ’s thighs pressed against hers.
She’d never been so thankful for the roar of the engine to drown out her inadvertent groan.
The spray blasted them as they sped through the slightly choppy waters, even with Brooke trying her best to keep the ride as smooth as possible for JJ.
They hit full throttle, the wind whipping at her face and a smile that couldn’t be wiped off. Adrenaline rushed through her as Brooke leaned forward, thighs burning, JJ clinging to her, and the jet ski smacking against the water. They were going to be sore tomorrow.
“Woohoo!” JJ cried out behind her, squeezing Brooke around the waist. “I can’t see anything!” She laughed.
The group rode in a line with Dan in front for them to follow. He’d done the course numerous times and was their unofficial guide. After ten minutes of speed mania, Dan held up a hand and everyone slowed, pulling up together.
“Look over there,” he said, pointing.
To their right, seals played in the water and lazed on the beach. They kept their distance and watched from afar.
“Amazing,” JJ commented. “Now we’re going to have to cancel the seal tour after seeing them like this!”
Coming off the high of the ride, Brooke was still trying to calm her breath so she could zone in on the simple moment of watching the seals play and feed.
JJ gripped her suddenly. “Uhh, if there are seals, does that mean there are sharks around?”
“Listen. There’s a chance. But the good thing is, we’re on these bad boys and not in the water.” Brooke patted the handlebar of the jet ski.
“There're sharks around all the time,” Dan said with a massive grin.
“That’s not comforting in the slightest.” JJ turned to Brooke. “You better drive real careful on the way home.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
After chilling in the calmer waters watching the seals, spotting a pod of dolphins that were thankfully not sharks (like JJ first thought), and chatting with their new-found friends, it was time to head back.
They made the most of the last stretch with a few doughies, getting air off each other’s wakes, all while JJ screamed several times about not getting her thrown off to the sharks.
They arrived back in one piece, as promised. Once they cut the motor, JJ collapsed into Brooke.
“Thank god we’re back. Jesus, Brooke. You're a maniac on that thing. It felt like I was gonna go flying! More than once.”
“But we didn't, did we?” Brooke said sweetly, leaning back into her.
“No, we didn't. Thanks for today. That's not something I'll be forgetting anytime soon.” Brooke felt lips press to her neck, and she resisted the urge to push back into JJ, reminding herself there were people around.
Instead, she cleared her throat. “You're welcome.”
Though Brooke had every intention of making it up to JJ tonight.