'I should've brought the boat.' He watched me for a while, and then finally said, 'I have an idea. Get your bathing suit on.'
He packed up my snorkeling gear and took us to a nearby marina, where he rented a speed boat.
'Are you sure it's safe?' I asked as we headed out.
'We'll be out in the middle of a big ocean. The worst things out there are sharks and I can handle them.' He grinned. 'In fact, that would be fun!'
I raised an eyebrow. 'You're not serious, are you?'
'About fighting with sharks? Absolutely. Especially when they try to get away. You just hang on and let them take you for a ride. Better than the Waverunner.'
I laughed. 'You've seriously ridden a shark?'
'Yep.'
'I don't believe you.'
'I can show you. We'll go find some.'
My eyes widened. 'Okay, I believe you! Please don't go looking for sharks.'
He laughed. 'I thought you were bored.'
'Not that bored. Just find some pretty fish to look at.'
'How about lobsters? They just came in season.'
I nodded. 'If you get the lobsters, I'll cook them.'
'Deal.'
He took us south until we could no longer see land and only saw another boat every now and then and cut the engine. We lay in the sun, swam and snorkeled. I was amazed at all the beautiful life under the water—yellow, blue, pink and silver, solid, striped and polka-dotted fish, among other creatures. Tristan told me what we saw, but I couldn't keep track of what was what. There was much more to see here than there was at our beach. As promised, he caught a couple lobsters for dinner that night.
Toward the end of the day, I stretched out on the bow, letting the sun bake me dry. I lay on my stomach, about to doze off, when Tristan untied my top and started rubbing my back. The warm sun and his electric touches made my skin tingle.
'Tristan…' I protested when he rolled me onto my back.
'There's no one around for miles,' he murmured, keeping me from rolling back over by kissing me. It wasn't long, though, before he cocked his head for a moment, and then turned me back over. 'I'm sure they're just passing by.'
I lay there and listened as the sound of another boat's engine grew louder as it came closer. It seemed to be approaching steadily, not fading out as it turned off.
'Or maybe not,' Tristan said, tying my strings for me.
I sat up to see the boat pulling up to us. The driver was alone. He apparently had spent many years on the water in the sun, his face the color and texture of beef jerky and his man-boobs hanging like leather pouches over his browned beer gut. My sense told me he was bad.
'He feels wrong,' I whispered to Tristan.
'It's okay. He's not them ,' he said under his breath. He pulled his shirt on and handed me my sundress as the man gave me a slow once-over, giving me the heebie-jeebies. I put the dress on, not that it covered much.
'Hey, man, just wonderin' if you saw any lobster down there,' Leatherman called to us, his voice as rough as his face, but friendly.
'Yeah, we saw a few,' Tristan answered, returning the genial tone. 'Caught us a couple for dinner.'
They exchanged small talk as I watched the man suspiciously. I was surprised when Tristan invited him over to our boat, but I figured when you're the 'ultimate warrior' and it's not a Daemoni trying to abduct your wife, you could be as friendly as you wanted to be. It can still bite you in the butt, though.
'You two look pretty young to be out here alone,' Leatherman said after a while.
'Looks can be deceiving,' Tristan answered with a small smile.
Misunderstanding, the man looked around. 'You're certainly alone for now.'
He was right. We couldn't see land or another boat at all.
He suddenly jumped up and grabbed me with one hand. He held a knife in his other. 'Just give me whatever money you got and everyone'll be okay.'
Damn it! One day out and this son of a witch has to ruin it! Tristan looked at the man's hand roughly gripping my arm. He shook his head and smirked. We caught each other's eyes and mine narrowed in anger. He nodded his head once. I shoved my elbow into Leatherman's fat gut and spit flew out of his mouth as he doubled- over. Tristan grabbed and twisted his arm, the bone snapping audibly. He heaved the man back over to his boat. Rattling off every cuss word imaginable, Leatherman quickly took off.
'That was unpleasant,' Tristan said after he was gone.
'I told you I didn't like him.' I scowled.
He chuckled. 'Nice job.'
'You, too. But you didn't have to break his arm.'
'Sorry, didn't mean to. Do you forgive me?'
I nodded. I'd rather Leatherman's arm be broken than my neck be slit. I hoped that didn't make me a bad person. 'Maybe he'll learn his lesson. We make a good team, huh?'
'Yes, we do. I knew there was a good reason I married you.' He winked. I gazed at him while he started the engine and we headed back to cook lobster.
Chapter 25
Tristan's cell phone woke us up a couple mornings later.
'Hi, honey, sorry to bother you, I know you're having a great time,' Mom babbled.
'It's okay.' It was actually good to hear her voice. I realized how much I missed her.
'Well, I just couldn't wait to tell you. Someone from a publisher called today and she wants to read your first three chapters!'
' Really ? Already?'
'Yeah, it helps when you know peop—' She cut herself off, as if she let something slip in her excitement.
I was too excited myself to ask what she meant. 'You know where to find the file, right?'
'Yes, I'll take care of it. This is great news, honey! Whoa !'
'Mom? Are you still there?' She didn't answer. 'Mom, what's going on?'
'I don't know,' she finally said. 'It almost felt like a small earthquake.'
'You're in Florida , Mom.'
'I know. There was something, though. Oh, Owen's here. I need to go. I'll call you back.' She hung up before I could even say good-bye.
'A publisher might be interested,' I told Tristan, nearly jumping up and down on the bed. 'Can you believe it?'
He grinned and gave me a bear hug. 'Of course I can. I told you, you're very talented.'
Tristan's phone rang again a while later. After looking at the number, he handed it to me. I barely had a chance to say 'hello.'
'Put Tristan on the phone. Hurry !' Mom didn't sound right at all.
I handed the phone back to him. 'I'm here.'
A long pause. Then he sat bolt upright.
' Shit! Motherfuckers!' More silence as Mom spoke. 'No, we'll stay here for now…I'll call them…I know…I will.'
He snapped the phone shut. Something's wrong. Terribly wrong. I stared at him expectantly as he just sat there in silence. His jaw twitched.
