Diving into Love

by Kat Bellemore

  “It came in,” Caleb told Bree, ignoring Adeline, who still hadn’t left. She had become a regular fixture whenever they were at her house, so they had spent a lot of time at his place for the past few weeks. He held up the small card he held.

  Bree squealed. “Let me see it.” She practically grabbed it from between his fingertips and held it up to the light, as if that would prove if it was real or not.

  “Want to go out and celebrate?” he asked, not able to get enough time with her. Preferably alone.

  “Oh no you don’t,” Adeline butted in. Oh yeah, she was still there. “You’ve stolen Bree from me every night this week. And last week. And the week before that. She promised she’d stay in tonight. I even cooked something special for the occasion.”

  Caleb raised an eyebrow, skeptical. “You cooked.”

  “I’ve been learning,” Adeline said, her tone defensive. “I’ve had to do something to compete for Bree’s attention, haven’t I?”

  “That and I’ve been trying to teach her some of your tricks,” Bree added.

  Caleb rested a hand over his heart, as if her words had pierced his soul. “You shared my cooking secrets? I thought we had something special.”

  Bree laughed and wrapped an arm around his waist. “If it makes you feel any better, she’s still terrible at pad Thai.”

  His smile returned. “Actually, that does make me feel better.”

  With a dramatic eye roll, Adeline grabbed Bree’s arm and dragged her back into the house. “I see that trying to get Bree alone for an evening wasn’t a realistic expectation. Do you want to join us for dinner, Caleb?” She held the door wide open, gesturing for him to enter.

  He smiled and stepped into the house. “Don’t mind if I do.” He paused. “As long as it’s not pad Thai.”

  Adeline scowled in Bree’s direction. “It wasn’t that bad.”

  Bree nodded behind her friend’s back, indicating that yes, it absolutely had been.

  “I’ll set another place at the table.” Adeline retreated into the kitchen. “And then I’ll cook brownies,” she called out. “Because Caleb was right about one thing. We absolutely need to celebrate. I know what an accomplishment that certification is for you.”

  “With ice cream?” Bree called back.

  Adeline stepped around the corner, her forehead scrunched in confusion. “How could we have brownies without ice cream? Is that even a thing?”

  Bree laughed. “Guess not.”

  Adeline disappeared again, and Bree collapsed onto the couch and examined her official PADI certification. “I can’t believe I did it,” she said. “I mean, I seriously thought I might die a couple of times there. Like, literally die.”

  “I know,” Caleb said, remembering the moment when he’d first told her in the cove that she’d need to not only kneel on the ocean floor, but she’d need to lift her mask, clear it of water, then put it back on again. It took a few tries and a couple of panic attacks, but she hadn’t given up. Bree had kept coming back, day after day, determined to beat her fear. Even when he’d given her plenty of opportunities to quit.

  Bree linked her fingers through his and, as if she could read his mind, said, “Thank you for not giving up on me.”

  His gaze met hers, and he hoped she heard the sincerity when he said, “Never.”

  She didn’t say anything for a moment, her eyes searching his. “Right back at you,” she finally said, her voice soft.

  It had only been a few months, but Caleb couldn’t imagine his life without her—he wanted to take her in his arms and never let go. The feeling came on so suddenly and so strong at that moment, he knew he was in love with the woman whose hand he held. And he didn’t want to keep it to himself anymore. He’d been fighting it for far too long, and Caleb wanted to tell Bree everything. And he was about to, but Adeline walked in at that moment, declaring that it was time to eat. She didn’t seem to have a clue that she had just interrupted a ‘moment.’

  Then again, neither did Bree. She pulled him up from the couch as if it were any other night, and they followed Adeline into the kitchen.

  They were halfway into dessert when Bree received the phone call.

  She had just shoved a large spoonful of mint chocolate chip ice cream into her mouth, resulting in a brain freeze that nearly brought her to her knees.

  Her phone burst to life, and she held her head while at the same time searching her purse, managing to grab it before it went to voicemail.

  She swallowed hard and managed to choke out a “Hello?”

  “You’re a hard woman to get ahold of,” a low voice responded.

  Bree’s breath hitched, and she glanced at the phone. It wasn’t a number she recognized, but it had a New Mexico area code. And she knew the voice. It was Eric. Her boss. Ex-boss, she reminded herself. “How did you get this number?”

  “By calling your emergency contact.”

  Her mother. Of course. Her sister Melinda wouldn’t have given out Bree’s new number.

  “What do you want, Eric?” Bree asked. “I received my final paycheck, everything is in order.” She stood from the table and walked into the living room, trying to ignore the curious looks from both Caleb and Adeline.

  Eric didn’t bother with small talk. “You have your job back.”

  Bree nearly tripped over her own feet. “I’m sorry?”

  “Your job,” he repeated. “The top guys have finally realized that it was a mistake to lay off so many people, so soon after the merger. I had tried warning them against it, telling them that our people were the best of the best. But they didn’t listen, of course. What it comes down to is they want you back. More accurately, they need you, though they won’t admit it.”

  Bree’s brain freeze returned, but this time it didn’t go away. It was on a perpetual frost, everything numb. “I have a job,” she mumbled, unable to think straight.

  A stunned silence. “Oh. I hadn’t realized.” Another pause. “Is there any way you’d want to leave them and come back to us? I’m sure we could work out something.”

  She gave a quick shake of her head, trying to focus on his words. “It’s a temporary job. Just for the summer.”

  “Oh, good. It’s nothing serious, then. Shall I let them know you’ll be back next week?”

  Now Eric had her full attention. “Next week? Oh, no. I couldn’t. I’ll be here through September, at least. That’s when tourist season slows down.”

  Her boss no longer seemed worried, and instead chuckled, as if Bree had just told a joke. “What, you went on vacation and never left?”

  “Something like that.”

  “Well, I’m sure they can replace you easily enough. A good engineer, on the other hand, that’s hard to come by.”

  Bree hesitated. She wondered if she really was as dispensable as Eric suggested. Anyone could manage a dive shop, right? Designing an airplane, though, that was an entirely different matter.

  She knew what the responsible thing to do was—that this was a no-brainer. She needed a steady paycheck. And her former employer offered good benefits.

  But Bree had been responsible for far too long. And the thought of leaving Starlight Ridge—it made her heart freeze up.

  No, it wasn’t the thought of leaving Starlight Ridge, though she had certainly learned to love the small town. But the thought of leaving Caleb…

  Caleb made her world turn. He was one of the most patient men she’d ever met. And funny. And charming. And everything she’d ever wanted. And she couldn’t imagine ever leaving Starlight Ridge, not if it meant being without him.

  “I don’t think so.”

  A long pause followed. “If you turn this down, the window of opportunity closes. It won’t be here in a month or two or whenever you get tired of hanging out on the beach all day.”

  Bree hesitated. What if Caleb’s feelings weren’t as strong as hers? What if she got to the end of the summer and realized it had all been a mirage?

  Then what?

  �
��Can you give me some time to think about it?”

  Eric released a long sigh on the other end of the line. “Upper management is anxious to get their people back—they won’t be patient.”

  “How long can you give me?”

  Another pause. “You got three days to give me an answer.”

  That wasn’t enough time. “Give me a week.”

  He groaned, like he was wondering if offering Bree her job back had been a mistake. “Fine. But if I don’t hear from you by the end of the weekend, I’m going to take that as a no.”

  “Fair enough.”

  Bree ended the call and turned to find Caleb watching her from the doorway. She plastered on a smile but doubted it was fooling anyone. “Eavesdropping?” she teased, her voice only a little bit shaky.

  “Didn’t mean to.” He studied her. “Is something wrong? You look worried.”

  “It’s nothing,” she said, waving him off. “Just some loose ends at work.”

  Caleb nodded, like he wanted to believe her but didn’t quite.

  This would probably be a good time to have one of those define the relationship kind of conversations. Bree needed to make a decision. And a lot was riding on one question.

  Did Caleb want to only be with her for the summer?

  Or forever?

  23

  Caleb walked into the dive shop, wishing someone else could bring all the equipment in for him. He wasn’t used to doing so many dives every day for weeks on end. Even though he was the instructor, he did everything his students did, and every muscle in his body was sore. For a brief moment, he allowed himself to wonder if he was starting to get old.

  He brightened when he saw Bree, who was organizing some water bottles on one of the shelves by the cash register. Sneaking behind her, he placed his hands over her eyes. He felt her tense up, and then realized how terrifying it probably was. A random person coming up from behind, putting their hands on her face. Taking away her vision…

  “That better be you, Caleb, or so help me, I’ll—”

  He smiled and spun her so she faced him. “You’ll what?”

  Bree released a laugh that held what sounded like relief, and she leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his waist. “I don’t know. But I would have come up with something.” She pulled back and lightly hit him on the arm. “You can’t sneak up on people like that. I didn’t even know you were back from your dive.”

  “Sorry. I’m really tired and have no impulse control right now.” He reached into the box by Bree’s feet and pulled out a water bottle.

  “Is that so?” She took the bottle from him and placed it on the shelf next to the others. “Then why aren’t you kissing me yet?”

  Caleb laughed and pulled Bree in. “I’ll get right on that.” He placed his lips on hers, soft but firm, eliciting a shudder of pleasure from her. He loved when he got that kind of reaction from her. When he pulled away, her smile matched his, but there was something different about it. It wasn’t as carefree as it usually was—more guarded. “Everything okay?”

  Bree turned away and grabbed another water bottle from the box. “Yeah, of course. Things finally slowed down enough around here that I can actually get some work done.” She glanced toward him, her lips pulling up into a half-smile. “And don’t worry, I ate lunch.”

  “Good,” he said, though it was more of an auto-response. Something was wrong, and Caleb couldn’t put his finger on it. He knew Bree was trying to act normal about everything, but she seemed…off. “Have I done something?”

  That was always the answer, wasn’t it? The guy had inadvertently offended the love of his life and had to make up for it somehow.

  Bree seemed surprised by the question, and she paused, the water bottle still in hand. “No, nothing. You’re the best boyfriend a woman could ask for.” She pulled him in for another kiss, as if to prove it. When she stepped back, though, her gaze wouldn’t meet his. “I have been meaning to talk to you about something, though.”

  And here it was.

  Caleb suddenly wished he hadn’t pushed Bree to tell him what was wrong. What if she had realized she didn’t want to date him anymore—that he was holding her back? That was what his ex-girlfriend had said—that Caleb was keeping her from her potential. That Starlight Ridge couldn’t give her what she needed. Kayla had wanted him to leave town with her, make a new life somewhere else.

  But he hadn’t been able to.

  It still hurt—the memory of Kayla driving away.

  This was why Caleb should have kept his guard up. Because it had left him wondering when Bree would decide it was time for her to move on. It might not be today. But it could be tomorrow. Or next week. Or once the tourist season finished.

  “Are you listening?” Bree asked, her voice distant and weaving through his thoughts.

  Caleb forced himself back to the present and gently tilted her chin up, looking her in the eyes. “Yes, I’m sorry. I’m all here.”

  She gave a small nod, but now seemed unsure what to say. “Things are good with us,” she finally said, turning so he could no longer read her expression. “Aren’t they?”

  “Yeah, they are.”

  Bree’s tone made him nervous, giving him a foreboding feeling.

  “Is this—” She paused again and motioned between the two of them, but words didn’t immediately follow. “I guess I’m wondering how long you think this—us—will last.” Bree played with the carabiner that hung from the water bottle that she still held. “Or how long you want us to last, I guess.” She gave a frustrated groan. “Nothing is coming out how I mean for it to.”

  But Caleb thought he understood what was going on—what she was trying to say.

  She was trying to break up with him.

  And he had no idea what to say to that. It could be that she had feelings for someone else. Isaac maybe, though Caleb doubted it was that. Which left the other option. That she was tired of the small-town tourist life, and she was ready to move on.

  Despite how the two of them had been attracted to each other, almost immediately. And despite Bree working so hard to overcome her fear of water. And despite the fact that he had fallen in love with her.

  Caleb should tell her that last part. Maybe that would get her to stay.

  Maybe.

  But then he’d always wonder if she’d stayed out of pity. Because she was kind. That seemed the type of thing Bree would do, because she wouldn’t want to hurt him in that way. How long had she stayed with her ex-fiancé out of a sense of duty to her parents? Right up until the wedding day.

  Caleb wouldn’t allow that to be him.

  Even if the thought of losing Bree made him want to tear out his heart, because that would hurt less than the pain he’d feel at having to say goodbye.

  But he also wasn’t going to lie to her. She wanted to know how long he wanted them to last, and he’d tell her the truth.

  “As long as you want me around.”

  There. Now Bree knew that he didn’t plan on leaving anytime soon. What she did with that information was up to her.

  She nodded slowly. “I guess I was more wondering, how…serious…you see this relationship.” Her eyes widened a fraction, like she wished she hadn’t just said that. “I don’t mean to put pressure on you. I’m sorry, that’s not fair of me. We should just be taking things as they come, enjoying the moment. Hakuna matata and all that.”

  “Yeah. Hakuna matata.”

  Bree turned back to her task of shelving the water bottles, and Caleb just watched, more confused than he’d ever been.

  “What about this job?” Bree asked suddenly, spinning toward him and catching him off guard. “It’s over at the end of September, right?”

  Caleb shoved his hands in his pockets. He should have left the room when he’d had the chance—this conversation was only going to get worse. “Yeah. Most of the tourists are gone by then, and I won’t have any more diving lessons.”

  Though he had had a couple of ideas. When he’d
seen the pictures Bree had taken on their dives, he’d realized she could make a lot of money selling them in his shop. She clearly had a talent for it, and they were pictures most people couldn’t get on their own. And the more they dove together, the more places he could take her—places that had more than just fish. Turtles, dolphins…maybe even some small sharks. He could clear a wall to display them framed. Caleb would bet that tourists and locals alike would buy them.

  He wanted to tell her his idea and take the risk that it might scare her off. Caleb had been planning out her future after all. With him.

  But then Bree blurted out, “They offered me my old job back.”

  He stared. That hadn’t been what he had expected. “Oh.” He didn’t know what else to say.

  “I guess they think they need me or something dumb like that,” she said, twisting her fingers together, looking nervous.

  “Of course they would. You’re amazing at what you do.” Caleb wanted to add that he needed her too. But what could he offer her? There was no job stability managing his store, being unemployed most of the year. Getting him as a boyfriend as a bonus didn’t seem like enough to beg her to stay. Though he desperately wanted to.

  Bree’s lips dipped. “They didn’t think I was so amazing a few weeks ago.”

  “All the same, it sounds like a good opportunity.” The words tore at his throat, even as he said them. But if he truly loved Bree, he should want what was best for her, right? And being stuck in this small town wasn’t what was best for her, or for most people. Too many had left to prove otherwise. “You should go.”

  Her gaze snapped to his, and they filled with moisture.

  Had Caleb made a mistake?

  “You really think so?”

  No, he didn’t. But instead he said, “It’s a stable job with benefits, right?” That was another thing he couldn’t offer her. Living the small business life could be stressful, with crappy health insurance, no paid time off, and all that.