A contented sigh escaped me as I settled in his arms. The honeymoon could have consisted of nothing more than this and I would have been happy.
“I’m looking forward to getting back home and starting our new lives together, Max. Aren’t you?”
“More than you know. I can’t wait until we fill our home with our memories. Sammy, I never thought my life could be as good as it is right now. You have no idea how grateful I am to share the rest of my life with you.”
“Me too. It’s funny—I keep expecting to be disappointed that our honeymoon is almost over, but I can’t be. I just get even more excited about the future.”
“I only have one regret.”
“What’s that?” I looked at him with some concern. I couldn’t think of anything that I regretted about our relationship.
“That it took us so long to get here.”
“Oh, I don’t regret that.” I looked into his eyes. “Max, we may not have been lovers, but we have always been friends. I think all those years of us being best friends gave us a special connection that not everyone has.”
“I never thought of it that way. You’re right. I wouldn’t trade a moment of our friendship, just like I wouldn’t trade this moment. I guess it all worked out the way it was supposed to.”
“I don’t doubt it.” I rubbed my hand across the back of his. “I guess we’d better get going or we might never leave this bed.”
“That wouldn’t be the worst thing, would it?”
“Not at all.”
“But I did make plans.” He grinned. “Alright, up and out of bed.” He stood up and pulled me up out of bed with him.
“Let me get dressed.”
“Something light, we’re going to be out in the sun.”
“Alright. Any other hints?”
“Not a single one.”
I sighed. After so many surprises I should have been used to it, but I still had that nagging need to know what I was in for.
Once I was dressed, Max and I walked down toward the water.
“Look at that gorgeous boat.” The sailboat at the end of the dock had bright golden sails that stretched high into the air. The boat itself was white with a gold stripe around it.
“That’s the surprise. We’re going to have lunch out on the open sea.” Max smiled at me. “I thought we could enjoy our last full day in paradise alone together.”
“Alone?” I looked over at the sailboat. “But I don’t know how to sail. Neither do you.”
“Aha, but what you don’t know is that I’ve been taking sailing lessons for six months—just for this day.” He met my eyes. Pride seemed to be causing his to shine even more than normal. “You will be in fully capable hands, my love.”
“Wow, now who’s been keeping secrets?” I grinned.
“It was a good secret.”
“A very good secret.”
“We don’t head out until two. I’m going to pick up some last-minute supplies. Why don’t you enjoy the beach for a little while?”
“I could enjoy that. Just don’t be too long.”
“No more than an hour.”
“Great.”
We shared a quick kiss.
Chapter 18
I walked down to the edge of the water as Max headed back into town to shop. As I waded through the warm water, peace seemed to flow into every pore of my skin. The sand that shifted beneath my feet reminded me that nothing was set in stone; the environment around me constantly fluctuated.
Max had gone to so much trouble to make sure that I had a great experience on our honeymoon. He thought of such tiny details to make everything special. I wanted to do something special, memorable, for him. Our romantic relationship entered a new dimension after our wedding, one that I wasn’t entirely open about just yet. It was still a little awkward to be sensual with him.
I thought it would be nice to prepare a seductive surprise for him. The very idea caused my heart to flutter. I looked over at the sailboat. Max would be back with the last of the supplies in a little under an hour. That gave me plenty of time to create a surprise for him.
I hurried back to the bungalow and changed into the bikini that he’d bought for me.
When I returned to the sailboat I looked around for anyone that might notice my actions. The beach was empty, which I thought was a little strange. Where were the swimmers and the sunbathers? Maybe everyone was having lunch.
I stepped onto the edge of the sailboat. It rocked side-to-side beneath my weight. I caught my balance when I grabbed the low metal railings on either side of the boat. Once the boat was steady, I stepped all the way onto it. The boat continued to sway. When I turned to sit down, it lurched and tipped. I drew a breath and tried to swallow back my fear.
“It’s fine, you’re not going to fall out, and even if you do, you know how to swim.” I eased myself down into a sitting position. Then I began to slather my skin with the scented lotion that had been a bridal shower gift. It was edible.
I giggled at the thought. I wasn’t sure why anyone would want to eat lotion off someone, but it combined my two favorite things—food and Max—so I figured it was worth a try.
A sharp wind caught the sail of the boat. The whip of the material made me jump. Maybe that was why no one was on the beach. The sky darkened. Maybe it would be better to wait for Max on the dock.
I grabbed the lotion and turned back to step off the boat and onto the dock. However, when I lifted my foot to step on the wooden slat, I found that there was nothing but sea beneath me. I gulped and tipped backward into the boat.
There was another sharp breeze and the boat lurched. I tried to grab the railing to keep from losing my balance but my hands were slick with the lotion I’d applied. I fell flat on my bottom in the middle of the boat.
“Ouch!” The boat rocked and lurched to one side. Only then did I realize that something had gone terribly wrong.
I was floating out to sea! I looked toward the shore, which was already quite a distance away. Could I swim for it? The sky rumbled. My heart pounded. What would the storm do to the current? I didn’t think it would be wise to risk swimming.
“Max!” I screamed toward the shore, even though I knew he was likely still shopping for the last of the supplies. The louder I screamed, the louder the wind roared and the waves crashed.
The weather turned fast. It grew so dark that I could barely see the shoreline. Storms weren’t unusual in tropical climates, but I had a hard time not taking it personally.
As the boat got further and further from the shore, panic began to set in. My heart raced so fast that I started to get dizzy.
I stood up and waved my arms back and forth through the air. That only succeeded in rocking the boat so much that I nearly fell over the side. I sank down to my knees in the middle of the boat and drew a deep breath.
“Be in the moment, Sammy. Be in the moment.” Then I looked at the shore as it got further and further away. “No! I don’t like this moment! I don’t want to be in this moment! Max!” I yelled as loud as I could.
There was no one else on the water. I did spot a silvery blur under the water, but I had no idea if it was a dolphin or a shark. What I did know was that I would very likely fall out of the boat and be eaten by either a shark or a dolphin. Tears made my eyes burn. My throat tightened. It was the day before the end of my honeymoon, and I was lost at sea—in a very revealing bikini.
Would Max even know what happened to me? Would he ever find out the truth? Would he think that I left him?
As I wallowed in these thoughts my hands balled into fists. It wasn’t fair. Everything had been perfect—and yet all because I wanted to be seductive, I was going to be fish food? No.
“No!” I stood up on the boat. I realized that this was quite a mistake when the boat almost tipped over. I held on tight to the railing but my hands still slid with the lubrication of the lotion. “This is not how my honeymoon ends, it is not how my marriage ends, I am not going to float out to sea.”
Chapter 19
I looked at the sails. I knew that there was a way to move them and position them so that I could steer the boat. I didn’t know how to make that happen, though. I grabbed the edge of one of the sails and tugged as hard as I could. The sail swung wildly and almost knocked me off the boat.
I flattened my body against the boat. The wind rushed over the top of me again. The boat spun in the water and then rose up on a high wave. I closed my eyes against the rain that began to fall.
As I clung to the boat I gave in to the idea that I was stuck. I could fight it and end up in the water, or I could ride out the storm with the hope that I wouldn’t get thrown off the boat.
As thunder crashed through the sky, I thought about all of the steps it had taken to get me to that exact place at that exact moment. All the determination to check off the items on my bucket list had given me the confidence to start a relationship with Max. That relationship with Max had launched our engagement and marriage. All of it had led to this moment, on the rough sea, clinging to a sailboat that didn’t even belong to me.
The storm began to settle. When I opened my eyes, I saw the wide-open water. When I looked in the direction that I thought shore should be, all I saw was more open water. In fact, that was all I saw in every direction around the boat. I shuddered despite the heat. I was alone with no hope of rescue. Even if I could figure out how to work the sails, there wasn’t a trace of wind that remained after the storm.
The choppy water settled again to a smooth glassy state. I had nothing to block out the sun’s hot rays. My body was mostly exposed because of the bikini I was wearing. Sunburn was in my near future, as was dehydration. I looked at the tube of edible lotion.
“At least I have food.” I frowned. I took a lick from my fingertip. “Ugh, it’s horrible. Who would even enjoy this?”
As the time ticked by, I lost track of it completely. I didn’t have my cell phone or my purse. I had no idea how long I’d been on the water. The only thing I knew for sure was that I hadn’t gotten any closer to land. Yet again, one of my silly ideas had ended up leading me straight into disaster.
What was Max doing? What was he thinking? He had to be worried sick about me. As terrible as it was to be out on the water, he had to be enduring much worse as he tried to piece together what had happened.
Maybe that was it. Maybe I finally had too much happiness and the universe decided to balance it out. What other explanation could there be?
The boat continued to drift. Exhausted and beyond terrified, my mind began to make up fantasies. I imagined what it would be like to be rescued by pirates—a big black boat decorated with skulls and filled with dirty sweaty men.
“Oh, Max. I’m sorry.” I closed my eyes, the heat scrambling my thoughts.
Was it possible that all of the steps I’d taken to have faith in the way life unfurled been pointless? It couldn’t end this way. I wiped sweat from my forehead and tried to focus in the direction I thought the shore would be.
Max had to know I was missing by now. He probably saw that the sailboat was gone too. Hopefully he had put two and two together. It couldn’t take long for him to summon help. But how long would I be waiting for it?
I did my best to stand up in the boat. The sun was low in the sky. There was maybe an hour or two of light left. I tried not to think about what might happen to me in the dark. What if another storm kicked up?
“Don’t panic. Panic doesn’t solve anything.” I sighed. “I need solutions, not problems.”
I couldn’t see anything on the shore, but from the flow of the water I could guess which direction it was. I dug my hands into the water to see if I could get the boat to move. My awkward paddling didn’t do anything but spin the boat in a very slow circle. My arms ached by the time I gave up on the idea.
I looked at the sails again. The storm had battered them to the point that I wasn’t sure they would catch any wind, but at least they were still up in the air. As long as there was sunlight, there was a chance that the boat would be spotted on the water. It was clear to me that everyone had fled the beach and the water when the storm approached. But it was calm again. That meant a rescue boat was very likely on its way.
“But will it get here before the pirates?” I laughed at myself. “Pirates—really, Sammy?” I sighed and peered down through the clear water.
The water was quite deep. I thought about swimming in the direction of the shore, but there were so many wild creatures under the water. After my run-in with the crab, and the near-death experience of Dolly the dolphin, I just couldn’t bring myself to jump in. Besides that, I knew my best bet was to stay put. There were probably search planes getting closer every minute.
But what if there weren’t? What if Max didn’t put two and two together that I’d gone out on the boat? What if they just assumed the boat had been swept away in the storm? Max might have thought I’d met up with Jenny, or taken cover from the storm somewhere safe. Was anyone even looking for me?
I closed my eyes and focused on my breath. In and out I breathed. The salty sea air that had once been so intoxicating to me now was a bitter reminder that I was lost at sea. I wasn’t sure that I was ever going to get home again.
Another deep breath, and a slow release. Focus, Sammy. Solutions, solutions, solutions.
I focused with such determination that I slipped into a mild trance.
When I heard a loud squawk, I nearly wet my pants.
Chapter 20
I opened my eyes to see a seagull perched on the boat next to me.
“Oh, hello!” I smiled at the seagull. “This is a good sign. I can’t be too far from shore, right? I’m so glad that you’re here. You can be my friend.” I tried not to think about the fact that I was having a conversation with a bird and possibly going a bit crazy.
The seagull squawked at me again. “Seagull, can you show me where the shore is?” The bird tilted its head to the side as it looked at me. Maybe it was the heat, or maybe I had lost my mind, but I began to see the seagull as my hero.
“Maybe I could tie a message to your foot. Would you take a message to Max for me? You could do that, couldn’t you?” I looked around for anything that I could write a message on. I didn’t have anything that I could write with, either. Then I spotted the tube of lotion. It was greasy enough to leave a mark. I tore off a piece of the battered sail and went to work. Once I had my message written, I looked at the seagull.
“Come here, little guy. You’re going to save me.” I reached out to grab the bird’s leg, but it squawked and flew up into the air the moment I reached for it. “Wait, come back! You’re my only hope!”
The seagull circled around above the boat. My stomach twisted as I realized how silly the entire idea had been to begin with. The bird wasn’t going to save me. No one was going to save me.
Hot tears slipped down my cheeks. My skin burned from being in the sun for so long. My head spun from both the heat and hunger. I looked at the tube of lotion and frowned. I guessed that it was better than nothing.
When I picked it up and squeezed some out on to my finger, the bird swooped straight at me.
“Hey, watch it!” I swung my hand in the bird’s direction. Then I noticed there were more seagulls circling above the boat—a lot more. “Shoo!” I waved my hands at the birds.
The birds all swooped down and landed on the boat. They surrounded me. Only then did I realize my awful mistake. The birds weren’t there to help me. They were there because they wanted to eat the lotion. The lotion that was smeared all over the railings and all over my skin.
“Get back!” I stood up and waved the piece of sail at them. The boat rocked and lurched. My feet slid across the hard plastic from all of the lotion I’d coated them with. I grabbed for the railing as I lost my balance. My hand slid right off the curve of it and I tumbled head first into the water beside the sailboat.
The water splashed against my sunburned skin. It was actually a cool relief compared to the heat o
f the sun. But only for a moment. As I swam to the surface, I thought about how many sharks might be circling underneath me. With every kick of my feet I expected sharp teeth to clamp down.
I grabbed the side of the boat and tried to pull myself up onto it. My hands were too slippery from the water and the lotion for me to get a good grip.
“No, no, no!” I wailed. Just when I thought that things couldn’t get worse, they had. I’d suddenly becoming shark bait.
The birds all flocked onto the boat and began to devour the lotion that was left behind.
“Oh, Max, we had a good run.” I rested my head against the side of the boat. “I guess this really is how it will end.” I closed my eyes and stopped trying to think of ways to save myself. I surrendered to the fact that I was stuck in the water, and I waited for what would come next. I had no control.
As my mind drifted in the same pattern as the waves I heard a voice.
“Ahoy there!”
“Pirates. The pirates are here. The pirates are here.” Somewhere in the back of my mind I was aware that there was no need to sing. But I couldn’t stop myself from singing about the pirates.
I opened my eyes and saw a small powerboat headed straight for me. At first I thought it was just my imagination, but the sound of the motor stirred me from my dazed state.
“Max?” I peered into the last of the sunlight.
When the boat pulled closer I could see two men in uniform on the boat.
“Samantha?” One of the men called out. “Just hang on, we’re going to get you out of there. Don’t panic.”
“Okay, I’ll be right here.” I smiled. “But watch out for the pirates. They’re on their way.”
“There aren’t any pirates, Samantha. It’s okay. You’re safe now.”
“I’m here, Sammy, I’m right here.” Max leaned off the side of the boat.
“Wait, we’ll get a ring to her.”
Max ignored the man in uniform and jumped right into the water beside me. When I felt his arms wrap around me, everything disappeared—the water, the sailboat, even the impending pirates. All I knew was the warmth and comfort of Max’s arms.
Single Wide Female in Love Complete Bundle: Books 1-4 Page 34