With her heart crashing against her ribs Ellie increased her efforts, her dreams of jet skis and relationship worries forgotten, but it was hopeless. No matter what she did, a current was slowly but surely dragging her backwards and out to sea. Eyes blurred with tears and muscles screaming, she began to flag. How much longer she could stay afloat Ellie wasn’t certain but one thing was for sure – there was no way she would make it back to the shore. She was going to drown in the perfect blue sea on a perfect Coast Blanca day. Salt water parched her mouth and stung her eyes. It sloshed into her ears too, whining and buzzing, as she gulped and sobbed.
Wait a minute though! Was that just the water she could hear or was it something else? Blinking the brine away from her eyes as she trod water, Ellie saw a flash of blue circle around. A jet ski! One of the water-sports boys had seen her! If she had the strength she would have howled with relief.
‘Hola! Señorita! Hold on, it’s okay!’ A guy, maybe no more than twenty-six, manoeuvred his jet ski close to Ellie, engine running slowly and his hands held towards her. He was leaning over, inky, gypsy curls tumbling into his sherry-hued eyes, and his curly mouth was set with concentration. ‘There, take my hand. Bueno!’
Ellie didn’t hesitate. She reached out to him and moments later strong arms were hauling her out of the sea and onto the jet ski. Sun-warmed vinyl heated her chilled legs and once out of the water the heat of the day hit her like a blast from an oven. For a moment all she could do was sit and tremble, lost for words and weakened from her efforts. Relief that she was safe robbed her of all languages.
‘Are you okay?’ the guy was asking, in heavily accented English. ‘This is very dangerous coast. There is a very strong current. Si? Did you see the signs?’
Ellie shook her head. ‘I didn’t realise how far I had swum. When I did it was too late. I couldn’t get back.’
He nodded. The sun glinted from a small gold hoop in his ear and his teeth were very white against his tanned skin. In spite of her scare Ellie caught her breath. He was simply beautiful.
‘Is muy peligroso, here. Many, many people they die here. Si? No good for swimming. I am Pablo, Pablo Ramirez.’
‘Ellie Duke,’ she replied.
His eyes crinkled down at her. Then he smiled a slow sexy smile that practically melted her bikini elastic. ‘Bueno. I am happy to meet you, Señorita Ellie. But, I am confused. Why were you swimming so far and all alone?’
Ellie swallowed. Something about Pablo invited total confidence; maybe it was that he’d saved her life or perhaps it was the way his dancing eyes held hers. For some reason she couldn’t fathom she found herself telling him everything, from her dull job, to her colourless rented house to her dying relationship. She told him how she longed to travel, how she loved being in Spain and how the thought of returning to life in England filled her with dread. While she spoke, the droplets on her body evaporating in the heat of the midday sun, Pablo listened carefully.
‘So stay. Life is a gift,’ he said slowly, once she had finished. ‘Each day is precious, si? You are beautiful, sexy woman and you should not waste your time on this idiota or a job that makes you sad. Take a chance. Live!’
Ellie smiled. ‘You’re right. I thought I was going to die out here. Maybe this is a sign that I should change everything?’
But Pablo didn’t smile back. Instead he was looking serious. ‘Si, I think it is. Now, let’s get you back to safety. My sister, Rosa, she has a café at Playa Julio. Cafe Sol. She will look after you if you tell her I sent you. You need food and rest. She also makes the best Tortilla Espanola on the Costa Blanca. Now, vamos! Hold on!’
As Pablo knocked the engine into gear, Ellie wrapped her arms around him. Although the day was warm his smooth brown back was icy. She guessed it must be from the wind. As they sped back towards the bars and marinas of the town Pablo didn’t speak a word but there was something about him that made Ellie’s heart sing. Was it the thick mane of ebony hair or the sexy curly mouth? Or maybe the fact that he’d rescued her? Oh! Who cared? He was gorgeous and she was alive!
Once they were a few hundred yards from the beach Pablo cut the engine. The jet ski bobbed in the swell and the waves slapped the hull. Jumping into the sea Pablo smiled up at Ellie, and with a thumb gently reached to trace the tracks of her tears.
‘No more sadness. You’re safe now.’
His arms slipped to her waist as he lifted her into the shallows. Ellie smiled up at him, loving the freckles that dusted his nose like cinnamon sprinkles. As he lowered her into the water his lips brushed her cheek and she shivered. Goodness, but he really was cold.
‘Time for you to find my sister,’ Pablo said.
‘Come with me,’ Ellie suggested. ‘Let me at least buy you a coffee. You’re frozen.’
But Pablo shook his head. ‘This is as far as I can go. I have to get back.’
‘But you’re so cold!’
He shrugged. ‘It’s nada. I’m always cold.’
Rising onto her tip- toes, Ellie brushed his lips with hers and shivered. They were icy too even though the sun was fierce. ‘Will I be able to see you tomorrow then? I’d like to buy you lunch to say thank you.’
‘Mañana,’ Pablo echoed, his eyes suddenly sad. One chilly hand brushed her cheek. ‘No, not tomorrow.’
He climbed back onto the jet ski and started the engine.
‘The next day then?’ Ellie insisted. ‘Where can I find you?’
Pablo gave her a small smile. ‘Here. I’m always here. And remember, Ellie, life is for living, si? Don’t spend a moment more on a man who doesn’t treasure you. Live your dreams and never waste a second. Rosa always says that; tell her I told you. And that I like the dolphin.’
And then he was gone, into the shimmering blue and gold of an August Spanish afternoon. Ellie watched him until he reached the place where the sky and sea met where he seemed to vanish. Confused, she turned and headed for the beach. It was so odd though how the place where he had touched her cheek still felt so cold. It must be the effect of almost drowning; she was probably in shock or something.
Café Sol was rammed with sun-reddened tourists eating mountains of paella. Ellie wound her way through the plastic tables, wishing she was wearing slightly more than a bikini, before spotting a girl wrestling with a Gaggia. Those eyes, the exact colour of Amontillado, and the rippling curly hair were so familiar that she smiled. This had to be Pablo’s sister, Rosa.
‘Buenos tardes, Señorita,’ said the girl when Ellie approached her. ‘Café? Con leche?’
Ellie shook her head. ‘Neither, gracias. I was told to come here for help and because you make the best Tortilla Espanola in the Costa Blanca. Are you Rosa?’
The girl nodded. ‘Si, I am Rosa. Who has sent you?’
‘Pablo did. He just rescued me over by the headland, the place where there’s a rip tide? I was stupid enough to go swimming that far. He said I’d find you here and you would help me.’
Rosa looked at her long and hard. ‘Pablo? My brother? Are you sure?’
‘Of course I’m sure! He has a blue jet ski and eyes just like yours.’ There was no way she could possibly forget those eyes. ‘I asked him to come with me because he was so cold but he told me he couldn’t stay. He also said that he likes the dolphin?’
Beneath her olive skin Rosa had paled. ‘Pablo rescued you from the rip tide? By the headland? Are you sure?’
Ellie was starting to feel impatient, and more than a bit self-conscious in her bikini. ‘Yes! On his blue jet ski. If he hadn’t been there I’d have drowned. He said I had to live every minute and that you would understand about the dolphin? Do you?’
Pablo’s sister’s eyes shimmered. ‘Si,’ she whispered. ‘Let me show you?’
Abandoning her café to a staff member, Rosa led Ellie out into the heat of the afternoon and down through the crowds to the part of the beach cordoned off for jet ski hire. Pushing aside a heap of wet suits and ringos she revealed a plaque decorated with a leaping dolphin
and a glazed photograph that was unmistakably Ellie’s rescuer.
‘Pablo Ramirez 1987–2013. He lived every minute,’ translated Ellie. Her heart skipped a beat. Turning to Rosa she said, ‘I don’t understand. How can he be dead? He just rescued me! I rode back on his blue Jet Ski!’
‘Pablo had a jet ski. It broke down,’ Rosa explained as Ellie’s hand flew to her mouth. ‘He tried to swim for shore but the current must have been too much. He never made it home. Do you understand? My brother, he has been dead six months.’
Shocked, Ellie stared at the memorial. It wasn’t possible! She had wrapped her arms around him! Spoken to him! But there was no mistaking what she was gazing at either, evidence she couldn’t deny even though it made her feel as though she was stepping into thin air.
‘Live your life,’ Pablo had said. Staring at the memorial Ellie thought about her dull job, the rain-filled skies and the man who preferred the pub to her company. Then she thought about the man who had appeared from nowhere and saved her. Suddenly she knew exactly what she needed to do.
Reaching out she traced his image with a trembling finger.
‘I’ll live my life, Pablo,’ she whispered. ‘I promise.’
And, vow made, Ellie walked away across the beach, through the crowds and into the rest of her life.
About the Author
Ruth Saberton was born in London but now lives in the beautiful fishing village of Polperro in Cornwall. As well as teaching, she writes for publishers including Little Black Dress, Avon, Pan Macmillan and Orion. In 2011 Ruth was runner up in the Romantic Novelists' Association Romantic Comedy Novel of the year award. When she's not writing, Ruth enjoys running on the cliffs and riding horses.
Ruth's latest novel is AMBER SCOTT IS STARTING OVER.
Website: www.ruthsaberton.co.uk
Twitter: @RuthSaberton
Visit the Sunlounger website at www.va-va-vacation.com/ruth-saberton
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HAPPENSTANCE
***
Nancy Scrofano
Destination: Catalina Island, California
‘I’ll be there in time, I promise,’ I told Jane as I dragged my bags up six flights of stairs, cell phone tucked under my ear. Damn that ‘out of order’ sign on the elevator door.
‘Okay. I hope so!’
I heard muffled giggles. ‘Go ahead. I know you want to start the party.’
Jane cleared her throat. ‘Ellie, if you don’t get here soon, we’re going without you. Hurry!’
‘I will,’ I promised.
We said goodbye, and I hightailed it to room 630 to drop my luggage off and freshen up. It wasn’t my fault that I missed the boat to Catalina Island. Los Angeles traffic was a real bitch, as usual, and removing my three-inch heels to sprint to the dock didn’t help. I had to wait over an hour for the next ferry to leave. Thus the reason why Jane was calling me every five minutes to find out my whereabouts. I didn’t really blame her, though. I would be just as frantic if it were my bachelorette party weekend and I had invited over fifty of my ‘closest’ friends to the island.
Upon entering my room, I was unpleasantly surprised to see there was only one king bed. I had requested two queen-size beds. I always did that, even when I was staying alone, because I figured if one bed was uncomfortable, then I could switch to the other. Or in more horrifying circumstances, if there was an unidentifiable stain on the sheets or a strange hair on the pillow and changing rooms wasn’t an option, I’d be covered anyway. Oh well. Best not to complain, especially to Jane. She’d definitely chew my ear off for ruining her weekend and being too neurotic.
Jane and I met in college when we both worked at her dad’s insurance agency. She was the receptionist, and I was the file clerk. I moved on after graduation, but she never did. She’s still answering and directing calls to pay the bills. But I had a feeling she might leave her receptionist days behind once she tied the knot with her lawyer fiancé.
After freshening up, I rushed to the stairway but stopped short, realizing what I had just seen. Two people had emerged from the elevator. It was back in business! Maybe it was working all along, and they forgot to remove the sign. I scurried in the opposite direction, pushed the button and, thankfully, the doors parted within seconds. I checked my phone. No more desperate messages from Jane. Either the cocktails made her forget all about my tardiness or they all really did leave the beach meeting-spot without me. It was nine-thirty by this point, and I was sure I could meet them elsewhere if they went ahead already. The island was small, so it would be kind of hard to miss a herd of fifty tipsy women parading around and most likely causing trouble. If I hurried, I could definitely make it, though. Unfortunately, the elevator stopped at the fourth floor, and I couldn’t help but sigh. Why is anyone else even on the elevator? The hotel was quiet tonight, and some of the ‘out of order’ signs were probably still up.
‘Go away,’ I quietly groaned.
When the doors slowly creaked open, a man in board shorts, a fitted white t-shirt and sand-colored flip-flops stood before me. My eyes swept upward from his lean, tan legs to his wavy dirty blonde hair. No question about it. He was hot. My mouth hung open, but I quickly realized I was gawking and averted my eyes. Awkward. Were we supposed to make random elevator small talk? I didn’t know what the etiquette was, so I kept to myself. I hated uncomfortable situations with strangers. My lemon fizz nail polish was particularly interesting to me in this instance.
Seconds later, we jerked to a stop between the fourth and third floors. I practically tumbled backwards from the jolt but grabbed onto the railing to steady myself. The stranger and I locked eyes right before both our hands darted to press the buttons.
My hand brushed his as a flush of claustrophobia and embarrassment came over me. ‘Sorry,’ I mumbled.
Random guy continued to press buttons, but nothing was happening. He let out a frustrated sigh. ‘Great.’ He turned to me. ‘This thing’s stuck.’
‘What?’ I managed to croak out. I was in worst-nightmare territory here. Stranded in a tiny space with a total stranger. Time to freak out.
How did I know this guy wasn’t a murderer? Maybe he planned for this to happen. Although, he didn’t look like he belonged on a ‘most wanted’ list, but anything’s possible. I needed to study his face so I could remember it if I had to identify him in a line-up. That is, if I made it out alive. I really wished I hadn’t gotten stuck in traffic. I should be at a bar with my friends right now toasting to Jane’s happily ever after. Panic surged inside me. I had to get out of here.
‘There has to be a way out,’ I screeched, lunging for the buttons again. I pushed them frantically, but nothing happened. ‘Go! Do something! Let me out!’ I screamed, banging on the panel of buttons.
Stranger grabbed my hands. ‘Whoa. Calm down. No sense in overreacting.’
I pulled away, retreating to the corner opposite him. ‘Overreacting? You think I’m overreacting?’ I yelled. ‘We’re stuck! Don’t you get that?’ I was on the verge of hyperventilating, so I sat down, pulling my knees close to my body.
He kneeled down next to me. ‘What’s your name?’
I tried to regulate my breathing. In and out, in and out, I repeated in my head. ‘Noelle,’ I muttered eventually. ‘But everyone calls me Ellie.’
‘Nice to meet you, Ellie. I’m Scott.’
I looked into his crystal blue eyes, and the next thing I knew, my own brimmed with tears.
‘Hey, don’t cry,’ he said, patting my arm like someone would pet an unfamiliar dog.
‘It’s just that I should be somewhere else right now. I had plans tonight. And your name…’ I trailed off.
He examined my face curiously. ‘My name?’
‘My childhood bird’s name was Scotty.’ I wiped a few tears away with the back of my ha
nd.
‘You had plans to hang out with your bird tonight?’ His lips curved upward into a confused smile.
‘No,’ I began, attempting to explain the unrelated thoughts running through my mind. ‘Scotty flew away when I was a teenager. But I wish I was with him and not here. I wish I was anywhere besides stuck here.’
‘Okay…’ Scott furrowed his brow.
I knew I sounded like a crazy person, but it was the panic talking. ‘My plans were to go to my friend’s bachelorette party. That’s where I was headed,’ I clarified, trying to make up for the earlier nonsense that had tumbled out of my mouth.
Scott nodded. ‘But that still doesn’t explain your, uh, unique look,’ he said, eying my Marilyn Monroe hair, elaborate makeup of fake eyelashes, thick eyeliner and bright red lipstick, and extremely short black-and-white polka-dotted romper.
I actually let out a brief laugh despite my watery eyes. ‘It’s a theme party. 1950s pin-up girls.’
‘Ah. Got it.’ Now it was his turn to chuckle. ‘And you aren’t wearing shoes because...’
I glanced at my naked feet in horror. ‘Damn it. I was in such a hurry that I forgot to put my shoes on. Good thing I ran into you otherwise I wonder when I would have noticed.’ Then I realized that I was the only one sharing details about my life. ‘Where were you going?’ I peered into his eyes like an investigative reporter.
‘Well, if you must know,’ he started with a smile, ‘I work on the island. Well, above it, really.’
‘What do you do?’ I asked, continuing my line of questioning.
He raised his eyebrows. ‘I’m a pilot. My friend is in town. Staying here. I stopped by to have a drink after work.’
Before I could stop myself, I blurted out, ‘A friend who’s a guy or a girl?’ Was that really the first thing I wanted to know? Even if it was, he didn’t need to know that. I should have asked more about his job. But no, I jumped right in and instantly regretted it.
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