“I…” Gage just shook his head, overwhelmed. When she shined the light toward him, it glinted off the sheen of tears in his eyes.
“I know,” Lola said, and reached up to kiss him softly. He wrapped his arms around her, and Lola broke the kiss, putting her head to his chest instead. Then she turned to look at the beautiful souls of those who had gone before them. It was humbling, really, to stand here amidst such universal energy and beauty.
“We should go. I feel a bit like I’m intruding on a sacred space,” Gage said, and Lola agreed.
“Thank you for this gift. We’ll tell not one person,” Lola called out to the room. “This will stay protected, always.”
When they clambered back out of the cave, the sunlight momentarily blinding them as they emerged, Lola thought she caught a flash of movement in the water. But when she looked out again, it was gone.
Picking their way down the rocks, neither of them said a word until they reached the sandy point and turned to look back.
“It’s gone,” Lola gasped.
“How…” Gage said, reaching up to tear a hand through his hair, whipping his head around. “How is it gone? We were just in there, weren’t we? I don’t understand what’s happening.”
“Is it a trick of the light? I don’t know,” Lola said, and Gage clambered back up the rocks, standing for so long at the top, staring at the wall of the cliff, that she wondered if he’d lost his mind.
“Gage?”
“It’s gone.” Gage shook his head and climbed back down, snatching Lola into a tight hug. “It’s gone, and I know it was just there. I know what I saw. And now it’s gone and the entrance is gone and I don’t know what the hell to think about anything anymore.”
“There’s power in this universe that we don’t totally know or understand,” Lola said, though even she was shaken up.
“No wonder none of the tourists that come here have ever found it.”
Lola had wondered the same thing, because there were day charters to the island.
“She protects it. What she showed us was a gift. I wonder why?”
“Maybe because she trusts us?”
“It was a gift… something special just for us.”
“But why us?”
“Maybe we both had something we needed to learn from it?” Lola mused, walking along the shoreline so that the waves splashed against her feet.
“Perhaps. Or it could be she wanted to share because she knew we would both appreciate the beauty of what she’s done. Even a mermaid might want some recognition now and then.”
“Or she’s lonely?”
“Also possible.” Gage stopped and snatched Lola up suddenly, swinging her in a huge circle before plopping her back on the ground and pressing a smacking kiss on her lips. “I can’t believe it. I just really can’t believe it. This is just…”
“Beyond words,” Lola said, her heart fluttering in her chest. Oh, she so had wanted to remain detached from Gage, to just have some time in her life that focused on her and her alone. She needed to know she could do this all on her own.
“Hey, do you see where the sun is?” Gage said, pulling her from her thoughts.
“It’s… oh. It’s quite low on the horizon. How long were we in there?”
“It didn’t feel like that long. Not long enough to have an entire afternoon pass us by,” Gage said.
“I don’t understand how that could happen,” Lola said, turning in a circle to make sure they were even still on the same island. But sure enough, there was the beach with the Zodiac, and beyond it Fantasea still rocked gently in the water. The only weird thing was that the sun was almost at the horizon line.
“It wasn’t even noon when we went in, right?” Lola whispered, and Gage reached out for her hand, pulling her close to him.
“While I think what she showed us was an incredible gift, I also feel like it’s definitely time to go. There’s only so much magick I can wrap my head around, if I’m going to be honest here. And time-warps freak me out. Mermaids, I’m very excited about. Messing with time? Mmmm, not so much.”
“I concur. Let’s go back to Fantasea.”
Lola climbed into the Zodiac. Even though the lost time did bother her, she was still buzzing with the amazing moment they’d had in the cave. There was so much to process that she almost felt like lying down and falling asleep. It was like her mind could only absorb so much in this moment.
Gage pushed the Zodiac out and zipped them over to Fantasea, and Lola crawled on board while Gage dealt with the loading and securing of the boat. She walked to the bow and watched the island as sunset began. Every once in a while, she’d see a flash of silver below the surface, and she kept telling herself it was just fish. But what if…
“Should we snorkel? Get in the water? I swear I feel like there are mermaids just below the surface. Or maybe I’m just going a little mental?”
“Mmm, best not to snorkel as night comes on. I’d prefer it if we stay safe on board. Are you ready to go? I’ll set our course back.”
“I… yes. Can we watch the sunset from here, or is that not safe?”
“It’s likely fine, but I’m a little shaken up by that time warp, so I think we’d better just watch it from the boat. Is that okay with you?”
“No problem. I’m just going to run down and use the toilet. Is there anything you need from me?”
“Nope, I’ll be a moment storing the gear and getting the boat ready to leave.”
Lola clambered down the stairs and made use of the toilet, stopping to splash some water on her cheeks and stare at her face in the mirror. Her eyes looked almost manic, so bright in her face she swore they almost glowed, and her usually curly hair all but rioted around her shoulders. Her lips seemed pinker, and overall there was a radiance to her that Lola could only assume came from discovering that magick was real.
Climbing back up the ladder, she smiled at where Gage leaned over the dash, muttering to himself. Even he seemed to have picked up a sort of glow, and she felt like she was half-drunk on the possibilities of the universe.
“Damn it!” Gage swore, and it jerked Lola out of her reverie.
“What’s wrong?” Lola hurried to him and touched his shoulder.
“Our entire system is down. No navigation, no power, I can’t turn the engine over. The back-up generator isn’t working. Nothing. And with no wind, I can’t even sail us out of here.”
“Uh…” That was about the sum total of what Lola could contribute as her mind whirled.
“Just… just let me think,” Gage said, and disappeared down the ladder beneath the hull. Lola paced for a bit, feeling helpless, before pulling out her camera and moving to the bow of the boat to capture some more images of the island in the perfect light of the sunset. As the sun dipped lower, she turned her camera toward it. As she looked through the viewfinder, she thought for a moment she saw something surface in the water. Snapping away, she took many photos, not bothering to look, knowing she’d have time to review the photos later.
When Gage came back up top, the look on his face told her everything. He banged around on the dash some more, his frustration growing, and Lola found herself studying him in the golden light of the sunset. It was the first time she’d seen him flustered. He cursed plenty, but never completely lost his cool. Even in his frustration, he still kept it together. She took a photo of him as he picked up what she presumed to be a battery-operated radio, and called in.
“Yes, we have enough supplies and we’re safe. That’s fine. I’ll call if we get it up and running. Otherwise, we’ll plan to see you tomorrow. Roger.”
Tomorrow? Lola stood up at that and crossed to where he stood looking in confusion at the dash.
“I have no idea how this could happen.”
“I do,” Lola said, bumping his shoulder lightly. “She doesn’t want us to leave yet.”
“So she shuts down our systems? I find that hard to believe.”
“Oh, but a cave full of thousands of so
ul pearls, which disappeared after we left it, and a time warp – that you’re fine believing?”
Gage’s jawline was tense, but finally he huffed out a small laugh.
“Touché.”
“Will we be safe here tonight?”
“We will. There’s no weather on the horizon, we’re anchored securely, and we have more than enough supplies,” Gage said.
“No imminent danger?”
“No. I’ve radioed the marina and we’ll touch base in the morning. Since we aren’t in immediate danger, it’s foolish to send their boats out at night. We’ll wait it out and they’ll come for us in the morning.”
“Okay. Well, then, what are you making me for dinner?” Lola asked.
“Um.” Gage ran a hand through his hair, gathering his calm again, and then shot her a smile. “The best dinner you’ve ever had while stranded on a boat, naturally.”
“Should we go back to the beach? Build a fire?”
“I’d prefer if we stay on the boat. There’s already been enough hijinks to make me nervous. I feel like I can better protect you here.”
Lola’s heart melted a bit at that. She was so used to taking care of herself. In fact, she preferred it that way. But… would it be so bad to let someone else take the reins for a bit? It wasn’t like she could offer much assistance in this circumstance anyway. It would be a good lesson for her, letting someone else take care of her for once.
“That’s very sweet of you. Whatever you think is best, of course.”
“Well, since we’re without power and the sun is about to set, let’s dig out some of our LED lanterns, and get all our light sources together. Then we can go through the galley and see what I can whip up for dinner.”
They worked quickly, Gage showing her where the lanterns were stored, and soon Lola had dispersed them across both levels of the boat, the lights casting a cheerful glow. She wondered briefly how to get to the back bedroom, as that door was locked, but instead left a lantern by the side of the door. Gage could figure it out when he went back there to sleep.
“All set?” Gage called from the galley and Lola climbed the ladder down to where he stood at the counter, busying himself with cooking dinner.
“Yes, I think I have this boat as lit up as I can. I, um, couldn’t get into the back bedroom, so I just put the lantern at the door.” Lola just wanted to get the sleeping arrangements out of the way, so as not to deal with any awkwardness later on.
“Thanks,” Gage said. And that was that, Lola thought, assuming he knew that meant he was sleeping in that bunk.
“What are you making?”
“My specialty,” Gage promised.
“Should I set the table, or do you want to eat elsewhere?”
“Let’s eat up top so we can –”
They both looked toward the top as a sheet of rain slammed into the boat, and Gage jumped to the ladder, slamming the door closed.
“The lanterns!” Lola squealed.
“Waterproof. Most everything on this boat is.” Gage grabbed her arm to stop her from going up top. “Tell me your camera is down here.”
“It is. Thankfully. I brought my bag down once it was dark.”
“Then it looks like we’ll be dining in here this evening,” Gage said, casting another glance up at the roof where the rain pounded.
“Are you worried about that?”
“No; there’s no wind and no thunder. We’ll be just fine. It makes for a cozy dinner, is all.”
“Show me where the stuff to set the table is,” Lola said, and Gage pointed to one of the cupboards. Soon she had everything laid out, and had even found a way to change the color of the lantern at the table, so a pretty warm light shone across the room.
“Ta-da,” Gage said and turned to hand her a plate.
“This is…” Lola peered closer at the food, and then back up at him. “This is your specialty?”
“Tell me it’s not the best peanut butter and jelly sandwich you’ve ever had and I’ll know you’re a liar,” Gage insisted, and Lola cracked up. Her sandwich was sliced in triangles, potato chips piled in one corner, and sliced apples were neatly arranged on the other side.
“And,” Gage said, turning to pull out a bottle of wine from the pantry, “your perfect wine pairing.”
“Naturally,” Lola chuckled. “I had no idea that Malbec paired well with peanut butter sandwiches.”
“You have no idea what you’ve been missing,” Gage said, uncorking the bottle and pouring them both a generous portion.
“I have a serious question for you,” Lola asked after they had toasted their drinks.
“Okay, and I have a serious answer.”
Lola leaned forward and so did Gage.
“Why did you cut this sandwich in triangles?”
Confusion crossed Gage’s face for a moment before he burst out laughing.
“Because that’s the way you cut a sandwich.”
“Says who? You could cut in rectangles. Four squares. In thirds. Why triangles?”
“I think… just because that’s how my mom made it, I guess?”
“Ah, a purist.” Lola nodded.
“How do you cut yours?”
“I don’t,” Lola said, and Gage’s mouth dropped open.
“You just… eat the whole thing? From the crust in?”
“Yup.”
* * *
“Sadist.”
“I know.” Lola bit into her sandwich and was startled when there was a crunching. Pulling back, she looked at the inside. “Are there potato chips in here?”
“Of course.”
“Hmmm.” Lola took another bite, and a sip of her wine. Surprisingly, the Malbec did pair well with the sandwich. “Okay, it’s an excellent sandwich.”
“Say it. It’s the best PB&J you’ve ever had.”
“Well, now, let me think on that. I’ve had quite a few in my life.” Lola scrunched up her brow and pretended to think through all her sandwiches before finally nodding. “Sure, you win the award.”
Gage threw his fists in the air and cheered, making Lola laugh once more.
“Serious question.” Gage leaned forward.
“Okay, shoot.”
“Are you competitive?”
“Do mermaids like the water?”
“Do you know how to play cribbage?”
“Oh, you’re in for it,” Lola said, rubbing her hands together.
“Bring it on, my lady. You’re no match for me.”
Gage pulled out a cribbage board and cards after they polished off their dinner, promising he had something for dessert later. He set the board on the table. “Now, we have to play for something. What’s the winner get?”
“If I win,” Lola said, “I mean, when I win, I get the big bed.”
“That’s fair,” Gage nodded, pursing his lips in thought. “And when I win, I get to share it with you.”
“What! That’s presumptuous.”
“I didn’t say sexy times. I said share it with you. If you can’t keep your hands off me, that’s your own personal problem.” Gage shrugged.
“I most certainly can keep my hands off of you.”
“Then I don’t see what the problem is. Plus, you think you’ll win anyway, so what does it matter?”
“Fine. You’re going down, though.”
“Game on.”
Chapter 29
“By one point! How is that possible? I think you cheated,” Lola scoffed, throwing her cards on the table.
“How could I cheat? You counted all my points. And I even showed you a point you were missing.”
“I… this game is rigged. I never lose at cribbage,” Lola said. They were on their second bottle of wine, so she did what any mature adult would do.
She pouted.
“Has anyone ever told you how pretty you look when you pout? I need to put that expression on your face more often,” Gage mused, leaning back with his wine and smiling cheekily at her.
Lola rolled her eyes and
got up in a huff to make her way to the bedroom. Eying it up, she realized that yes, there would actually be enough space for both of them to sleep. Grabbing the pillows, she made a little wall down the length of the bed like the mature woman she was, and then used the little bathroom, using her finger to brush her teeth with the small tube of toothpaste she found in the cabinet.
She pulled off her bikini top, but left her tank top and bikini bottoms on, and then crawled onto the bed. Gage came and stood at the door. When he saw the pillow wall, his lips quirked.
“I’m thinking we’ll need to slide the windows open, as we have no power for the fans,” Gage said, motioning to the small windows over Lola’s head. “Can you flip that one open?”
Lola turned and reached for the window, then let out a whoosh of air when Gage landed on her, pulling her into a hug and tickling her sides until she finally gave in and laughed.
“Don’t be grumpy you lost,” Gage said against her ear, and Lola’s skin tingled at his breath.
“Have I mentioned I’m a sore loser?”
“I got that impression, yes.”
“I still think it was rigged.”
“Thank you for not making me go out in the pouring rain to sleep in the other bunk.”
“You’re welcome,” Lola sniffed, then turned to look up at him in the light of the lantern. The man was just so damn handsome. He was more than that, though – kind, smart, and wickedly funny.
“You can’t put these pillows between us.”
“Why?”
“Because they are the only two pillows. Plus, it’s not too hard to storm the wall, as you can see by your current position.”
“Fine. You can have the pillow,” Lola grumbled, and sighed when Gage pulled her closer.
“Mmm, you fit well.” His breath at her throat made her skin tingle, and heat flashed through her. Why was she resisting this? Wait, hadn’t she been the one who’d made it clear that she’d enjoy a tumble with him? He was the one who had been putting her off. It all became a tangle in her mind and she just looked up at him, a question in her eyes.
Up to No Good: The Siren Island Series, Book Two Page 15