“I found a scuba diving instructor and a private chartered boat to take us diving out on one of the reefs.” His grin widened, and she was again reminded of the boy he had been.
Panic bloomed in her chest at the thought of how much that was going to cost.
Maybe it won’t be quite as much split four ways.
Still, she wished she had put a price limit on the outing.
His next words eased the terror in her chest.
“I’m taking all of us out for the afternoon today as part of their wedding present.”
They had trained in the resort pool for some time that morning before heading out, the four of them laughing and splashing in between practice rounds with the scuba tanks, masks, gauges, and breathing regulators.
Teasing Ava that morning, even for a few seconds, with the fear that she was going to have to shell out a lot of money for a private dive-tour hadn’t been Grant’s kindest move ever. It had taken him far too long to realize that her whole routine about whether or not she would spend the day with him had been an act, and he had planned to use her concern over money to get back at her a little, as he would have done when they were teenagers.
But the terror on her face had been enough to remind him that they weren’t children any longer, and he had moved quickly to reassure her that he was covering the outing.
He still felt guilty over the brief deception, and had been working all day to make up for it.
Now, as they swam together through the ocean, pointing out underwater wonders to one another, he was also thinking about his quiet revelation of the other day.
He did love Ava, and had for years. But there were things about her that he was just now learning. For one, Ava was a good travelling companion—she loved to try new things and never complained if they didn’t live up to her expectations. She hadn’t worried about going to find a new dress for the wedding. She had simply stepped up to the task and dealt with the issue.
She even made a game out of trying on some horribly inappropriate dresses.
Grant hadn’t been to The Chargrill since before that fateful New Year’s Eve, but he wondered if he would view her waitressing skills differently now. How many times a day did she solve minor problems, the kinds of things that other women might view as catastrophes, but that someone like Ava would take care of without blinking.
Those skills would come in handy no matter where she was.
She’s good at what she does. She could get a job waitressing anywhere.
Bubbles floated up around him as he breathed through the mouthpiece, watching a school of yellow fish with blue eyes swirl around Ava. Was he really considering asking her to go with him? To join him in his unpredictable life? He had started in his job as a petroleum engineer when the industry was booming. Now that the U.S. oil and gas industry was in a bust part of the cycle, he needed to take jobs as they came. It wasn’t stable, and before this trip, he wouldn’t have dreamed of asking Ava to join him.
But he hadn’t known how adaptable she was.
Or admitted—even to myself—how much I love her.
The dive guide was already chatting with Kristin and Seth by the time Grant and Ava made it back aboard the boat, and took them for their luncheon of traditional Antiguan food to what he called “a very private, very romantic beach,” with a wink at the bride-to-be and her groom.
Having finished eating their fungie—the local dish tasted just like polenta, Ava decided—along with the fish in mango sauce and fried plantains, along with what the captain called “provisions,” but appeared to be a kind of potato, the four of them were resting in the shade of several palm trees. The captain and his small crew had rowed them to shore, set out the food, then returned to the boat. Grant had the captain’s cell number and they were supposed to call when they were ready to leave.
The small beach was lovely. Antigua’s famous pink sand stretched to either side, and a steep cliff created a back wall that made the beach almost unapproachable except by boat. The only structure visible for miles was one of the hundreds of abandoned windmills dotting the island, a remnant of the sugar-cane industry that had dominated the island only a few hundred years before. On both sides, the beach ended in rocks that led to a series of small coves and shallow caves.
Private and romantic, indeed.
“Want to go for a swim?” Kristin asked Seth in a quiet voice.
“Sure.” He jumped up and took her hand. “And maybe a walk, too. We’ll be back later, y’all.” Without a backwards glance, the couple headed toward the water.
Ava’s heart thumped in her chest. This is it.
If she really was going to seduce Grant, this was the moment to do it—when Seth and Kristin were going for some alone time together.
Before I lose my nerve. Again.
“Want to head in the opposite direction from my brother and his bride?” she asked, trying to sound casual.