Page 19 of Building Courage

“Maybe so.” He shifted gears again. “You ready to shop for your gear?”

“Yeah.” She pushed the button to unlock the doors, unbuckled her seat belt, and opened the door.

They walked toward the shop.

She felt moved to say, “Thanks for sharing that with me.”

He flashed her a smile, and that same wave of sexual attraction rushed through her. It had been too long. However, she’d jumped too quickly once, and it had cost her… nearly everything. She needed to watch herself—and watch him.

If she was like a kid in a candy store when she purchased equipment for her photography, Tucker was all business. They got a buggy and wandered around the store. He’d obviously been there before and knew the location of everything. He started with two aluminum tanks already filled and went from there.

“Is it okay if I videotape this for my podcast?” she asked.

“I’d rather you not show my face. I’m active duty, and command frowns on social media involvement. None of us have profiles.”

So, that answered her question about his lack of a social imprint on the web. It suddenly dawned on her that, in a way, he was like an undercover cop hunting terrorists, and her podcast had over five hundred thousand followers. “I won’t show your face, I promise. I just need the information you’re giving me. Plus, I’ll be able to go back over it several times later for my own benefit. I can edit out anything that might identify you.”

He studied her for a moment. “I’m trusting you to do that, Brynn.”

So, she wasn’t the only one who had trust issues. Maybe Natalie had something to do with that. “I’ll send you the footage for you to okay before I publish.”

He nodded. “Thanks.”

He looked over every piece of equipment for flaws before explaining what it was for and adding it to the buggy. A compass, a wrist-size dive computer, flippers, a mask, boots, an underwater flashlight, a regulator, and a spare called an Octopus with a holder for each, a BCD that she learned meant buoyancy compensator device, a weight belt with four weights, an oxygen/depth gauge, a snorkel, a dive knife, and a bag to hold all her gear.

The total came to a little more than eleven hundred dollars, which was actually less than she thought it might be. Tucker paid for it with a credit card.

“If Natalie stiffs you on the bill, let me know, and I’ll make it good,” she said as they loaded the car.

“It’s a prepaid card she gave me with enough to cover your equipment and your lessons.”

“Good.”

Back at the house, they unloaded their haul.

She walked around the car and crossed in front of the garage door to the gate. “Whose house is this?”

“It’s mine as of six months ago.”

She looked it over, and her eyes went directly to the flowers on the porch. He had to have a girlfriend. Disappointment pricked her, and she tried to ignore it. “It’s a nice house.”

“I’m working on it. Come on back.” He unlocked the gate and held it open.

She ambled into the backyard. Her attention swung to the pergola that covered the back patio and stretched nearly the length of the house.

An outdoor kitchen with a grill, sink, and refrigerator ran parallel to the sliding glass doors leading into the house. A concrete countertop surrounded the sink and covered the small refrigerator at one end. A long wooden picnic table was positioned to the left of the grill.

Pebbled concrete walkways encircled the pool but were also framed on each end by carefully placed rocks and plants. Citronella, lavender, and rosemary stood before a background of tall ornamental grasses mulched with cedar. A cluster of landscaping lights peaked from behind the flowers.

Four lounges, placed equal distances apart, stretched toward the water along the side of the pool. The water beckoned, crystal clear and inviting.

“This is really beautiful.”

“I got the permits to do the pergola and put in the water lines for the kitchen, and then some of my buddies pitched in and helped me on the weekends. The landscaping was just a little research. I chose plants that repel insects.”

“It’s a wonderful space. Very relaxing and peaceful.”

“I’m going to put a fire pit in that corner.” He pointed to the area furthest from the pool. “I’ll build a long wooden bench that will angle along the two sides of the privacy fence, and I’ll get some cushions to finish it out. A little more landscaping, and I’ll be finished.”

---