Page 23 of Meet Me in Tahiti

He was already looking forward to tomorrow night.

The next morning,the air buzzed with anticipation as Tess listened to Russ explaining the plan for the day’s excursion. They’d be heading out to a shallow reef not far from the island, but the reef was too delicate and the waters too shallow for theLatitudeto approach directly.

So Russ and Malik would ferry small groups in the dinghy, dropping them off near the reef to snorkel while he stayed nearby to monitor.

Sun-screened and geared up in her new floral bikini, Tessa waited with the final group. Marin, Kyle, and a few others had already gone ahead. Excitement swirled in the air, but Tessa felt only the light, fluttering press of nerves.

“You ready?” Russ asked as she stepped into the dinghy behind Avery, Nate, and Malik.

She nodded anxiously. “Ready as I’ll ever be.” This would certainly turn out better than the last time she’d tried snorkeling. She’d be brave. Just like she’d promised herself.

The ride out was smooth, the water glassy under the late-morning sun. The reef shimmered just beneath the surface, colors shifting in bands of turquoise and jade. It looked magical. Serene, even.

But it went on forever, as far as the eye could see. And where had all those sharks from last night gone? She breathed in deeply and let it out, nerves gnawing at her stomach.

She would be fine. Even if it killed her?

Russ cut the engine. “Perfect spot. Clear view. Shallow reef right beneath us.”

Drew and Avery hopped out with a hoot and a holler and immediately swam off to check out the sights.

“I’ll hang here with the group if you want to go back,” said Malik.

Russ nodded. “Sounds good. I’ll come and get you all in about forty-five minutes.”

Malik jumped in and swam toward the others.

Tessa swallowed but didn’t make a move.

She adjusted her fins nervously, her mask at the ready, still pulled up over her hair. She could see straight to the bottom. Bright coral formations. Darting fish. Everything pristine and peaceful.

But it was far too deep to touch the bottom. Her stomach twisted.

And there was no shore nearby. No dock. No solid ground. The catamaran was much too far away to swim to. There was only this dinghy, and Russ would be leaving with it just as soon as she jumped out.

Her breathing quickened as the girl from Ohio shouted from inside of her to stop. To stay put. To stay right here. In the dinghy.

“You okay?” asked Russ, raising his brow hopefully.

She bit her lip. How could she tell him how frightening this was to her? He was so comfortable in the water. He wouldn’t understand.

And it was silly! She was being silly. She needed to stop, to get over herself. She straightened, squared her shoulders.

Okay, so she could float, and the fins would make that easy. And the gash on her leg was almost healed.

Besides, she’d done this once before. But she grimaced as she remembered how that had turned out.

“Tessa…?”

She stared at the water. “Uhhh…”

She sucked in another deep breath.Personal reset, right?All that stuff she’d said last night about expanding her horizons. Was it all just a lie she’d been telling herself?

Her arms and legs seemed frozen in place.

She glimpsed Russ out of the corner of her eye. What would he think if she flipped out? She didn’t want to lose it in front of him.

But the ocean felt too big for her. Far too big. This was precisely why she’d wanted a land-based vacation.

---