Page 86 of When Love Gives You Lemons
“Wanderlust”
The entrance to the Blue Grotto appears no bigger than a tiny mouth in the Capri coastline, a dark hole that, from the yacht, looks like it could barely fit a mouse. I lose Fielder to his nonna, who shuffles to the back of the boat along with everyone else to await instructions from the captain.
We keep exchanging prolonged, heated looks.
Turning the image of him striding toward me over and over again in my mind, I can’t shake how mind-blowingly hot he looked with a sense of determination I haven’t seen from him in so long.
Wonder fills his eyes.
The captain translates instructions from the tour guide, who has come aboard from a gozzo that tied up to us. “Some information and rules. You can only enter the grotto by rowboat. It’s a natural cavern about twenty-five meters wide and sixty meters long, and the entrance is less than one meter high.” He demonstrates the height with his hands. “We have a few rowboatswaiting for you all, but these can only fit up to four, including your guide. When you enter, you must lie back flat in the boats in order to keep your head.”
“Keep your head?!” Fielder’s nonna says. “Sounds dangerous.”
“I’ve done it before, it’s perfectly safe,” Dad leans in and says reassuringly. “With my father as a boy. It’s something you’ll never forget.”
“Once inside,” the captain says, “you’ll be in for a couple of magical minutes.”
“Can we swim inside?” Tyler asks.
“No. Swimming is not allowed. It’s very dangerous,” the captain says.
“I thought you said it’s not dangerous,” Nonna Lemon asks.
“I wanna swim!” Jenni Lee slurs.
The captain looks at her and says, “No to this one. Liability.”
“I’ll stay back with her,” Trav says, disappointed. His fists clench in frustration.
“So, who’s first up?” the captain asks. “Our tour guides have two boats that will circle back until everyone has a chance to go in.”
“Topher, you should go in the first boat, since you so generously brought us all here,” Gabriella says, quickly adding, “With Sienna.Obviously.” Then she leans into the captain and whispers so loudly we all hear her perfectly. “You said the boats fit up to four, including the tour guide. Maybe I can hop in their boat?”
“Gabriella!” Guisy shouts. “Absolutely not.”
“I’m just saying, there’s room!” Gabriella laughs it off, but we all know she’s serious. If she could edge my sister out entirely, she would.
“Let the kids have the boat to themselves,” Rosa says. “The three of us can go together once they’re back.”
“Great idea.” Sienna’s voice is sharp. “The Blue Grotto awaits the magical stylings of the Coven.” She smiles sweetly, but her sass can slice glass.
Benny gasps. “Gooped andalsogagged. I nominate Fielder and Ricky for the other boat.JustFielder and Ricky. It’s time we cut to the chase and wrap up this storyline. Some of us have places to be.”
Monroe, Tyler, and Matty all whoop and holler.
I could kill Benny, and then thank him with a gift card to his favorite restaurant, LongHorn Steakhouse, to thank him for saying what everyone else is clearly thinking.
Everyone steps aside.
I feel a momentary pang of guilt for Cam, but he did say I was free to explore what I needed to with Fielder, so I take a deep breath and release it.
Fielder and I converge at the back of the superyacht.
The tour guide speaks very slowly in broken English. “Get comfortable together. It will be a bumpy ride in.”
Topher and Sienna move into their boat first, and he tosses up a “hang loose” hand signal and screams, “Let’s goooooooo!”
“You want me to go first, make sure it’s safe?” I ask Fielder, who nods rapidly. Once inside, I do a cursory inspection for show, making sure to balance myself so that he sees how steady it is. The small, white wooden rowboats have a deep V-hull built to cut through the waves smoothly. “Sturdy. Good craftsmanship.” I give Fielder a thumbs-up, then hold out a hand for him. “I got you.”
