Page 38 of Catch of a Lifetime
I had both hands clutching my neck now. TheMary Janewas visible in the distance—at least Dave had the brains not to surface directly in front of Patrick and Vinny, I thought hysterically—but it was on the turn and heading for Jerry.
Who was still yelling.
He’d popped back up and slung a double handful of water in Dave’s face. Of course, he didn’t even blink. Jerry lurched forwards, finger pointing at Dave’s nose, and yelled some more.
Dave ducked him.
Jerry reappeared with a strangled scream of fury, and Dave sternly told him to, “Shhh.”
Jerry opened his mouth to no doubt tell Dave where he could stick hisShhh, and instead swallowed a mouthful of seawater that had him hacking and coughing.
Dave immediately rolled beneath him and rose up until Jerry was riding him like a surfboard, mostly clear of the rough waves.
Jerry froze, realised he was astride a giant and beautiful merman, and tittered and blushed like a schoolgirl.
Dave snorted a laugh, and flipped Jerry in the back of the head with a teasing flick of his tail.
Jerry’s shocked titter cut off and he went right back to his scolding. He wasn’t shouting anymore. Patrick and Vinny were, their frantic voices growing louder and louder as theMary Janeapproached at speed.
Dave slowly sank beneath the water out of sight but continued to hold Jerry firmly until the lifebelt came whistling through the air
Then he went back to hunting.
11
Iwas in the garden, weeding, when the gate squeaked on its elderly hinges and heavy steps came up the gravelled path behind me.
“Well?” I said over my shoulder as I wrestled with a stubborn dandelion whose taproot apparently went all the way down to hell itself. “What was that all about? Because I don’t believe for a minute that you fell overboard. You jumped, didn’t you?”
Jerry didn’t say anything.
I snorted and wedged the old butter knife I used for weeding deeper into the soil. The footsteps stopped behind me.
“I hope it was worth it,” I said. “And yes, I saw the whole thing. You’re going to get it from Marcy when you get home. Vinny will absolutely tattle on you.” I grunted and tugged at the dandelion. I liked to leave them for the bees while they were flowering, but once they were going to seed I pulled them out, or they’d take over completely.
I went rigid when a gentle hand cupped the back of my neck. Only for a second. I hunched my shoulders and swung an arm out behind me as I yelled, “Jerry,what!”
Of course, my hand didn’t make contact with sea boots or all-weather utility trousers or even jeans.
It wasn’t Jerry.
I shuffled around, still on my knees, and stared up at Dave.
He smiled wistfully down at me, his dark indigo hair dry and blowing over his shoulders in the offshore breeze that always picked up in the early evening. He touched my cheek.
“Dave.” I reached out and put my hands flat on his thighs, sliding them upwards as I rose to a high kneel. “Dave.” I threw my arms around his waist and held on tight, pressing my face against him.
Yes, it happened to be at groin level but that was purely because he had ridiculously long legs, not because I was going for it.
It would take a while before I regained the confidence to initiate anything.
I tightened my arms when he moved, terrified that he was going to pull away. All he did was go to his knees in front of me.
I didn’t waste any time. I scrambled onto his lap, wrapped my arms around his shoulders, fisted his hair in both hands, and pressed my face into his warm neck.
A low, trilling sound vibrated softy from his gills.
His gills, which I’d thoughtlessly plastered myself against, and at least one of which had been bisected by a hideous wound.
