The Sky Beneath Her(70)

I put all the pictures in a “keep” box and went about cleaning. I moved to the kitchen and began packing the cabinets, filled with stoneware dishes. Like the man, the dishes were simple, functional, and easily forgotten. I wrapped them all in paper and boxed them up. Next the drawers. Again, all carefully organized. There was no clutter, no disorganization.

My cell rang. I didn’t recognize the number, but the area code was local. “This is Tula.”

“This is Lex Green. I know I’m calling late. But I heard from Doug tonight that you were asking about me. I’d have called sooner, but I left my cell at home.”

Communication in small towns was efficient. “Mr. Green. Thanks for calling. I was planning to contact you. You know I’m Mariah Cassidy’s daughter, right?”

“I do. Are you up in Southern Shores?” His voice had the scruffy edge of an older man.

“I am. Hard at work cleaning out the Brooks house.”

“How did you get that job?”

“My firm sent me down here to get it cleaned out so it could be sold.”

“Great property. So much history.”

Questions bubbled. “Would you have time to meet for coffee? You wrote several articles about my mother, and it would be nice to talk to someone who knew her.”

“Sure. But I didn’t know her that well. We only met a few times before she dove the Oceanus. I liked your mother.”

Piecing together why Mom had wanted to return here and dive the wreck was becoming all important to me. “Where would you like to meet?”

“I’m in Manteo. I don’t get up to Southern Shores that much anymore. My eyes aren’t great, so I stay close to home.”

“I’m happy to come to you. What time works for you?”

“Tuesday?”

“Sure.” I mentally ran through that morning’s cleaning schedule. “Middle of the day?”

“Let’s say noon.”

“Perfect.”

He rattled off his address as I scribbled it on a piece of paper. “I’ll unpack my notes and see if there’s anything that might be of interest.”

“That would be great.”

“Anything in particular you want to know?”

“Why did the Oceanus spark Mom’s interest?”

“That’s easy. Her grandmother, your great-grandmother, Margaret, was on the ship.”





Chapter Twenty-Six


Tula





Monday, June 15, 2026, 6:00 a.m.


When I’d texted Kaitlin about my dive with Nathan, she’d told me to go with her blessings. The work schedule was light on Mondays. She’d asked me to grab her cleaning supplies in Currituck. I’d agreed, even as I’d half hoped she’d declare she needed me, but I was free.

So, I arrived at the Wanchese dock as the sun rose. I parked next to Nathan’s truck and grabbed a small cooler with my lunch. I also brought a small waterproof bag with a towel, a dry set of clothes, and extra sunscreen.

I walked down the pier and found Nathan loading a massive cooler onto the boat. The guy had always been as strong as an ox, and that hadn’t changed. I’d been a little turned on by that when I was a teenager. And I still was. He was hot. I wasn’t looking for promises or a house with a permanent address. But I realized I still wanted Nathan.

“Hey there.” I grabbed a few of his bags and handed them to him.

His gaze slid quickly over me. “You’re here bright and early.”

“I remember the dives always went better if I had time to check everything twice. Mom left many details like air in the tanks or gas in the boat up to me.”

“She wasn’t always as cautious about her equipment.”

“I wish she’d worried more. She could be so reckless.”

“Holding on to life too hard can crush the life out of it.”

Maybe that’s why I hadn’t thrived the last few years. I was gripping so tight my fingers ached. “When did you get to be such a philosopher?”

He offered his hand to me, and I took it before climbing onto the boat. “I always have been. You just never noticed.”

That was probably true. When I looked at him now, I felt like a teenager with hormones flooding my body. They were still raging, but life had taught me to slow down. I’d been riding the brake too long, and it was time to press the accelerator.

“Who’s on the dive list today?” I asked.

“Tony is back, plus three others. I’ll introduce you as they arrive.”

“Tony is back? I thought he’d never dive again.”

“Called me late last night. Apparently, he wants another crack at the Oceanus. He’ll be glad to see you here.”

“Tula, the emotional support boat crew member,” I quipped.

“Are you getting in the water?” Nathan asked.

“No. But I’m less freaked out. Still adjusting to being surrounded by water again. But it’s much better. The ocean and I are trying to become friends again.”

“Best feeling in the world.”

“Until you need a full breath and you realize there are two hundred feet of water between you and air.”

His brow knotted. “This fear really is a thing with you.”