Wyatt nodded. 揧ep, there are sharks out here. Sometimes when we抮e paddling, the silhouette of us on our boards looks like a seal to them.?He wiggled his eyebrows. 揇inner.?
揇inner??My voice squeaked and that mischievous grin returned to Wyatt抯 face.
揑抦 teasing you, bookworm.?His teeth flashed. 揟here have been sightings of Great Whites but only a few. If you see a shark, it抯 likely a salmon shark, not a Great White.?
揇o those bite??
揈verything bites if it抯 in the right situation.?He must have seen the terror on my face. 揑t抯 rare. Sharks don抰 go around looking for a fight like a drunk gym bro at a bar. They mind their own business. Like you and I.?
In the small cove, the water was so calm and still. I swallowed and studied the surface of the water.
揟his is so dangerous.?I shook my head at him before tilting my head at the waves. 揝ome of those waves are huge. You could get hurt. You could drown.?
He laughed easily and shrugged. 揧ou could get hit by a car tomorrow. One of the bookcases in your shop could fall over and crush you to death. The Big One could wipe out the entire town.?The Big One was the earthquake the west coast was due for. Our side of Vancouver Island was unprotected, hence the surfing. Every year, the entire town did a drill when the sirens went off. In the event of a big earthquake, every resident knew to get to higher ground before the massive tidal wave hit.
Wyatt was right. Death was around every corner. My mom had thought she had her whole life in front of her. My throat was tight as I swallowed, staring at the board in front of me. I traced the scratches with my fingernail.
揥hy not enjoy what we have while it抯 here,?Wyatt said, quieter this time. 揌ere for a good time, not for a long time.?
We floated on the water for a few more minutes until Wyatt noticed my teeth chattering and suggested we paddle back in.
We were halfway to shore when something grabbed my ankle. My head whipped around and all I could see without my glasses was dark movement in the water.
揝hark!?I shrieked and jerked my ankle, flailing and splashing in the water. 揑t抯 a shark!?
I slipped off my board and my head dunked under the surface. Water rushed up my nose and I coughed and swallowed a mouthful.
Wyatt was suddenly next to me. His arm wrapped around my waist and he yanked me towards him. 揑t抯 seaweed, Hannah.?He held me against his chest as I thrashed, and with his other hand, he tried to pull whatever it was off me.
揝eaweed??I gasped, still coughing and heaving breaths. My pulse pounded in my ears.
He lifted the slimy green bundle out of the water and tossed it a few feet away. My pulse slowed a few notches. He was still holding me against his hard chest.
This was nice.
揓ust seaweed. Relax.?His voice was calm and low. I nodded, and my pulse returned to normal. 揟hat抯 one way to wake the sharks up.?He flashed me a roguish grin and I made a weird sound in my throat, like a growl. He laughed and let me go, holding my board so I could hoist myself back up.
Back on shore, we walked our boards across the sand, back to the shop. He had undone the top half of his wetsuit before we抎 even left the water and it hung from his waist. His back muscles were on full display, and I tried not to ogle.
揑f I wasn抰 here, how long would you stay out??I was out of breath from paddling.
He smiled to himself. 揂 couple hours. Until I get hungry.?He set his board down in front of the shop and pointed beside it. 揧ou can leave the board here.?
Once my board was on the ground, something tugged on the back of my wetsuit and I heard the zzzzt of the zipper. Cold air rushed in.
揟hanks.?Wyatt was basically undressing me. I had a swimsuit on underneath; it wasn抰 like he was unzipping my dress or something.
A quick flash of the look he had given me at Avery抯 wedding, his heated gaze skimmed down my form. My cheeks flushed.
揧ou can leave the suit to dry on the back patio,?he told me over his shoulder, walking down the beach. He lived in a small house in that direction. 揋ood work today, bookworm.?
Without my glasses, I could only see his form move as he walked with athletic ease, in control of his entire body.
That was it? 揥ait. Aren抰 you supposed to give me homework or something??
All I had done today was paddle and get water up my nose. I wasn抰 any closer to being a hot girl.
He turned, walking backwards. 揌omework? Not really my style, but okay. Um.?He rubbed his jaw. 揂sk ten guys out.?
Another shot of panic through my stomach. 揥hat?!?My voice sounded like I had inhaled helium. 揑 can抰 do that. That抯 like half of Queen抯 Cove.?
揝ure, you can. It抯 way less dangerous than surfing.?He waved and turned. 揝ame time Friday.?