Read Online Rising Tides by Maria Rachel Hooley - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Maria Rachel Hooley
Tags: Fiction, Contemporary Women
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eyebrows and long eyelashes. And something stirring the blue eyes.
In that instant, I saw his face stroked onto the canvas. I saw the gentle frown and ocean eyes and myself mirrored in them. And I knew I had found homecoming in another soul. For a moment, I stared at him, watching as it seemed even his chest had stopped moving, ceasing to inhale and exhale. Then his fingers stopped and opened, and the illumination disappeared.
I peered at the strand still lying in his open hand. “Figures.” I took it, quickly undid the braid, and reworked it.
Tyler headed back to the table. “I thought we’d better eat something before we head out.” Around his neck, I saw the leather thong, but the sand dollar was buried under his shirt. “I’ve got a wet suit I think will fit you, Kelly, so if you fall in, it won’t be such a big deal this time.” He pointed at one of the chairs in the living room where a navy blue wetsuit lay. “At least this way you won’t be cold. Have a seat. How’s your head?” he asked while pouring water into my glass and then into his.
“Fine, thanks.” I sat where he’d pointed. “I certainly didn’t expect lunch out of the deal.”
Tyler chuckled and set the water in front of me. As he started to move away, I reached for a bag of chips, and our fingers collided. “Sorry,” we both said in unison.
Tyler pulled back, and I picked up the chips. He sat in the chair beside me. “One thing you learn about sailing, Kelly. Expect the unexpected.”
“Especially with someone as clumsy as I am, right?” I looked at him, arching my eyebrows as I waited for confirmation.
Tyler held up his hands as thought I’d pointed a gun at him and shook his head. “I didn’t say that. You did.” He picked up his sandwich and took a bite. “You’d better get eating, Kelly. We’ve got an ocean to brave.”
I looked at the clock and thought of Gary, halfway through his flight home. For an insane moment, fear wrapped its fingers around my body and started to strangle me. I drummed my fingers on the table, fighting the urge to call him and tell him I’d changed my mind. I gritted my teeth and railed at myself. What had I done? I was still dying. Now I was doing it alone.
“Kelly?” Tyler leaned toward me and waved his hand in front of my face, drawing me out of my thoughts. “Something bothering you?” He stilled my fingers. His skin rested against mine for a few seconds before he pulled away and peered down at his lunch.
“No, nothing,” I replied, forcing a smile. I stared down at my plate and picked up the sandwich. Even though Tyler didn’t appear to be looking at me, I still felt his gaze, as though he were peering at me using his peripheral vision.
“You sure you still want to go?” he asked, picking up his water glass. He took a sip. “If something is bothering you, we don’t have to.”
“Yes, I want to,” I nodded, knowing I had never been more sure of anything in my life. I thought of the cold water and the bright spring sunshine and knew I’d found the closest thing to heaven on earth.
Chapter Six
After lunch, we changed into the wetsuits and walked down the beach. Overhead, gulls circled lazily in the sky, crying to each other. One landed on the ground and pecked at a piece of paper lodged in the sand. The tide washed ashore, and the gull jerked into flight.
I chuckled, shaking my head.
“They are pretty amusing, aren’t they?” Tyler bent, picked up a rock, and tossed it into the ocean.
“Yeah, they are.” I watched him stand. “But since you live on the beach, they’re probably pretty boring.”
Larkin darted past, dashing into the tide until it came to his belly before he retreated. Turning my attention from the dog, I spotted a small shell half-buried in Larkin’s tracks. I squatted and picked it up.
“Just because I
In that instant, I saw his face stroked onto the canvas. I saw the gentle frown and ocean eyes and myself mirrored in them. And I knew I had found homecoming in another soul. For a moment, I stared at him, watching as it seemed even his chest had stopped moving, ceasing to inhale and exhale. Then his fingers stopped and opened, and the illumination disappeared.
I peered at the strand still lying in his open hand. “Figures.” I took it, quickly undid the braid, and reworked it.
Tyler headed back to the table. “I thought we’d better eat something before we head out.” Around his neck, I saw the leather thong, but the sand dollar was buried under his shirt. “I’ve got a wet suit I think will fit you, Kelly, so if you fall in, it won’t be such a big deal this time.” He pointed at one of the chairs in the living room where a navy blue wetsuit lay. “At least this way you won’t be cold. Have a seat. How’s your head?” he asked while pouring water into my glass and then into his.
“Fine, thanks.” I sat where he’d pointed. “I certainly didn’t expect lunch out of the deal.”
Tyler chuckled and set the water in front of me. As he started to move away, I reached for a bag of chips, and our fingers collided. “Sorry,” we both said in unison.
Tyler pulled back, and I picked up the chips. He sat in the chair beside me. “One thing you learn about sailing, Kelly. Expect the unexpected.”
“Especially with someone as clumsy as I am, right?” I looked at him, arching my eyebrows as I waited for confirmation.
Tyler held up his hands as thought I’d pointed a gun at him and shook his head. “I didn’t say that. You did.” He picked up his sandwich and took a bite. “You’d better get eating, Kelly. We’ve got an ocean to brave.”
I looked at the clock and thought of Gary, halfway through his flight home. For an insane moment, fear wrapped its fingers around my body and started to strangle me. I drummed my fingers on the table, fighting the urge to call him and tell him I’d changed my mind. I gritted my teeth and railed at myself. What had I done? I was still dying. Now I was doing it alone.
“Kelly?” Tyler leaned toward me and waved his hand in front of my face, drawing me out of my thoughts. “Something bothering you?” He stilled my fingers. His skin rested against mine for a few seconds before he pulled away and peered down at his lunch.
“No, nothing,” I replied, forcing a smile. I stared down at my plate and picked up the sandwich. Even though Tyler didn’t appear to be looking at me, I still felt his gaze, as though he were peering at me using his peripheral vision.
“You sure you still want to go?” he asked, picking up his water glass. He took a sip. “If something is bothering you, we don’t have to.”
“Yes, I want to,” I nodded, knowing I had never been more sure of anything in my life. I thought of the cold water and the bright spring sunshine and knew I’d found the closest thing to heaven on earth.
Chapter Six
After lunch, we changed into the wetsuits and walked down the beach. Overhead, gulls circled lazily in the sky, crying to each other. One landed on the ground and pecked at a piece of paper lodged in the sand. The tide washed ashore, and the gull jerked into flight.
I chuckled, shaking my head.
“They are pretty amusing, aren’t they?” Tyler bent, picked up a rock, and tossed it into the ocean.
“Yeah, they are.” I watched him stand. “But since you live on the beach, they’re probably pretty boring.”
Larkin darted past, dashing into the tide until it came to his belly before he retreated. Turning my attention from the dog, I spotted a small shell half-buried in Larkin’s tracks. I squatted and picked it up.
“Just because I
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