‘Less talking, more action. Come on, at this rate the sun will actually be rising by the time you get in.’
‘Very funny,’ she replied.
Sam moved to the side of the ladder as she descended.
‘Now, the only way to do this is to lower yourself in, then keep moving your arms and legs as fast as you can. If you stop or think about it too much, you just won’t get in.’
‘You’re still not selling it to me.’
‘How about I make you a promise that when we’ve finished you can sit next to the firepit and choose a drink of your choice from the bar.’
‘Now that sounds more of my sort of invitation.’
‘You’re stalling!’
‘You know me too well.’ Verity took a deep breath and braced herself. She remembered a time when she’d been on holiday in Corfu, at a small hotel in the mountains. The scenery was beautiful and the pool inviting. The warmth of the sun had been scorching and she’d jumped straight in the pool, only to jump straight back out after realising it wasn’t heated. She spent the next half-hour trying to get warm in the sun. Something was telling her this water was going to be a heck of a lot colder.
‘There aren’t any sharks, are there?’
‘We’re on an island in the North East, I don’t think there are any sharks.’
‘Okay, I was just checking.’
Counting out loud to three, she went to jump but still didn’t let go of the ladder. ‘I’m going for it this time,’ she said, hoping she sounded more confident than she felt. She counted again and, taking herself by surprise, let go of the ladder and slid into the water. She gasped. ‘Oh my, oh my, oh my,’ she repeated over and over again. ‘It’s freezing!’
‘Cover your neck, you’ll start to relax quicker.’
Verity was thrashing around, her arms and legs moving fast. ‘Deep breaths,’ said Sam as he pulled her in close and wrapped his body around hers. ‘And relax.’
‘That does feel better, I have to admit.’
‘Now, when you’ve stopped squirming, look at that view.’
Verity turned herself around, Sam’s arms still wrapped around her, their bodies moving together in the water.
Up in the sky the moon shone brightly, reflected in the water.
‘Now I don’t know whether I should tell you this or not, but this is the shallowest part of the bay. You can actually stand up in the water.’
‘You’re kidding me, right?’
He grinned. ‘As much as I know you want to keep your legs wrapped around my body,’ he teased, ‘you can stand up. Just like I’m doing.’
Slowly lowering her feet to the bottom, Verity kept hold of him.
He grinned. ‘I told you so. Quick, look!’ He pointed upwards and the sky lit up as a shooting star streaked across the black velvet of the night. ‘Make a wish.’
He hugged her tightly as they watched it disappear.
‘What are the chances of that?’ she murmured.
‘Did you make a wish?’
‘I did, but I can’t tell you as it might not come true.’ Verity knew she’d wasted her wish, as what she’d wished for wasn’t going to come true. She couldn’t stay on Puffin Island for a while longer. She had promised to meet Ava and she wouldn’t let her friend down.
‘Let’s swim.’
They swam next to each other to the jetty and back again. To her surprise, Verity found she was enjoying every second of it and the cold water didn’t seem that cold at all now.
