After they ate, Caroline met Jameson at the pool. He swam to the side and glanced up at her.
“You make it seem easy,” she grumbled.
“Come on,” he challenged. “You swam across the pool the other day. Did you forget how?”
“No,” she reluctantly admitted. “I don’t think I’ll ever love water as you do.”
“How about I teach you some defensive moves in the water? Then you’ll feel less vulnerable,” he suggested, watching her as she sat along the edge, letting her feet dangle in the pool.
“You’re big. I don’t know if I’ll feel comfortable fighting you,” she confessed, glancing away from him.
“Hey. Part of getting rid of fear requires facing it. You know I’ll never hurt you. I mean, ladies fall all over me. You might like it if I wrestle with you,” he teased, watching her smile and roll her eyes.
“You’re incorrigible,” she said as he tugged her into the water. Her hands clamped around his neck. “Don’t go fast and tell me what you plan to do first.”
“We’ll start out doing it your way, but do you think a shark will tell you when it plans to attack?”
“I don’t know how you have the courage to swim in an ocean,” she said in disbelief.
“One day, I’ll take you to a beautiful beach with the bluest waters you’ve ever seen. We’ll go snorkeling and see all the tropical fish. Then, you’ll never want to get out.”
She scrunched her face in denial. “I doubt it.”
“You’ll see,” he said, charming her. “Let’s warm up first. Take ten laps from one side to the other.
Sighing, Caroline began. Jameson gave her instructions. True to his words, he told her before he did anything. Two hours later, she swam in the deep end with her eyes closed.
Her body braced, waiting for him to attack. He taught her how to hold her breath, made her go under the water, and grabbed her limbs. Slowly, she felt better and more empowered. A hand circled her ankle and jerked her under.
Caroline kicked out and twisted as he instructed, breaking his hold.
“I did it,” she squealed.
Jameson grinned. “You did. Let’s do it again,” he ordered.
They practiced until he finally called a halt.
“It’s almost five. We need to clean up before Nancy arrives. If she shows up, she’ll think we turned into prunes,” he said, guiding her to the steps.
Caroline felt tired thinking about the preparations.
“I didn’t realize the time,” she said, rushing out of the pool. “I’ll need a shower.”
Jameson watchedher run into the pool house. Caroline improved with each lesson. He hoped to rid her of her fear of water. As a SEAL, he loved it.
Twenty minutes later, she came out of the bedroom with freshly washed hair, pulled back into a bun, a pair of slacks, and a lacy green top.
“Garrett’s watching for her. If you’ll go into the house, I’ll take a quick shower,” he instructed.
Doing as he bade, Caroline went inside. He picked up his phone and called Garrett.
“She’s in the main house waiting for Nancy. I’m grabbing a shower.”
“I have eyes on the house,” Garrett reported. “Take your time. Riley, Rachel, and Rebecca arrived to help with any guests and get the house ready for the funeral.”
Jameson didn’t intend to leave her alone for very long. He jumped into the shower and slipped into a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Running barefoot from the pool house, he entered the main home as Nancy came in through the front.
“How are you?” Nancy asked, hugging Caroline. “I informed Bart, your dad’s friend from the VFW. He and a few of your dad’s friends might stop by to pay their condolences.”
