He nodded slowly, contemplating my words as he swirled the dregs of his beer. “I could definitely do that. Sunset Siesta has so much potential, you know? That Old Florida charm is worth preserving.”
I leaned forward, excitement rising in my chest. “Exactly! And with the right updates, we could attract more guests and keep the resort afloat. It’s just, I want to make sure we get it right.”
Chase gave me an encouraging nod, his eyes steady as he listened intently. “This means a lot to you.”
“Yeah, well…” I shifted in my chair as I glanced around the pub again. “It’s not just about business. It’s our home. Our family built this place from the ground up.”
Chase tapped his jaw as he considered my words. “It’s a lot to think about. Anyplace specific you want me to start?”
“Since you’re here now, could you take a preliminary look around? Maybe check in with Harper first for specifics?”
He barked a laugh, shaking his head. “Nah, I’ll just start. She’s got enough on her plate.”
“What do you mean?”
“Come on, Eli,” he said, a teasing smirk creeping onto his face. “She’s the general manager of a resort and asingle mom. I can handle the resort priorities without putting any more work on her.”
“She lives for chaos. Always the calm harbor in the storm, that girl,” I replied, but my mind was already moving on to the upcoming week. “I’m looking forward to a Monday morning for once. I’m leading a group tomorrow. No classes.” My heart took off at the thought. Leading dives made me forget all my worries. “It’ll be choppy. A storm is supposed to hit, but not bad enough to cancel the dive.”
“Should keep things interesting,” he said. “You love it when it’s challenging.”
“True,” I admitted, already picturing myself beneath the surface, surrounded by vibrant corals and swaying sea fans. The way light filtered through water was like magic. The sunbeams formed stained glass in my own cathedral.
He stood up. “I’ll poke around a little and get a sense of what the immediate priorities are. But don’t expect my report right away. If the resort is officially hiring me to consult, I’ll do a thorough job.”
Folding my arms, I grinned up at him. “You’re such a Boy Scout. Fine, I’ll be the slacker for you. Don’t worry, I’ll think of you when I’m enjoying myself tomorrow.”
I’d jinxedmyself with my big, fat mouth yet again. As I surfaced in the churning waters, I scanned the slate-gray horizon. Angry clouds loomed overhead, and a steady rain and wind pelted the group surfacing around me.
“All right, folks,” I called out, my voice carrying over the wind. “Let’s wrap this up nice and easy. Remember the procedures we went over before the dive, stay close, and we’ll be back on the boat in no time.”
I did a quick head count as my collection of six divers bobbed around me. Five calm faces, and one that looked like he’d just seen a shark sharpening its teeth. That’d be Lou, the newbie of the group.
“Hey, Lou,” I said, paddling closer. “How are you holding up, buddy?”
His eyes were huge. “I’m, I’m okay. It’s just…”
“The weather?” I finished for him, flashing my most reassuring grin. “Don’t sweat it. Mother Nature’s putting on a little show for us. I deal with weather all the time. We’ve got this.”
The tension in Lou’s shoulders eased a bit like I’d hoped. Years of guiding divers through their first underwater adventures had honed my ability to read people quickly to a fine art.
“Now let’s get you dry,” I continued, gesturing towardSunset Diver. “I’ll be right behind you.”
As we made our way back, I kept a watchful eye on Lou and the others. The waves were getting bigger by the minute, but I’d dealt with worse. Lou was finning on the surface much too strenuously and his BCD was under-inflated. “Add air to your BCD. Float on the surface and take it easy. Let the gear do its job, not you.”
Lou’s head bobbed in acknowledgment. As he added a burst of air to his BCD, a flicker of pride crossed his face. Moments like these reminded me why I loved this job. Sure, the endless summer and laid-back lifestyle were nice, but nothing beat the feeling of helping someone conquer their fears.
As we neared the boat, I allowed myself a small sigh of relief. Despite the challenging conditions, another successful dive was almost in the bag. I finned ahead to check on the other divers, making sure they were all doing okay. They were in a neat line, watching the boat carefullyas they boarded one by one. That’s when I heard a splash and a panicked gasp behind me.
“Help! I can’t—” A mouthful of seawater cut off Lou’s voice.
I spun around, my heart racing. Lou was flailing, his eyes wide with terror. Obviously, he hadn’t added enough air and was struggling in the heavy waves. Before I could react, he reached for his BCD release, fumbling with the buckles.
“Lou, don’t—” I shouted. I lunged for him, but it was too late.
I heard the click of the buckle opening even over the wind, and Lou’s entire scuba kit plummeted into the depths below. Shit. We were in deep water here. This was bad. Really bad.
I surged through the water, my muscles burning with the effort. “I’m coming, Lou! Just stay calm and float on your back!”
