Chapter Fifteen
CHASE
Fifteen feet below the surface,I hovered in the water as the timer on my dive computer ticked down the final minute of our safety stop. My breathing created a steady rhythm through the regulator. Inhale, exhale, each breath a contained universe of compressed air.
Below us, the reef pulsed with life, a living painting that no artist could capture. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed this—the weightlessness, the muffled silence, the absolute presence required by the underwater world. Launching Latitudes and diving into the resort renovations had consumed every waking moment for months, but here, suspended in blue, I remembered why I made time for this.
A shimmering school of yellow-tailed snappers swept past, their movements so synchronized they seemed to share a single mind. Their vibrant colors caught the filtered sunlight, flashing gold against the backdrop of coral formations and swaying sea fans. The massive coral below us hosted a busy community of cleaner wrassesdarting in and out of its folds, while purple sea fans waved gently in the current.
I adjusted my buoyancy with a small exhale, trying to maintain neutrality without rising or sinking. It had been too long since my last dive, and my muscle memory felt rusty. The slightest breath changed my position in the water, a reminder of how diving demanded complete awareness of your body.
I glanced over at Harper, floating effortlessly through the water. Seeing her like this, unburdened and graceful, struck something deep inside me. Even behind her mask, the wonder in her eyes was clear. She felt the way I did here, free andalive. A moment of pure intimacy in a world all our own.
Something shifted in my chest as I watched her. Sharing this silent, weightless world felt unexpectedly intimate, as if we’d discovered a secret language. Up on the surface, we balanced work discussions about the resort renovations with careful steps into a relationship neither of us had planned. But down here, where words couldn’t intrude, the connection was both simpler and more profound.
I let the feeling sink in. I’d been consumed with the launch of Latitudes and the resort project, buried in stress and deadlines. I hadn’t realized how much I’d needed this—the escape, the reset, the connection. Harper hovered nearby, her movements fluid and confident.
A movement to my right caught my eye. Eli’s distinctive neon yellow fins withFollow Mewritten in permanent ink on the tips flicked as he gave me an exaggerated okay sign, his eyes conveying the unspoken critique of my wobbly buoyancy. Twenty-plus years of friendship meant he never missed a chance to needle me about my rusty dive skills. Iresponded with an equally exaggerated okay, adding an eye roll behind my mask.
Next to Eli, Jules floated serenely, her trim black wetsuit and streamlined position making her look like she belonged here more than any of us. With her dark hair swept into a neat ponytail and her movements precise and economical, she reminded me of a sleek reef shark—elegant, composed, slightly intimidating. Despite being a relatively new diver, Julianne Verne approached underwater skills with the same meticulous attention she brought to the resort’s financials.
After signaling the dive was finished, Eli lifted his thumb and we rose slowly, the surface shimmering above us. The meditative calm shifted with each foot we climbed, anticipation building until we broke through. Bright sunlight blinded me momentarily,Sunset Diverrocking gently from where it was moored nearby.
“Woo!” Harper pulled her regulator free, her face split with a grin as she pulled her mask down. Water droplets caught in her eyelashes, making them sparkle in the afternoon sun. “That was fabulous!”
“Not bad for a resort master scheduler,” Eli said, floating effortlessly beside her. “You’re starting to look like you belong down there, sis.”
“The visibility was exceptional today,” Jules said, still peering into the blue water. “I counted two species of butterflyfish I hadn’t seen before.”
“Ooh, somebody’s been studying her fish ID books,” Eli said, smiling at her with obvious approval.
We swam the short distance toSunset Diver, its white hull gleaming in the sunshine. Eli reached the ladder first and climbed aboard with the practiced ease of someone who did this multiple times daily. He leaned over to offer Jules a hand, which she accepted with a small nod.
“Need a boost, old man?” Eli called down to me, grinning. “Those custom homes aren’t keeping you in diving shape.”
“No, but the running does, asshole,” I replied mildly, waiting for Harper to go ahead of me.
She was already moving up the rungs, water streaming from her. I definitely didn’t watch the way it clung to her curves as she climbed. And I absolutely wasn’t caught staring when I hauled myself onto the deck after her.
“Like what you see, Ashworth?” she asked quietly, a teasing glint in her eye as she reached for a towel.
“Can’t complain about the view.”
The routine kicked in. Tanks were secured, masks stowed, wetsuits peeled off in the humid afternoon air. Harper and I reached for the freshwater hose at the same time, our hands brushing.
She stepped back, her eyes playful, handing me the hose with a grin. “You go first. Looks like you need it.”
Eli shook his head, passing out towels. “Or maybe you two should shower together. Save water.”
I caught the look in his eye, a mix of amusement and something else—scrutiny. The boat deck settled into a post-dive rhythm. Eli pulled cold beers and sodas from the cooler, passing them around along with a bag of chips and a container of cookies.
“Refreshments for the successful divers,” he announced. “Jules brought some cookies too, because she’s secretly the best person on this boat.”
“Don’t tell anyone,” Jules said dryly as she grabbed a can of soda. “I have a cultivated reputation for heartlessness to maintain.”
Harper and I sat close on a bench seat, sharing a towel, her wet hair brushing my shoulder. The casual intimacyfelt natural, but I was acutely aware of Eli’s watchful presence.
“So,” Eli said, cracking open a beer, “how was the view from down under? You both looked cozy.”
