“Maybe,” Everly agreed. “I think I know how to find Sam, but I’m not sure if I can make it happen.”
“Shark!” Jude and Fitz shouted at the same time.
Everly ran toward the side of the boat where Jude was standing.
“That’s so cool!” Wolf said.
“Everly, he’s cute! You gotta meet him!” Aurora waved her closer.
“Ronan, come see!” Fitz called out.
Ronan didn’t think that was such a good idea. He could see the way the boat tilted to the port side, where everyone had gathered. What if his weight brought the side of the boat down low enough for the shark to take a bite. “I’m gonna keep my delicious Irish ass over here. The boat is dipping awfully close to the water on your side of the boat.”
“Don’t worry, Ronan,” the boat captain said. “We won’t capsize or sink.”
“Are you sure, Jaques Cousteau?” Ronan studied the young man. He was tall, blonde, and looked like he was barely out of highschool. He wasn’t going to risk his tasty self on the say-so of a child.
“Daddy, he’s just swimming,” Everly said.
Ronan crept a little closer. He saw a dark grey shape swimming a few feet from the boat. “How do you know it’s a boy? Is he wearing a name tag that says, ‘Hi, my name is Chewy McChewerson?’”
Everly and Aurora laughed.
“No, Uncle Ronan. We know he’s a boy ‘cause he’s got two ding-a-lings!” Wolf shouted.
Fitz and Jude snorted.
“He’s got twowhat?” Ronan asked.
“Two Richards,” Jude said, tilting his head toward Wolf.
“Oh, Wolf, I didn’t understand what you meant until your Dad used thescientificterm.” Ronan rolled his eyes.
“Actually, they’re called claspers,” the captain said.
“Why are there two?” Ronan had a feeling he was going to regret the question.
“Sharks have two pelvic fins, so having two claspers makes it so the male shark can fertilize the female, without tipping over. It’s more efficient this way.”
“Having one is a real pain in the Richard. I can’t imagine having two,” Jude said.
“There’s a second shark here, off the starboard side,” Captain Chris said.
“Please don’t let it be a girl shark. I don’t want to watch the miracle of life play out on vacation.” Ten crossed his fingers.
“You’ll be happy to know mating season is in the fall, Tennyson.”
“She’s so cute!” Everly waved to the female shark.
Ronan sat behind Everly, ready to grab her and yank her out of the jaws of death if the need arose. Just as Ronan was starting to relax, one of the sharks poked its head above the water’s surface, reminding him of the infamous movie poster with the shark and the swimmer.
“Hi, Bianca! Hey, girl!” Everly said.
“Who’s Bianca?” Ronan asked, wondering if Everly read the shark’s name from the little tag on her fin.
“Bianca means white in Italian, Daddy,” Everly said.
“This female shark hasn’t been tagged yet,” Alan said. “Would you like to help me tag her?”
