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He laughs again and steps closer to the edge. He holds the ball at his chest like he’s not sure how to let it go.

“Don’t embarrass us.”

“I didn’t realize we were a team.”

“Temporary alliance.”

He winds up carefully, too carefully, then throws the ball in a high arc toward the middle of the pool.

It’s not a great throw. The dolphins don’t give a shit. They explode after it like he’s just opened the gates to paradise.

Paul’s mouth falls open.

I laugh so hard I have to brace one hand against my knee.

“What?”

“You threw like a dad.”

“I did not.”

The ball pops up again near the far side. Two dolphins race toward it. One gets there first and smacks it with its nose, sending it spinning through the air and landing with a splash that makes both of us shout.

Paul looks at me.

I look at him.

Two idiots trespassing on a dolphin pool, wet from a soccer ball, laughing like there’s no damage between us.

The dolphin pushes the ball back toward us. This time, it hits Paul square in the chest. Water splashes up his chin.

He sputters, blows water off his lips, and starts laughing again. He holds the ball out to me. “Your turn.”

“No way.” I point to the pool. “He wants you.”

Paul looks at the dolphin.

The dolphin squeaks like it agrees.

“Well,” Paul says, wiping water from his jaw. “I suppose I can’t disappoint my public.”

“Clint!” Don calls from below. Not gently. “Paul!”

We both look down toward the stairs. Don stands at the bottom, one hand on the railing, the other waving in a way that suggests he has had enough of the nonsense.

“They’re loading!” he calls.

Behind him, the line has started moving for real now, people flowing toward the dock in organized vacation excitement.

Paul looks from Don, to me, then to the ball still clutched to his chest.

Behind us, one of the dolphins clicks.

Don looks up at us, then past us, trying to see what we have found. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing!” Paul calls back.

We both immediately laugh because that’s possibly the worst available answer when what we’ve just done is quite close to everything.