Chapter16
Garrison
Warm sunlight shines down as Sawyer, Katelyn, and I guide our kayaks through the tall spartina grass along one of South Carolina’s hidden waterways.It’s a true gem, only half an hour outside of Stormwatch Landing, yet very few ever come this far.
Most people prefer the beaches.But there’s something deeply serene about being out here.The still water.The way the grass bends with the breeze, swaying without breaking.To me, it feels more alive than any stretch of sand.
The air hums with energy.And on quiet days like this, we might even catch sight of dolphins exploring the waterway that winds toward the ocean miles away.
We never experience the same day twice.
Each one is new.
A surprise.
And then there’s today.
My gaze lands on Katelyn just ahead of me, tucked between Sawyer and me.Sunlight pulls amber from her hair, and she’s smiled more in the last hour than I’ve seen in all the time we’ve spent together.And I meanreallysmiled.It’s the first time I’ve seen unguarded happiness from her.
I knew today was going to be hard on her.I almost let fear stop me.
But seeing her smile—even once—was worth every nervous second I spent wondering if she’d say no.As if she can feel my thoughts on her, Katelyn turns and smiles at me.
“Having fun?”I blurt.Does she know I was staring?
“I am.This is gorgeous.”
I couldn’t agree more.“Definitely.Sawyer and I try to come out at least once a month.”
“I can see why.Out here, everything feels so simple.So calm.”She closes her eyes for a moment, then opens and grins at me.“I can feel the life all around us, yet, at the same time, it’s almost as if we’re completely alone.”
“There are few places in this world that calm my mind.This is one of them.”
“It definitely—” She squeals and shifts in her seat as her kayak rocks.
“Easy!”I call out, paddling a bit faster to get to her.I’m about two feet away when I see a dolphin break the surface of the water.Another comes up beside it before slipping back beneath the surface.
“Was that a dolphin?”she squeals and leans over the edge of the kayak.
“Yes, but be careful because—” But I’m too late.Her kayak tips, and Katelyn falls into the water with a loud splash.“Katelyn!”I call out and tip my own kayak over to get to her.Just as I hit the water, Katelyn surfaces and starts laughing so hard that tears slip down her face.
“I can’tbelieveI did that!But it was a dolphin!Did you see it?It was right there!”
I swim toward her, stopping only when I’m close enough to grab her should anything happen.“Are you okay?”
Her gaze locks on mine, and the air around us charges.
Her laughter dies, and her expression shifts to something else—something so similar to the desire coursing through my veins that Ialmostpull her into my arms right here in the water.
Would she pull away?Or lean into what I’m offering?
“Yeah, I—sorry.”Her cheeks turn pink.“I should have been more careful.”
“It’s nothing I haven’t done before,” I tell her.
“I’ve never seen one so close.It caught me off guard.”
“Yeah.I know something about that.”I move a bit closer.You caught me off guard.I want so badly to confess that to her.Sure, I admitted that I’d love to date her.But what I feel is so much more than that.