Swimming Lessons (14 page)

She laughed out loud, a short, happy burst as if the vacuum she’d felt earlier had switched to reverse and suddenly all the elation that had been sucked from the room had been thrust back in with a whoosh, filling her with joy and unsurpassed giddiness.

Later that night, long after Ethan had left, Toy took Little Lovie’s hand and together they walked out to the beach to sit on Miss Lovie’s dune. She felt the need to spend a moment with Miss Lovie on her birthday.

It was high tide on an inky night. A storm was blowing in over the ocean. The roaring wind was insistent and the waves were pounding the shore, creeping perilously close to Big Girl’s nest. She cuddled her daughter on her lap and wrapped a thin cotton blanket around them both. The white corners flapped in the wind, snapping by their ears as they faced seaward, thrilling to the power of nature on display before them. She’d read somewhere that eighty percent of the human body was made up of salt water, and Toy knew it ran thick in their veins.

Toy could feel the electricity flowing in her daughter. Little Lovie thrilled to the wild, tumultuous power of nature. She shared her mother’s love of the great sea in all its forms—serene, thundering, gentle, dangerous, roaring, lapping, solitary yet teeming with life. When a big wave thundered perilously close, Toy hugged her daughter, delighting in the innocent, full-throated joy of her laugh.

Oh, Miss Lovie
, she silently cried to the spirit of her
mentor.
This is the best birthday ever. I don’t feel afraid any more! I feel so happy and hopeful.

Toy felt buffeted by the brute force of her emotions tonight. Cuddling with her daughter, she found comfort here with the two Lovies. One Lovie was her past, the other Lovie was her future. Yet here on this sacred dune, she felt the past and present swirl together, like the wind around them, to form this perfect now.

The following evening, Ethan came to the beach house as promised. When Toy opened the door, she immediately felt a difference in the air between them. All pretenses that he was here as a colleague to do work had dissipated like the day’s light, leaving them in the sultrier, seductive mood of twilight.

Lovie ran to Ethan the moment he stepped into the house and wrapped her arms around his long legs.

“Ethan! We got a turtle nest today,” she announced, craning her neck far back to look at his face.

“How many does that make?” he asked.

Lovie checked with her mother. “Twelve?”

“That’s right. Twelve and still counting,” she replied, delighted at her daughter’s passion at being a member of the turtle team.

“The nest isn’t far from here,” Lovie went on. “Do you want to see it? Can I show it to you? Please? I helped put up the sign. That’s
my
job. Come on, Ethan, you’ll like it.” She tugged at his arm, dragging him to the porch.

He looked up at Toy, his eyes filled with question. When Toy smiled and nodded, he replied, “Sure, pumpkin, let’s go. Go grab the camera, Toy. We can start your lessons on the beach.”

The breezes felt balmy and soft on her face as Toy followed Ethan and Lovie along the shoreline. The tide had gone far, far out. Where Breach Inlet was a churning sea mere hours ago, now it lay level as a floor nearly clear across to Sullivan’s Island. A few fools ignored the warning sign and were attempting to walk across, but Toy knew better than to trust the swift changing tides and the rip currents.

At this late hour most of the shorebirds were resting, but a few peeps still skittered along the far shoreline in their comical, swift-legged run. Overhead in the far distance, an osprey searched for a final fish to bring back to his nest where his mate waited with two hungry young.

A thick, jagged line of sea wrack marked the high tide line for as far as she could see. Toy spotted an occasional ghost crab scuttling along it, silent as the wind and almost invisible against the sand, its dark, button eyes on the look-out for sand fleas that hid in the wrack.

Usually, Little Lovie was fascinated with the antics of the ghost crab but tonight her focus was on the sea shells that littered the sand. Toy watched as Lovie skittered along the beach not unlike the ubiquitous crab. From time to time she stopped to pick a shell up and carry it over like a prize to Ethan. One after another he patiently bent low to her level and examined it, then, carefully, handed it back to her.

“It’s a pen shell,” he replied, or “That one’s a moon snail,” or “a knobbed whelk.”

Lovie repeated the name with utmost concentration, trying to set it in her brain.

Toy watched and wondered if Ethan could know how much his give-and-take with her daughter meant to them both?

When they reached the edge of a long gulley Lovie let out a squeal of delight and ran over to the shallow water. She called Ethan over, waving in excitement for him to hurry.

Ethan stopped before her and bent to look closer. “What have we got here?”

“Look, Ethan. It’s a sand dollar!” She handed it to him like it was gold.

He took the sand dollar in his hands and inspected it. “It’s a beauty, that’s for sure. Why don’t you walk to the shore and gently put it back into the water?”

Lovie frowned and shook her head. “No, I’m gonna keep it.”

Toy drew nearer, watching the exchange carefully.

Ethan lowered himself to her level and drew her near so she could look closely at the creature in his palm. “Look, Lovie. What color is this sand dollar?”

“Green.”

“That’s right.” He flipped the sand dollar to its back. “See all those tiny feet waving at you? This sand dollar is still alive. They use their feet to dig or to eat. If we leave it here in the water, when the tide comes back in, it will carry the sand dollar back home again.”

“But Ethan, I want to keep it. I love sand dollars.”

“You don’t want to kill it, do you?”

She shook her head, but without heart. He patted her back, and let her lean against his chest.

“Lovie, you’re one of the lucky ones. You live here and can see the sand dollar on the beach where it belongs. Look at your pockets, all stuffed with shells to bring home. I’ll bet you have lots of shells at home already, right?” When Lovie nodded, he laughed softly. “I thought so. Just pick the ones you love most, maybe two or three,
and leave the rest here for someone else to find. If everyone is careful to take only a few, then there will be enough for us all.”

Lovie thought about that for a moment, then hunched over her treasures. After some thought, she chose one half of an Angel’s Wing for herself.

“This one is for you,” she told him, handing him a moon shell. “You call it a shark eye, and I know you like sharks.”

The rest she left in a small pile on the beach.

“I’ll treasure this shell and every time I see it,” he told her, “I’ll remember how proud I am of you.”

Toy hung back, deeply moved by the interaction. She wondered what her daughter was missing at not having a father in her life. She brought her camera up and began taking picture after picture of the pair, unsure of what it was she was seeking through the eyes of the lens.

Too soon, the sun slipped lower along the horizon and the sky darkened. Toy lowered her camera and called her beach scavengers home. Ethan held Little Lovie’s hand and walked her back to Toy’s side, their feet leaving deep imprints in the soft sand.

“Mama, I left the sand dollar in the sand,” Lovie announced, testing out her mother’s approval.

“Good for you! We’ll have to tell the turtle ladies,” she replied.

When Lovie shot forward toward the house, Ethan ambled to her side.

“She’s a great kid,” he told her.

“I know. Thanks.”

He reached out and brought his hand up to gently sweep a wayward tendril from her face and tuck it around her ear. “She’s a lot like her mother.”

She felt her heart quicken and licked her parched lips.
His gaze darted to her lips and she felt certain that he would kiss her. She held her breath.

He did not. She was surprised by the punch of her disappointment.

He tucked his hands in his pockets and they began to slowly walk in an angle from the shore to the dunes. “Toy,” he said hesitatingly. “I was wondering…would you like to have dinner?”

“Well, sure,” she replied. “I can fix us up something.”

He chuckled. “No, not tonight. And not with Lovie. Toy, I’m asking you out to dinner. Just the two of us.”

“On a date?”

He suppressed a grin. “That’s the idea. You know, you put on a pretty dress and I put on a clean shirt and come by your house to pick you up.”

“Oh,” she said with a sense of wonderment. “When?”

He stopped and faced her. “How about Friday night?”

She turned and looked at him, squinting in the sun. “Okay.”

He released a grin of pleasure. “Okay. I’ll pick you up at six.”

Medical Log “Big Girl”

F
riday crawled by slower than a turtle.

Toy counted the minutes of the day, because that evening, Ethan was taking her out on a date. She counted the minutes while she worked at the Aquarium, wondering if Ethan would come down to the turtle hospital in the basement, hoping he would yet praying he wouldn’t. She counted the minutes driving home from work, cursing every red light along Coleman Boulevard. She counted the minutes as she washed her hair, soaped her body and rinsed in hot water, as she slipped into her sundress bought especially for tonight, styled her hair, applied makeup, sprayed a bit of scent, and as she drove Little Lovie to Cara’s house for the evening.

By six o’clock she was pacing by the front door, pausing from time to time to look into the hall mirror. She saw in the reflection a fairly attractive, slender woman in her twenties with shoulder length blond hair in a stylish, green cotton sundress. Around her neck she wore a pearl necklace she’d borrowed from Cara. She reached up to touch them with her fingertips. They lay creamy against her tan skin. She’d always thought a string of
pearls signaled sophistication. Girls of quality wore them for graduation photographs, on prom night, and on their wedding day. She had never gone to prom and she didn’t wear a graduation cap and gown. This was the first time she’d ever worn pearls.

Toy’s hand lowered. Looking deeper into her gray-blue eyes, she saw again the unsure, naive expression shining in them that, in high school, she’d tried to disguise with heavy kohl liner and a hardened, insolent gaze. The kohl was gone now, as was the insolence. Yet traces of the self-doubt lingered in the pale eyes that no makeup could disguise.

Drawing back, she told herself she was just feeling nervous. She hadn’t been on a real date in years, though it wasn’t for lack of invitations. She’d made such a mess of her life because of men in the past, she wanted to be darn sure she was feeling strong inside before she let any man back into her life. And she’d made the vow to Miss Lovie before she died that she’d change her life for the better. Going out tonight with Ethan was, in a way, her first acknowledgment to herself that just maybe, she’d succeeded.

She turned away from the mirror. Certainly, Ethan was unlike any man she’d ever met before. He was strong yet gentle, opinionated yet open-minded. And he was kind to her daughter. That counted for a lot. She smiled, feeling certain that Miss Lovie would have approved of Ethan as well. For sure Cara did. It wasn’t so much what she’d said. It was more the look Cara gave her when she’d clasped the pearls around her neck and told her to “have a wonderful time.”

How silly she was to be nervous, she scolded herself. She saw Ethan most every day at the Aquarium. Yet in her heart she knew this anticipation and excitement came because tonight was different from the casual acquain
tance relationship they shared at work. This was, simply, a man taking a woman out for dinner to get to know her better and to enjoy her company.

The doorbell rang, its two-note gong sending her heart pounding anew. She pressed her hand against her stomach while she steadied her breath, then gaining composure, walked to the door. Fixing a smile, she opened it.

Ethan stood at the door holding flowers.

Flowers
. Her stiff smile bloomed with sincerity as she exclaimed over the gorgeous stems of pale, petal-pink tulips and fragrant freesia. The scent was overpowering as she lowered her face into the bunch.

“You didn’t have to.”

“I wanted to.”

She raised her gaze over the tips of pink and was pleased to see that Ethan had dressed carefully for the evening as well. Though still in casual attire, his brown eyes seemed to glow over his coral polo shirt and khakis pants. There was about him an alertness that revealed he, too, might be a bit nervous.

“Let me put these in water. Come in.” She was aware of his eyes on her as she walked ahead of him into the small kitchen. She reached on tiptoe to get a vase from a high shelf. Suddenly he was behind her grasping the vase.

“Thank you,” she said feeling strangely formal as she filled the vase with water then put the flowers into it. She busied her hands, feeling self-conscious in her new sundress and Cara’s pearls.

“You look beautiful,” he told her.

Her hands stilled. “Really?”

“You should always wear pearls. They suit you. You
know, in the East they say that pearls take on the soul of the person who wears them.”

“I’ve never heard that.” She smiled and thought to herself she was glad that she’d be carrying a little bit of Cara along with her tonight. Maybe some of her self-confidence and elegance would rub off on her.

“It’s quiet without your little one around. Where is that minx?”

“I brought her over to Cara’s. She hasn’t been there much lately and was so excited. She was jumping around, begging me to hurry and hanging at the door like a dog that hadn’t been walked in a week. Brett’s going to take her fishing.”

“I could take her fishing.”

Toy thought she heard a slightly wounded tone in his voice, like he was jealous.

“Why, she’d just love that. Anytime.”

“We’ll go next week, then. I have to collect some specimens for the Aquarium and I won’t be going all that far out. Speaking of which, we should get going,” he said, looking at his watch. “I’ve a few surprises lined up.”

“I like surprises,” she said, grabbing her purse and a summer sweater. “Are you offering any clues?”

“Just one. We’re going to the Aquarium first.”

She felt a charge of disappointment. “For work?”

“Nope. To pick up our ride.”

An hour later Toy was speeding through the harbor on the Aquarium’s sexy new fishing boat. The Scout was twenty-eight feet of unmatched, gleaming white power and she had to hold tight as Ethan let the twin Yamaha outboard motors roar through the harbor. She felt giddy at the rush and lifted her chin to laugh out loud as the
wind streamed across her face like water. Hearing her laugh, Ethan turned from the wheel, his dark hair slicked back by wind and a grin stretching ear to ear. Yes, he was born to be on the water, she thought and grinned back at him, her eyes dancing with delight.

The water crossing the harbor was choppy but the boat soared through the green-gray peaks like a knife through butter. To her left she saw the great Ravenel Bridge, its two peaks looking like the masts of graceful twin sailing vessels. Over the roar of the engines he pointed in the direction of the enormous aircraft carrier at Patriot’s Point. The Yorktown was permanently docked in the harbor as a tourist site and she’d seen it hundreds of times from the bridge. Yet the closer they drew to it, the larger it loomed until she felt dwarfed by the colossal size of the great ship.

Around them other pleasure boats were taking advantage of the warm weather for a sunset cruise. Several boats passed them, some filled with teens who whooped and hollered as they zoomed by, others with parents and children in life jackets, and still other couples like themselves who casually lifted a hand in a universal greeting. Several boats were headed for Patriot’s Point. Every Friday the “Party at the Point” had live bands and dancing, a popular summer spot for Charleston. She thought that was where Ethan was taking them, but Ethan veered away from the Mt. Pleasant side and headed back into the heart of Charleston Harbor.

She was curious, but he’d told her he had some surprises and she didn’t want to spoil them. She looked behind him to where a red cooler sat beside a large canvas bag stuffed with an old blue quilt. Her mind was spinning with questions about what was in the cooler when the
boat hit the wake of a large tour boat and bumped the water hard. With a yelp her hold slipped and she lost her balance, tumbling to the side. Ethan’s arm shot out to grab her waist and pull her close.

“Almost lost you there,” he said. Then looking down at her he added, “Wouldn’t want that to happen.”

She pushed the windblown hair from her face. As he negotiated the water, she negotiated the rush of feelings racing through her when he didn’t release her. She fit neatly under his arm and leaned into him, relaxing in degrees, relishing the warmth and feeling in some strange way like she always belonged there. The engines roared as they picked up speed. A pair of dolphins raced alongside their boat, playing in the wake. Their gleaming bodies arced and dove in the churning water and Toy laughed aloud, feeling like she was riding atop their soft gray bodies. Her hair streamed behind her, water sprayed her face in tiny droplets and looking up, she saw Ethan grinning wide, enjoying her reaction.

He steered the boat closer to what looked like a dilapidated old brick and mortar castle on a spit of land smack in the middle of Charleston Harbor. She’d read about Castle Pinckney in her history books, of course, but never went there. It wasn’t a public park or a destination for tour boats, like Fort Sumter, and was off limits to all but licensed personnel.

Slowing down, Ethan released his hold on her and used both hands to maneuver the boat closer to the shore. The mighty engines growled low under churning water. Then the engines stopped and the world was instantly thrust into blissful silence. Her senses heightened and she could hear the gentle lapping of water against the boat,
the creaking of rope and the sound of multiple birds crying out from the island.

“We’re here,” he announced. He moved with the speed of experience as he moored and set anchor.

“We’re going ashore?”

“That’s the plan.” He turned to gather together the cooler and the canvas bag.

“But, I thought the island was restricted. Won’t we get in trouble for trespassing?”

“Some people could,” he replied. Then looking at her he cast a cocky smile. “But not me. I’m approved.”

Of course he would be. She was silent a moment then looked down at her brand-new sundress and strappy sandals. Her hand reached up to touch Cara’s pearls at her neck. “Ethan, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize we were going to an island. I didn’t wear the right clothes.”

“You’re dressed fine.”

“But my shoes, my dress…”

“Well, the shoes might be a problem.” He dug into the canvas bag and pulled out a pair of dime store rubber sandals that were bright neon pink. “So I brought these. I think they’re your size.”

She laughed as they dangled in his hand. “Great color. Perfect for my green dress. Speaking of which, is there a swimsuit in that bag for me? Or maybe shorts and a top?”

“No, but I’ve got a blanket for you to sit on so your pretty dress won’t get ruined.”

“I still have to get to the island from the boat.”

“No problem there, either. I’ll carry you. You won’t get a drop of water on you.”

Carry her?
She stared at him while, in a flash, she recalled the story Cara had told her of her first date with
Brett. He’d taken her to a remote hammock in the marsh and he’d carried Cara on his back like a pack mule all the way from the boat, through the pluff mud, to the hammock. It had all sounded so unbelievable and romantic when she’d first heard the story. Cara loved telling it and embellished the tale more and more as the years went by. Toy had always listened to the story with dreamy eyes, and now here was Ethan, offering to carry her ashore. She chuckled to herself and fingered Cara’s pearls, wondering if the old saying about them was true after all.

“What’s so funny?” he asked, his tone mildly hurt. “You don’t think I can carry you?”

“No,” she replied, quick to reassure him. “I mean, yes, I think you can carry me. It’s just, well, so…unexpected.”

His frown lifted and his smile turned smug. “That was the idea.”

While she put on her rubber sandals, he rolled up his pants and climbed overboard into the water. It was only knee deep for him and she lifted the cooler and the canvas bag over the side of the boat for him to carry ashore.

“You’re next,” he said, when he came back.

“Do you want me to go piggyback?” she asked, thinking again of Cara’s story.

“No. Just swing your legs over the edge and I’ll catch you. It’s not far.”

The boat rocked as a wave hit it. She gripped the sides tight. “You mean, just let go and fall back?”

“It’s easy, like catching a baby.”

“I’ll be the biggest baby you’ll ever carry.”

He looked at her and chortled. “Hardly. I’ve carried some big girls in my time without a problem. I’m pretty sure I can manage a little thing like you. Come on, Toy, trust me.”

Trust me.
If he only knew how big a deal it was for her to trust a man. She’d been disappointed by men all her life. She could think of one or two clowns who might actually step aside and let her hit the water and think it was funny. And here was this man, asking her to just fall back and let go.

She chewed her lip as she recalled how, whenever she was afraid, Miss Lovie had asked her, “What is the worst thing that could happen?” She thought of her new dress that had consumed every extra penny she’d had, of Cara’s pearls. She looked down into the water and saw Ethan standing knee deep in the sea, the lapping waves dampening the edges of his rolled up pants. He was a tall man with strong, muscled arms. She’d seen him lift two-hundred-pound sea turtles, he could certainly catch her one hundred and fifteen pounds.

And this wasn’t just any man, she reminded herself. This was Ethan. Besides, the worst thing that could happen to her was she’d get wet.

“Ready, set, go,” he called to her.

“Okay, here I come.” She gripped the side of the boat and gingerly lifted one leg over the side. “No peeking under my skirt.”

“Scout’s honor.”

Next she put her weight on her belly then lifted her other leg over, leaving herself dangling on the side of the boat. Her arms shook with strain and once again she felt Ethan’s hands around her waist.

“Okay, Toy, you’re supposed to let go now.”

Toy closed her eyes and let go. With a squeal she fell back and in an instant she found herself cradled in Ethan’s arms. He’d caught her. She was so relieved she burst out laughing and swung her arms around his neck. “I did it!”

“Well, actually,
I
did it,” he teased. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”