Finding Paradise Read online

“Cassie, are you awake?” Hanna called out, her voice hopefully spilling over into the next bedroom. It was weird having two rooms, but that was the only way she could access the special promo code. Two rooms were cheaper than one.

  “Mhm…” Cassie sounded sleepy, but Hanna was glad to hear that she was at least awake.

  “Great, because I’ve just booked us in for a session at the local scuba diving place. And we need to get ready.”

  “You move fast.” Cassie still sounded sleepy. Moments later, she stumbled into Hanna’s room, her hair all over the place. She yawned. “What time?”

  “Twelve. He just happened to have a booking open.”

  Cassie nodded. “Okay, and what time is it now?”

  “Uh, after eleven, so we really should hustle.” Hanna hurried to her luggage. “Bring a swimsuit, a towel, and something comfortable to wear afterward because we’re leaving soon.”

  Cassie’s eyes widened. “When I told you to live a little, I didn’t mean for you to kill me in the process.” But there was a smile on her face, and Hanna could see the sleepiness departing, making way for excitement. “I’ll be ready in a few. A real few, not a ‘Cassie few.’ ”

  “Very funny.”

  Hanna found her bathing suit and slid into it, making sure it fit nicely before she threw on a summery dress, packed a few extras, and put her towel in a bag. She slipped on a pair of flats and twisted her hair back. A quick look in the mirror and a dash of perfume and she was ready to go. After all, there was no point in dressing up and putting on makeup for scuba diving.

  Cassie was ready a few minutes later, and together they headed to the café downstairs, which was situated near the more formal dining. They both grabbed something easy and light, and Hanna went to ask for directions at the front desk. As it turned out, the scuba diving place wasn’t too far from the hotel, so they decided that walking made the most sense.

  As they made their way down the street, Hanna was hit again with the sweet scent of the ocean. It rolled over her in waves, intoxicatingly sweet and salty all at once. The temperature was pleasant that morning, and Hanna was glad for its comforting warmth. She loved everything about Hawaii so far. She didn’t think she’d ever want to live there—she’d miss the steady routine of Coopersville—but the calm, relaxed nature of this place was seeping into her bones already.

  Finding the place wasn’t too hard. It was close to the beach, situated in a quaint looking shop with beautiful views. Clear signage led the way, and Hanna felt a sense of satisfaction wash over her. She checked the time and was relieved they’d made it with at least a few minutes to spare.

  “I didn’t have time to write a will before this,” Cassie muttered.

  “Relax. It’s going to be fine.”

  Cassie didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t get much chance to argue.

  “You must be Hanna.”

  She turned to see a man walking toward them. She felt like her heart might stop just looking at him. He was absolutely dreamy—gorgeous like no one else she’d met before. Not even Sabastian, their waiter from the night before, compared.

  His hair was blond from the sun, his skin a light tan color that seemed to glow in the light. He looked like he’d just gotten out of the water. He wore a pair of green shorts and a long towel hooked around his bare shoulders, and Hanna saw the remaining traces of water dripping down his muscles, defining what she could only assume was years of workouts in the water.

  He had an easy smile and a welcoming, confident air about him, and she smiled back. “Yeah. You must be Josh?”

  He held out his hand, eyes meeting hers. “Great to meet you.”

  She took his hand, feeling the firmness of his grip and the steadiness of his gaze. She swallowed and turned. “This is my friend, Cassie.”

  “Great to meet you both. I assume you’re coming along?”

  “Absolutely,” Cassie said. “I got talked into it.”

  Josh laughed. “Nothing to worry about. Let’s get you two your gear, then go over the basics before we get on the boat. The others will be here soon, but they’re mostly repeat customers, so I don’t have to worry too much about them.”

  He looked back toward Hanna. “I can focus all of my attention on you instead.”

  Hanna could feel a blush rise in her cheeks despite the teasing glint in his eyes, the playful expression on his face. He was only teasing, but still… “I guess we should consider ourselves lucky then.” She felt a warmth wrap around her even as she tried to make his comment less specifically about her.

  Josh grinned, and Hanna felt something melt inside. “You bet you are.” Then he walked away to grab a few things. He set them in two piles. “Okay, you’ll have a wetsuit, a snorkel, regulator, oxygen tank, buoyancy compensator…and a couple of other things. I’ll brief you when we’re on the boat. Right now, go ahead and get changed, and we’ll go from there.”

  “No problem.” Cassie was back to her usual, exuberant self, like a switch had flipped. She wriggled out of her dress right there and then, her swimsuit already on underneath. Hanna hesitated before following her example—he had said to get changed—and Josh shook his head, looking surprised for a moment. “And here I thought I’d have to avert my eyes.”

  “Sorry to spoil all your fun,” Cassie said with a smirk as she stepped into her wetsuit, the first to get changed.

  “Oh, don’t be. We’re going to have plenty of it soon.” He was looking Hanna’s way again, and she felt her cheeks grow warm. It could’ve been from the sunshine or the exertion of getting into her wetsuit, but before she could think about it too much, he added, “I mean, scuba diving is great…you know?”

  “I don’t, actually. This is our first time, remember?” Maybe they had given him the wrong impression by arriving so prepared.

  “You must think so, though, or you wouldn’t have bothered booking it.”

  “You’ve got a point there.”

  She turned to help Cassie into the last bit of her wetsuit, not wanting to make her reaction too obvious. She’d only been there for a day and a half, and already she was noticing the local talent.

  Josh set more equipment in front of them before giving them both a bag. “Your gear’s all in here. I have a couple of safety pamphlets I’m required to hand out, just for your own safety and insurance purposes. But don’t worry, I’ll do the big brief once we’re on the boat.”

  “Thanks.”

  She was impressed. He seemed like an expert, but he managed to give newcomers a chance to take it one step at a time rather than being drowned in all the things he knew. His confidence drew her to him even more than his looks. She realized she felt safe going out into the unknown waters as long as he was there. She knew he wouldn’t let anyone get hurt—not her, and not any of the other passengers.

  Josh rummaged around for a moment before handing them a few pieces of paper. “Read over these while we’re on the boat, please. Got to make sure everyone knows the safety measures.”

  “No problem,” Cassie said.

  “Well, the boat’s over this way. You two have the best seats in the house, courtesy of you being first time customers.” He flashed a smile as they headed over toward the docks, and Hanna couldn’t help the excitement that was bubbling up inside her.

  The remaining bit of her apprehension melted away. She didn’t know whether it was because of the vacation, the warm air, or the fact that Josh seemed more than capable, but she was perfectly happy to go along with whatever he said.

  As they approached the docks, Hanna was awestruck by the beautiful ocean that surrounded the island. She was already taking it for granted, expecting to see it around every building, somewhere, but each time she saw it, it still managed to take her breath away. She knew she was lucky to have the opportunity to visit this place—an island many people spent their entire lives dreaming about.

  She wondered for a brief, fleeting moment what it was like to live in a place like this. How would it feel to pack up all of her th
ings, throw caution to the wind, and move here forever? Then she thought of her job, her life, and what she’d built back home in Coopersville, and she knew she wasn’t going to stay, no matter how beautiful it was here. Still, the fantasy was something to enjoy, and she couldn’t help the slight tug of longing as they approached the glittering ocean.

  The waters were the most beautiful blue that she’d ever seen, so clear she could see almost down to the bottom. It was absolutely lovely, and Hanna swore that she could see darting movements beneath the water. She was probably seeing things, but the idea of glimpsing fish, of going beneath the water to enjoy the sights of the ocean had her humming with anticipation. She glanced at Josh and realized that he had a pretty great job. He got to do this every day. He’s the lucky one.

  They approached the boat, and he made sure everything was steady before he offered her his hand. Hanna took it and stepped up. His hand was warm and strong against hers. She braced herself on the boat as he helped Cassie up. Then Josh guided them to their seats, close to the front. “I figured you’d appreciate a good view.”

  How thoughtful. No wonder he was usually so busy and had so many returning clients. He was great at making people feel relaxed. “That’s nice of you. Thank you.”

  He shrugged and moved a couple of things to make room for Cassie. “It’s no trouble.” Then he met her gaze and smiled. “I’ll get the rest of the passengers ready and then we’ll head out.” He held up a checklist of names. “It would be bad for business if I leave people behind because I’m spending all my time with a couple of lovely ladies.” Even though he mentioned Cassie, he kept his eyes on Hanna with a look that told her who his focus was.

  “I suppose we wouldn’t want that.” Hanna tried to remind herself that he probably acted this way toward everyone, but she liked it all the same. It made her feel special, and, as he wandered off to get everyone else ready, Hanna couldn’t help but hope that he’d be back soon.

  Not all that much later, Hanna stood on what felt like a plank, facing the vast expanse of the ocean. Josh was by her side, only partly in his scuba gear, and many of the other, more experienced scuba divers were already in the water, somewhere below them, out of sight. She thought she’d feel better if they were more visible, but then, she might worry that she was holding them up. She felt like she’d been standing there for far too long already. Cassie was already in, eager to get the adventure underway once Josh had explained what was involved.

  She glanced at him. He showed her how to get into the water, holding one leg up, just as he had with every other passenger. “Just take a large step out there. That’ll make sure you’re far enough away from the boat.”

  One step. She knew all about taking the plunge, but usually, it was Cassie who was urging her into whatever the new activity was. This time, she had no one to blame but herself. This whole thing had been her idea, and now, her friend was under the water while she fretted on the boat.

  But Josh stood by her side. He didn’t rush her, and she knew he’d be in the water in a second if something went wrong. Taking a deep breath, she stepped out into the water, off the boat, holding her mask in place.

  There was a burst of bubbles, and she was there in the deep blue. Josh had said she should proceed deeper underwater, taking hold of a rope that had been strung from the boat to the ocean floor. She slowly made her way down the rope, heading deeper.

  She could feel the currents shift against her body, even while wrapped tightly in the wet suit. It felt like she should be going back to the surface, back for another breath, her body telling her that she couldn’t survive underwater and that she needed air.

  She reminded herself that she’d be fine. All the air she needed was in the tank on her back. Instead of swimming back toward the sunshine above her, she took hold of the rope and kept moving, ever deeper toward the shadowy, sandy floor below.

  She glanced at Cassie, who was just ahead of her. Her friend looked weird, all covered in the official scuba diving gear that Josh had given them. They looked like they could be aliens, invading another planet. She could just imagine what people would think back home in Coopersville. But we wouldn’t be there, wearing this. There wasn’t any place to scuba dive, not until you got to the Atlantic Ocean, and even then, she thought it might be too cold, at least during most seasons.

  She looked back over her shoulder to find Josh there. He’d put on the rest of his scuba gear, and he was right behind her, making sure everything was fine. He waved at her, and that helped somehow.

  The water was so blue, all the kinds one could imagine. Light shades of aqua and baby blue shifted into deeper cerulean and teal. Down below, out further away from the island, the darker shades of royal blue beckoned, inviting those more adventurous to go exploring, but she stayed with the others. This wasn’t a good moment to start being impulsive. Tossing diving into their list of activities while in Hawaii at the last moment was wild enough. While she had her adventure, she intended to follow the rules.

  When they finally reached the bottom, having safely followed Josh’s every instruction, they reached a beautiful coral reef. It wasn’t tall. In fact, it reminded Hanna of her mom’s garden of succulents, all short and fat and strangely shaped. But this one had shades of purple and bright yellow, almost the color of mustard. There was also what looked a bit like exotic lichen along the ground.

  He’d said they were to look, not touch, but Hanna didn’t want to, anyway. She’d read about how the coral reefs were alive and, unlike her mom’s succulents, didn’t appreciate human touch. Their surface look-alikes had never cared.

  As she and Cassie followed Josh’s instructions, kicking with their legs and flippers and looking all around. She saw spiky, little, black things along the coral, like prickly sponges. The water seemed to make them dance, and the way the colors of the coral contrasted with their deep, intense, inky darkness made everything more beautiful. Sea urchins. They looked a little like dark fireworks that had exploded and remained that way, never dissipating, just waiting for visitors like her to come and see them.

  Then Josh gestured to the left. There, up closer to the surface and suspended in the lighter blue water by their side, was a sea turtle. He looked at her for a moment, as if wondering how it was that she came to be in his environment, and she couldn’t help but share his wonder.

  The moment was magical. There were bubbles here and there, like stardust around them, and the whole thing felt like a dream. She could hardly believe she was there, breathing regularly while water surrounded her. It felt surreal, and the fact that she couldn’t feel the wetness of the liquid, save for around her mask and hands, didn’t help. It was as though she was in some kind of virtual environment, and she had to keep reminding herself that it was all real. All happening.

  She saw Cassie head off toward the others, and she followed. Then, she saw what looked like a moving patch of coral. She turned her head to follow the movement and discovered it was an eel. The elegant creature sauntered and slithered, now moving this way, now curving that way, and she couldn’t keep up, though she wanted to follow it.

  She looked back to find Josh swimming down, close to the coral. She watched, puzzled, because he’d said not to touch it, yet his hand seemed remarkably close, as though he was picking up something. She watched, and moments later, he came toward her, holding something in his hands. But it wasn’t coral. He’d found some kind of thick, fat starfish, the kind that one could, apparently, handle. He held it out to her, and she carefully took it.

  She handed it back and looked at Cassie, who was cut off from her by a school of fish, all moving together, their beautifully patterned bodies exactly the same. She almost felt like she was watching a carefully crafted design of some kind, the distances too precise to be natural, but she knew there was nothing holding them together. They were just in sync, their desire to be with others like them outweighing any lack of coordination they might have.

  Then, suddenly, Josh took her hand. She turned to look
his way to find him intent on something out beyond them, just around a rise in the coral reef. She wondered what he’d seen that had caught his attention. Or were they taking too long and straying from the group? She’d tried to keep up with everyone else, but there was so much to see that she probably was sadly lingering at the back.

  They rounded the corner, and then she saw it. An octopus was just up ahead, swimming backward, its sleek body shooting through the water. It moved toward the rocks on the ocean floor and squeezed itself into an impossibly tiny crack, shifting and compressing until she could hardly see it anymore. She looked at Josh, wanting to thank him, and he gave her hand a squeeze. Even without words, he understood.

  All too soon, it was time for them to return to the boat. Following Josh, they all gathered around the base, where it met the ocean floor. He went first, setting the pace as they slowly ascended. She was pretty sure he had the driver stay with the boat, but she hadn’t really paid much attention to that. All her focus had been on the beautiful water, and on Cassie…and on Josh.

  At last it was her turn to surface. She grabbed the rope and began to climb, letting the glistening air bubbles race past her as she slowly went higher. She wanted to burst out of the water, her body desperate for air even though her tank was nowhere near empty. She just couldn’t train her mind to understand that she was fine, that even though she was underwater, she was safe. She supposed it was something that one learned over time. He didn’t seem to have any trouble with it, but then, even if he had, she doubted she’d see it on his face or in his actions. He was so confident, so capable. She wasn’t sure anything would make him worry.

  At last, she was near the surface. A little more swimming, and she was on the ladder, her hands along the rungs. Then she lifted herself a little higher, and she was back above the surface. The air felt strange after being under the water, and her hair was wet, plastered to the side of her face. Standing there by her was Josh, waiting for her fins.

  Of course. He’d said as much in his introduction at the beginning. Carefully reaching back under the water, she got the first fin off, and the second, then gave them to him, and he smiled at her, looking as though he’d like to say more. But then the next person under the water needed their turn to come up, so she climbed the ladder and got back into the boat, finding a seat near Cassie for the trip back to shore.