Sleep With Me (Be With Me) Read online

  “So no, I’m not going to cut them, or anyone on this boat, a break. The rules are in place not just for your safety, but the safety of everyone else too. If you won’t follow them on the boat, I can’t trust you to follow them underwater, and people die when that happens. Got it?”

  The dad nodded, along with most of the others and the teen sat down with his friends, removing his fins. David glanced back at the cabin and saw Amy standing in the doorway with a roll of water proof tape and some gauze in hand, fighting a grin. She was always amused when he had to be the bad guy, for some reason. Probably because he normally made her do it.

  Since she was so amused, he decided she could get everyone set to go in.

  “Listen up, people. Captain Amy is going to get you situated to go in the water now. Remember the rules we discussed, and if you have any questions at all, ask her before you get wet. I’ll be with you shortly.”

  He walked over to Amy and handed her the clipboard with partner assignments, taking the tape and gauze.

  “Smooth,” she said in a low voice. “Think that was enough to get on her good side? Because from what I overheard earlier, she’s not all that fond of you.”

  He grinned. “Aw, come on Amy. All women warm up to me eventually. Even you, and you don’t even like men. Now go get those people in the water while I try not to get scratched.”

  She shook her head and gave him a dubious look. “Good luck with that,” she said, walking away with the clipboard.

  Kat was examining her marred feet when he sat down beside her.

  “Still sting pretty bad?” he asked.

  She nodded, not looking up. “I’m not sure how I’m going to get those fins on,” she said, her voice breaking slightly. “It’s right under where the top of the fin should hit, and--”

  “I think I can help with that. A little gauze and some tape...” he waited for her to look up. Except she didn’t. He examined the side of her face more closely, saw her eyelashes flutter as she blinked hard.

  Damn.

  “It’s okay if you want to stay here,” he said, not really sure what to do. Crying had never been something he was equipped for. “You can keep Amy company, and we’ll sign you up for another trip when your feet feel better. No charge, of course.”

  Katherine nodded, too embarrassed to speak. Her feet hurt, but that wasn’t the only reason she didn’t want to go. Blinking again to hold back the stupid tears, she wished for the millionth time that she’d stayed home. At home, everything was within her control. Her schedule was set, and when she did deviate from it, there was a good reason and it wasn’t for long.

  This whole vacation thing was just a horrible failure. It hurt that of all the things she could control, relaxing and having fun wasn’t one of them. Thank God it would all be over in a couple more days.

  She swallowed, taking a breath and letting it out slowly before she finally looked over at David.

  “Thank you,” she said, forcing her lips into a half-smile. “I appreciate that. I’ll wait here.”

  He seemed relieved and smiled back as he stood up. “We’ll be out for an hour, so it won’t be too long. Don’t believe anything Amy says about me, okay?”

  Katherine raised her eyebrows, but wasn’t in the mood to spar with him. “Okay.”

  His smile faded and he left, leaving her feeling like a heel. She watched as he tapped Amy on the shoulder and then took the clipboard as the captain came in her direction.

  “Let me know if you need anything,” she said as she passed by. “There’s water in that cooler over there. I’ll be in the cabin.”

  Katherine nodded as the woman walked by. Apparently she wasn’t a talker, and that was fine with Katherine. Some alone time would probably do her a lot of good. Maybe she could even nod off again for awhile.

  After the group had disappeared behind the boat, Katherine closed her eyes and laid her head back against the seat. The sun was warm, the breeze light, and the sound of the water lapping gently against the boat lulled her into the restful state between sleep and awareness. Images of clear water and brightly colored corals played behind her eyes, curious fish dancing in front of her mask as she floated with the current. Consciousness was slipping peacefully away until several dull thuds rudely snapped her back to reality.

  Opening her eyes, she blinked against the bright sun and surveyed the boat deck. Near the back, someone in full scuba gear was preparing to enter the water. A blond ponytail swinging back and forth was enough to identify the ship’s captain.

  Flexing her feet, Katherine realized they didn’t really hurt anymore. There was no way she could catch up to the group, but maybe she could tag along with Amy for awhile. Surely that would be safe. And probably more fun than worrying about David watching her too.

  Standing up, she called out, waving as she tried to get Amy’s attention, to no avail. Quickly stripping out of the wrap dress she’d put on over her suit that morning, she got the fins and mask they’d assigned her and hurried to the launch area at the back of the boat, but Amy had already disappeared below the water. A little ways off, bubbles surfaced from her tanks, and Katherine hurried to put on her fins and mask, fit the snorkel in her mouth and lower herself into the shockingly cool water.

  All of the sound and chaos from above was immediately muted when she put her head underwater. It was a whole different world full of amazing colors that exceeded anything her imagination could come up with, though it looked deeper than she’d expected. Glancing in the direction of those bubbles, she could just barely make out Amy’s figure, farther away than she’d originally thought. Making sure to keep her strokes even and slow as David had coached them to avoid scaring the wildlife, Katherine began to move toward Amy’s position, staying beside the coral but careful not to touch it. If she didn’t catch up soon, she’d go back to the boat, but she’d enjoy the view for a few minutes, at least.

  ***

  David hoisted himself out of the water, doing a quick head count to make sure everyone was back on the boat before glancing toward the seating area. Frowning when he didn’t see Kat, he noted Amy’s wet scuba gear sitting off to the side but didn’t see either woman anywhere on the deck. As the rest of the group filed back into the main area of the boat, he went to the cabin, raising an eyebrow when he passed the dress Kat had been wearing earlier on a bench.

  Had Amy managed to seduce a customer? Kat sure didn’t seem at all interested in women, but sometimes it was hard to tell. He wasn’t sure whether he should be impressed or just mad that Amy had horned in on his action.

  Knocking on the cabin door, he let himself in to hear Amy broadcasting on the ship-to-shore radio.

  “That’s correct,” she said, her calm voice belying the concerned look on her face. “It can’t have been more than half an hour - I was out for fifteen minutes, and she was gone when I got back. I’m trying to activate the GPS tracker in her fins now.”

  David’s heart rate spiked as he realized what she was talking about. “What the hell happened? Where’s Kat?”

  Amy muted the microphone. “I don’t know where she is, David. She was sleeping, I made a quick dive to check on the anchor chain because it seemed like it was dragging, and when I got back, she was gone. Her fins & mask are gone too. She must have thought she could catch up to you guys.”

  “You didn’t see her? Why did you leave her up here alone?” He ran to the equipment panel and peered at a screen to the right. “Why don’t we have her coordinates yet?”

  Amy shook her head. “I’m not sure. It should be working. I’ve been scanning the immediate area for about five minutes, and...nothing.”

  “Damn it. She’s not stupid, Amy - she wouldn’t just go in alone. She was probably following you, and we need to find her as soon as possible. Where exactly did you go?”

  “I just told you - I was checking on the anchor--”

  David shook his head. “Don’t fucking lie to me, Amy. Not now. Her life is in danger, and we both know you’ve been away fr
om the boat while I’m out more than once.” At her shocked look, he nodded. “That’s right, I know. I saw you going over the reef when Pete and I were both out last week. So don’t give me anymore crap - where the hell were you?”

  She bowed her head, and David barely refrained from wrapping his fingers around her neck while he waited. Finally, her shoulders dropped and she sighed.

  “Toward the island,” she said finally, pointing to what appeared to be a large rock with a few trees growing out of it sticking up just to the west. “I went just to the other side of the reef and came right back. If she’d been behind me, I would have seen her one way or the other. Especially since she’d have to stay near the surface.”

  He shook his head, and checked the tracker screen again. “We need to get closer to the reef. She would have been drawn in by the colors and fish. Or that’s what we have to hope. Pull up the anchor and get as close as you can. Then we’ll see if her signal comes up. Did you call it in to the coast guard?”

  “Not yet,” Amy said, flipping a few switches on the control panel. “I was hoping we’d have a signal from her by now. I’ll radio now.”

  Gears rumbled as they drew the anchor up and the boat’s main engine came to life. Voices rose outside as Amy got on the radio, and David went to check on their guests and let them know about the delayed return to shore.

  When he stepped out of the cabin, his heart skipped a beat at the sight of a body twitching on the deck, the view obscured by the other customers standing and kneeling around it. A quick scan made him realize that one of the teen boys was missing.

  “Move aside, please. Let me through.” He pushed people back so he could confirm it was the other teen. His dad was holding his head and David spread out his arms, motioning for everyone to move away from the flailing limbs.

  “He’s epileptic.” The father looked up, a worried expression on his face. “His new medication’s been working so well, the doctor said this trip should be okay. I never thought--”

  “It’s okay. Let’s just focus on keeping him safe until it’s over.” David knelt beside the boy as the jerking started to subside, helping his father turn him to his side when he vomited.

  Once the boy was calm, they made sure he was breathing okay and David helped move him to a makeshift bed of cushions on the deck.

  “He needs to get to a hospital,” the father said. David nodded, glancing out at the blue horizon.

  “I know. Let me check with Amy and see how close the coast guard is. If they’re still a ways out, I’ll have her take you back in.”

  The man frowned. “Aren’t we leaving anyway? I thought the trip was over.”

  “The woman who stayed behind is missing, and we need to find her.” David held up a hand at the man’s angry look. “Your son takes precedence right now, so please don’t panic. I promise that we’ll get him to shore as fast as possible, whether that’s on this boat or with the coast guard. Just let me check with Amy and I’ll know more, okay?”

  The man shook his head. “Fine. But one way or the other, my son needs medical attention. If that woman was stupid enough to wander off on her own in the ocean...”

  Strong hands grasped David’s arms from behind, pulling him back before he could act on the urge to punch the guy’s face.

  “We’ll be leaving within the next two minutes to get your son help, Sir,” Amy said, moving between them. “Is there anything we can get for him in the meantime?”

  The man looked down at his son, moving groggily on the cushions. He shook his head.

  “Not until he’s more aware.”

  Amy nodded. “Let me know if there’s anything you need.” She turned back to David. “I need to talk to you. Now.” Pointing him toward the cabin, she gave him a shove and followed him inside, closing the door.

  “There’s no one out here today,” she said without preamble. “There was a shark spotted off the main island, so they’re clearing the beach over there, and apparently a yacht is sinking somewhere south so there’s a rescue operation going on for that too. The closest boat is still docked, but they’re heading out now. It will take half an hour for them to get here, and that kid--”

  “I know, I know.” David shook his head, thumping the equipment panel. He thought for a moment, and then turned to the door.

  “Help me lower the dinghy,” he said, grabbing an extra flashlight and a red plastic wrapped emergency tote from under the leeward counter. “I’ll get my gear and head for the lagoon. If she stayed with the tide, it will have carried her over the reef. With any luck, she’ll have headed for shore when she figured out she was lost.”

  “What if she didn’t? What if she’s already--”

  David shook his head. “Don’t. Just don’t.” He went out the door to the back of the boat and started unhooking the cables holding the dinghy in place, all too aware of the stares from their customers. He put the extra supplies and his scuba gear in and then lowered it down to the water with Amy’s help.

  “Where are you going?” a woman called out. “What about us?”

  “Amy’s going to take you back to the dock,” he called, stepping down into the smaller boat. “I’m going to stay and wait for the coast guard. We can’t leave Kat out here alone.”

  Looking at Amy, he lowered his voice. “If I don’t come back with the coast guard, it’s because I ended up on the island. Pick me up tomorrow night on the south end around sunset, okay?”

  She nodded, then shoved the dinghy away from the ship as he started up the outboard motor. Keeping the throttle low, he turned the boat and headed slowly toward the reef, scanning the water and hoping for a miracle.

  ***

  Katherine reminded herself for the tenth time not to panic. Or was it the twentieth? She’d followed Amy’s bubbles out over the center of the coral where it was much shallower than where the boat was, but there had been a few small sharks and a couple long, mean-looking fish to watch out for and when she’d finally looked forward again, the bubbles and the dim diver’s outline were gone.

  Knowing she should go back to the boat, she’d lifted her head out of the water to locate it, turning circles until she finally saw it bobbing what seemed like a much longer distance away than she’d realized. When she’d finally put her head back down to swim for it, there were more sharks circling. Reef sharks, she thought David had said, and supposedly harmless, but they were still big enough to make her nervous. Too late she realized that her frantic kicking when she was looking for the boat must have made them curious.

  With considerable effort, she forced herself to slow her movements and drift over the reef with lazier kicks. No way was she leaving the relative shallow water on top of the reef with a bunch of sharks following though, so she swam along the top of the reef until they appeared to get bored and dissipated.

  Careful to keep her movements rhythmic, she peeked above the water line again, shivering as she looked for the boat to reorient herself.

  But it appeared to be gone. She couldn’t see it no matter which way she turned, and her heart raced at the thought of being stranded alone in the vast ocean.

  She never should have left the boat.

  There was an island in the other direction, and after one more survey of the open sea with no sign of a boat or any human life at all, she decided her only chance was to swim for shore. It looked like an impossible distance, but if she got far enough, hopefully the tide would pull her in. And the island shouldn’t move, which was a bonus.

  She wished she could rest, maybe take a few good deep breaths, but having seen all the activity below the surface, she wasn’t comfortable keeping her head up for any longer than necessary. She needed to see, to make sure nothing was coming after her. Forewarned is forearmed, or whatever that saying was.

  Breathing as slowly as she could through the snorkel, she went horizontal again and started back across the coral fields with strong but steady strokes of her fins. No longer concerned with scaring the wildlife, she focused on moving as fas
t as possible without attracting undue attention. By the time she reached the inner edge of the reef, her legs were burning from the effort and she barely noticed the cold. But the drop-off ahead gave her pause even though she could still see the bottom, and it wasn’t nearly as dark as the side she’d just left.

  Lifting her head, she was relieved to see the island still sticking up out of the water. For a moment she’d feared having turned around and gone the opposite direction. Trembling as the cold worked its way back under her skin, she knew she needed to keep moving. The deeper water was disconcerting though, and she had to force herself to float out away from the apparent safety of the reef top.

  She couldn’t seem to warm up again as she swam over the sandy bottom. The wildlife didn’t seem to mind her presence - in fact, she wished they would mind a little more. Several rays joined her for awhile, flying gracefully under her with gentle flaps and all she could think of was that animal guy on TV who had died swimming with rays. Long, skinny eels slithered partially out of rocky homes and watched her go by with sharp, gleaming white teeth. Fish of all shapes and colors darted around and below her, and her pulse raced as she tried to remember which of them were potentially dangerous.

  Her lungs felt like they were going to burst, and so did her thighs. Shivers racked her body as her pace faltered. Her kicks grew more erratic, and that just made her pulse beat faster, knowing all sorts of dangerous creatures could sense her struggle.

  The water grew choppy as the sand rose higher, and she finally gave in and flipped to her back, floating motionless in the tide.

  Chapter 3

  Skimming over the wide reef top, David fought the urge to go faster. He guided the boat in a zigzag pattern parallel to the shore before heading in toward the natural lagoon between the coast and the inland side of the reef. Kat was smart. She wouldn’t have gone further out into open water if she had any choice in the matter - she would have tried for the island. It was a long swim even for a strong swimmer, so her chances weren’t good, but if she could manage to stay afloat she might be able to ride in with the tide.