Exhale (9 page)

A rough swish grazed her skin. Fresh currents dissipated the blood, clearing the water enough to reveal a mouthful of sharp, pointed teeth coming straight at her. She banked right, but it was too late.

Sharks.

As the knives sank into the rubbery flesh on her peduncle, her only thought was of her baby and how she’d failed him.

The pain on her tailstock nearly folded her in half. Another torrent of high speed movement created waves, the suction drawing her into a school of…

Four other humpback whales…no, five…six…She couldn’t be seeing this right. Angling her flipper down, she veered right.

And…dolphins. A hundred or more. What were they doing here?

Maternal instincts overtook the fear. Lily cast about again for her calf.

She turned, a thin trail of blood following in her wake.

Where was her baby?

Frenzied sharks lunged at the wound, but hordes of dolphins intercepted, darting in and out, confusing the blood-crazed fish. Two humpbacks joined Lily, one on either side, and another brought up the rear. They escorted her away from the fighting.

Ahead, splashes and white bubbles jumbled the water. She swam faster toward the disruption, the whales still tight around her. A pair of humpbacks came into view, pushing up to the surface. Two more joined them.

Clicks zipped through the ocean. The dolphins were talking to each other, coordinating their defense. Why were there so many of them?

Lily fluked up for a dive. If she didn’t find the baby, all her efforts would be for nothing. Survival was the only option.

A group of dolphins splintered off from the main pod and caught her attention with their frantic, pumping flukes. She raised a flipper and followed. The dolphins escorted her to several humpbacks surrounding a motionless, grayish-black shape.

A weak cry resounded through the water. Lily recognized the voice. Tail throbbing, she swam closer. Her baby. Thank the Water goddess, Aqua.

The other whales pushed the calf up to the life-giving air. He lay listless on their backs. Lily’s heart picked up speed. He couldn’t die. Not after all they’d been through.

Another cry bounded out of her. Almost there.

Please answer.

The water thickened with red. She called again.

He remained still.

The other whales parted as she approached. The female who had supported him gently rolled away so Lily could wriggle under the calf. She pushed him to the surface once more.

Breathe, Araluen. Please breathe,
she told him.

The baby’s flipper jerked once.

His body flailed.

Then he choked out a mighty exhale and refilled his lungs.

Lily wasn’t afraid anymore.

Chapter Seven

After work the following night, Zoe maneuvered CRN’s Land Rover through the streets of Hervey Bay toward home. Dying rays of yellow light slipped over the horizon amidst a wash of pink-tinged clouds. A light breeze shoved the welcome fragrance of some unknown flower through the car’s open windows. She lapped it up, preferring the rich floral blend to her own suspect aroma after a day of full-contact whale research.

Zoe swiped an arm across her sweaty brow. The scorching sun had sucked the life out of her. Looking in the rearview at the faces of her coworkers, she could tell she was not alone.

And endlessly looping replays of last night’s scene outside the pub only added to the heat. She’d refused Gavin’s request for a date because she needed to stay focused on work. It had nothing to do with not wanting to go out with him as she’d said.

She made the right decision, despite her heart’s objections to her head’s annoying logic.

With one hand on the wheel, she grabbed the length of her ponytail, snaked it around her neck, and let it fall across her chest. A hint of Gavin’s woodsy cologne still clung to her hair from their close encounter. God.

According to Adriene, he had left The Whale & Whistle early to meet someone. That mystery person had been lurking like a shadow in the back of Zoe’s brain. She hoped it wasn’t Red he’d gone to see. Please, anyone but her.

Not that it was any of her business.

“Some lucky girl got flowers.” Elizabeth’s voice interrupted Zoe’s obsessive thoughts as she pulled into the house drive. “And I’m guessing it’s not me.” Elizabeth nudged Dani, who matched her stare.

Apparently, Mike had shown a lot of interest in Adriene at the pub. He’d even invited her to a party at his place. He must’ve been the one behind today’s special flower delivery.

Iri sat up in the back seat and caught Zoe’s eye in the rearview. While the girls caroused with rock stars last night, she’d chatted over coffee with her newest team member about the fluke ID notebook. He was a quiet type, but he knew his whales, so she guessed he’d do all right. But she still didn’t trust him. She couldn’t shake the idea that Randy had brought him in to spy on her.

Another reason not to get involved with Gavin.

Damn it.

Zoe parked the car, and everyone got out. Adriene covered a grin with her hand, wobbled on her crutches to the trunk, then passed the Pelican case and DTAGs they’d picked up on the ocean today to Iri.

Elizabeth grabbed the cantilever and cooler and rushed up to the lanai. “The flowers are for Zoe. And they’re gorgeous.”

Three sets of eyes trained on Zoe, three mouths dropped, and three appreciative gasps rolled off tongues.

Iri went into the house without a word.

Shit. Zoe shook her head at Adriene’s gaping stare. Blowing off the urge to rip into the sealed envelope tucked within the greenery, she focused instead on getting the gear inside. Her housemates flittered around, making playful gibes and threatening to read the card, until Zoe couldn’t stand it any longer.

She took the flowers into her bedroom, set the bouquet down on the dresser, and studied it for a moment. Bright pink and yellow Gerbera daisies, wild flowers of every hue, and lavender—her favorite—made up the arrangement. It was simple, not overdone or too big. She leaned in for a whiff. Heady scents filtered through her nose. Gorgeous was an understatement.

She plucked the envelope with shaking fingers. It was just flowers. Probably from Randy anyway. She slid the paper out and read it three times, instead of the usual two her dyslexia demanded for deciphering written language.

My apologies for yesterday. Please call me. –Gavin

Then a little further down:
PS—I’m writing a song about last night.

Her pulse quickened. His phone number was written at the bottom of the card. She shoved the paper into her pocket and returned to the living room where the girls flocked around her like a bunch of rumor-starved bitties, scavenging for a piece of gossip to chew on. Iri was nowhere in sight.

“Well?” Adriene said.

“Who are they from?” Dani bent forward.

“Come on, Zoe. Spill.” Elizabeth folded arms over her chest and tapped a foot.

“Sorry to disappoint you, but my mother sent the bouquet.”

Adriene’s accusing eyes shifted to hers. Adriene knew Mother would never do such a thing, but Zoe didn’t plan on sticking around long enough to answer to the Inquisition.

“I’m going for a quick walk to call my mom.” She grabbed her wallet and headed for the door. “Anyone need anything?”

“Nope. Give Candace my love.” Adriene’s dry tone made no bones about her doubt. She knew Zoe was full of crap. “We’ll have dinner ready when you get back.”

Zoe nodded. Before she lost her nerve, she took off for the nearest pay phone—no way she’d risk Gavin having her cell number. The loud rushing of cars on the nearby street would give her a good excuse to keep the call short.

She pulled the card from her pocket, dumped a handful of coins into the phone’s slot, and entered the numbers carefully on the keypad. After the first ring, Gavin answered with a crisp, “Hello?”

God, his voice was sexy, even backlit against the chugging car engines and smelly exhaust fumes. The deep, scratchy tone triggered a possessive, animalistic instinct deep inside the primal part of her brain.

Another butterfly infestation took root in her stomach.

“It’s Zoe.” She glanced around, hot all over again. What was it about this guy?

“Dr. Morgan.” His voice eased into a swagger, and her heart responded by diving straight into a cardio frenzy. “You got the flowers.”

“They’re lovely. Thank you.” She tried to sound flippant. Even picked at her fingernails to convince herself the gift was no big deal. Didn’t work.

“You change your mind about me after last night?” His wry grin stalked her through the airwaves, loud and clear. Could the man be any cockier? She shouldn’t be talking to him. Christ.

Much as she hated to do it, she had to put an end to Gavin’s ploys for attention before Randy found out and nixed her chances of getting the promotion. “The answer is still no. You and I are on completely different planets at opposite ends of the galaxy. Our two worlds don’t intersect in any way.”

“They do more than you’ll admit.” He was so smug. So tempting.

“I don’t have room for you in my world.” The lie physically hurt. She closed her eyes for a moment and rubbed her chest.

“If I had a smaller ego, I might take offense at that.”

“If you had any sense, you’d stop banging your head against a brick wall.”

“If you’re the wall, I’ll bang you all day.”

The quiver mounting deep in her belly reached its apex and freefell into gravity’s strong arms like the big plunge on a rollercoaster. She almost dropped the phone on the way down. “You keep it up, you’re gonna get hurt.”

He laughed softly. “I’m starting to get used to it. Besides, a little masochism never hurt anyone. Well, not
too
badly.”

Heat poured into her cheeks, and Zoe fanned herself. Scanning the busy street once again, she stretched her back, trying to jar loose the sudden, creeping sensation climbing it. Same feeling she’d had when Gavin’s little girlfriend followed her to the car.

Paranoid.

“Go out with me. Just one time.” His voice now projected more compromise than demand.

“I told you, I’m not interested.” Shivering, she twisted around to see what—or who—was behind her. Not a soul in sight other than drivers in the cars zipping to and fro.

“I don’t believe you. Come on, Zoe, it’s one date. I don’t have any expectations. I just want to get to know you. Besides, we probably won’t get on at all, and I’ll never want to see you again.” The deep tone of his gentle laughter set the steam train of her desire back on his track as worries about Red and being followed all but disappeared.

“God, I can only hope. I’m thinking a restraining order might be the more likely result.” Another car rumbled by, its loud motor hacking with a smoker’s cough.

Gavin paused for a moment. “Where the hell are you?”

“At a payphone.” One last look around revealed nothing more than a busy street hosting small-town, Thursday afternoon traffic. Husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, all heading to their picket-fenced homes for dinner. No Elemental creatures lurking here.

He groaned. “You’re unbelievable. Is this your way of keeping your mobile number from me?”

“Hey, I don’t give my number out to just anyone.”

“So, what does a bloke have to do to become ‘someone’?”

“Impress me.” She shut her eyes and shook her head. She hadn’t really said that, had she?

“Okay, the band’s opening up a show in Brisbane on Saturday night. Come to the gig, and afterward, I’ll impress the pants off you.” The rakish smile returned to his voice, pushing her stomach over the next monster hill on the rollercoaster ride of unbridled lust. She tightened her grip on the phone.

“I’m scheduled to be off the boat on Sunday…” What the
hell
was she doing?

“Is that a yes?” The pitch of his voice dropped a half step.

“That’s a maybe.” God help her, it sure as shit was a yes.

“I’ll email you the details tomorrow. We have a lot to talk about.” He sounded satisfied. Maybe even gloating a little.

“Fine. And by the way, stop writing songs about me.”

“Why would I do that? You give me such great material to work with.”

She grunted.

He laughed.

Her toes curled. “Goodbye, Gavin Cassidy.”

“Good night, Zoe Morgan.”

She replaced the phone in the cradle and turned away from the booth with a smile and a nervous twitch in her cheek. Jesus Christ. She’d just agreed to a date with one of the hottest men she’d ever laid eyes on. A stupid giggle escaped her lips without permission as she pointed her feet back home.

But the swoon wore off when her skin prickled with renewed heat, and the echoes of footsteps set her ears on high alert. Worry replaced giddiness as she snuck a quick look back. No one was there. Pausing at a crosswalk, she turned left and right under the guise of watching for oncoming traffic. Still nothing.

Her muscles tensed. She was definitely being followed.

* * * *

An hour later, Gavin opened his front door for Jack, who surveyed the street, looking like a homeless slacker with a twelve-pack of beer in hand. Gavin motioned him inside, but Jack paused for a moment, staring at him, a lopsided smile quirked on his lips.

Gavin sighed. “What?”

Handing the libations over as he stepped across the threshold, Jack maintained his grin and said, “What’s up with you?”

“Nothing.” Gavin avoided his stare and bee-lined to the kitchen to load the beer in the fridge.

Jack sat on the lounge. “Your aura is crazy blue, man. Not another color in sight. You’re not going Wæter Elemental on me, are you?” His shrewd Dreamsense picked up way too much for Gavin’s comfort.

“I’ve been writing music all day. Lots of emotion associated with that, mate.” It had nothing to do with the fact that he finally landed a real-live date with the woman he’d fallen for in the Dreaming. Nope, not at all.

He’d been grinning like a dickhead ever since Zoe’s call. Trying to hide his excitement from Jack was probably a lost cause, but the business with his muse was private. Nobody needed to know, especially his trainer.

Jack shrugged and glanced out the window. “Whatever you say, man.”