Stolen Dream

Chapter One

Spotted dolphins leapt through the air, landing in the water with a joyful splash as they raced and played above the Andros Barrier Reef off the coast of the Bahamas.

They sped through the water, their fins and flippers aiding them as they practically flew along between the reef and the coast just before sunset.

Kyle Andrews grinned as he watched them from the safety of the small boat he and his friends had borrowed from their resort for the day. He couldn't believe his luck, getting to spend his winter holidays with his friends in the Bahamas. He'd never thought he'd get to be someplace like it. Get to see things like dolphins and whales in the middle of the ocean. It was the stuff of fantasy, not reality.

A breeze shoved at his shaggy blond hair and he pushed it out of the way, wishing he'd thought to cut it short before leaving for the trip. He'd kept it shaggy, thinking the beach bum look would be fitting for his trip.

"Aren't you glad we insisted you come along, Ky?" his buddy, Ben, asked, waggling his eyebrows at Ky and staring pointedly towards Alicia, another friend of theirs.

Ky rolled his eyes. "You know better," he replied to the look rather than to the question. He and Alicia were old news. He'd liked her and had asked her out. They'd gone on a few dates, but it hadn't amounted to anything. They didn't have much in common and the attraction level had waned rapidly. They were definitely better off as friends and Ben knew it. Why he kept trying to push the two of them together boggled Kyle's mind.

"Oh, come on. You two make such a lovely couple," Ben pressed looking up and blinking rapidly.

Kyle punched him lightly on the arm. "No, we don't. Stop being an idiot."

Ben subsided with a chuckle. "Fine. You are glad that you came, though, right?"

"Yeah, absolutely." Kyle returned his attention to the surrounding ocean. "I wouldn't have missed it for the world."

"Yeah, right. I practically had to hog-tie you and drag you out here."

"Only because of the money. Not because I didn't want to come." Kyle wasn't exactly well-off. He and his parents had always lived pay-check to pay-check. He was hoping to get out of that style of living soon, but it was going to take him some time. Longer if he kept doing things like this, dipping into his savings for a holiday he didn't technically need.

"Worth every penny."

Kyle couldn't argue with that. Despite flinching at the price-tag that came with their grand adventure, he was glad he'd decided to do it. He'd figured he deserved one last big hurrah before settling into working for the rest of his life.

He had dreams. Big plans for his life that required money to accomplish. He wanted a home, family, and he wanted to be able to do things like this as often as possible. For as long as possible. No simple week-long vacation like he was doing now, but more like a month or two at a time.

Alicia meandered over to the two of them and nodded at Kyle. "He's got that look again," she said to Ben. "Thinking of all the grand plans he's got in his head."

"What's wrong with having a plan?" Ben wondered.

Alicia shrugged. "You miss a lot when all you do is plan for life instead of living it."

"Somebody else want to take over?" Pete, the fourth and final friend on their trip, asked with obvious impatience from behind the wheel.

Kyle stood. "Yeah, I got you, Pete."

Alicia sent him a surprised look.

"What?"

Alicia shrugged. "Nothing. Just surprised you want to steer."