As Far As Cousins Go... Volume One Secrets of the Heart

Charli

Charli’s lungs were heavy as she finally reached the sailboat. She swam around it for a minute looking for anyone aboard it.

“Aye! What the hell are you looking at?” a man’s voice said behind her. She turned to see a man’s silhouette blocking the sun. When he finally moved away from the sun she saw he was shirtless with sun kissed hair and deep green eyes. The boy from her fantasies. The life guard.

“Nothing obviously.” She said defensively. She couldn’t help but stare. He had a man’s figure, nice pecks, and strong, muscular arms, yet, strangely scrawny. He was exactly the same as her fantasies. She didn’t think it was possible. The same boyish face, where his body matured his face had not.

“You think I’m hot, but I don’t date mermaids. Damn you get out of my head.” She looked at him incredibly confused, her eyebrows knit together. “Shit you aren’t a mermaid.”

“I’m not a mermaid.”

“Why else would you prance around the Spirit? Why would anyone swim this far from shore?”

“I made a bet with my cousin that I could swim out here.”

“And does this cousin have two legs?”

“Uh… Yeah…” He can’t be the same guy. He’s mad as a hatter. “You done interrogating me detective?”

“Since you aren’t a mermaid come aboard. I’ll bring you into shore.”

She looked at him skeptically.

“I won’t bite. Hard.” He smiled mischievously. He held out a hand to help her aboard. Her head screamed no and a dozen red flags, but she was so drawn to him… she couldn’t help it.

“I can do it myself.”

He put his hands up. “Fine.”

She tried to climb up where he tried to help her, unsuccessfully. She was too wet, and couldn’t get ahold of the boat. She fell in the water dunking her, making herself even wetter. She surfaced spitting up bitter salt water, hitting her head on the boat. A hand caught her before she fell again. She dizzily looked up at the man.

“Careful there tipsy.”