him squeezing with her into this tiny space brought a hot flush to her cheeks. But she wasn’t used to this, and she was going to need some help.
She leaned over, opening the cabin door. When Drew entered, the available space seemed to dwindle to nothing. He was wearing just a thermal singlet and thick sweatpants, and his shoulders looked very broad.
‘These things are a bit tricky until you get used to them.’ His voice sounded much the same as it did when he was talking to one of the dog owners at the clinic. Very professional.
She could do this. Caro fixed her thoughts on the baby dolphin, which needed their help. Drew set about helping her to get her feet into the drysuit and pulling it up over her legs.
‘Okay, stand.’
Standing involved allowing him to wrap his arms around her to lever her out of the bunk. They were squeezed face to face now and Caro focussed her eyes on his chest, wishing that she could manage to think about something other than the warmth of his skin.
‘Put your arms in.’ Some wriggling and tugging ensued, and then Drew pulled the headpiece over her head, leaning round to do up the zip that ran across the back of her shoulders.
‘Comfortable?’
The drysuit was fine. She was about to explode...
‘Yes, I’m good. Thanks.’ She made the mistake of looking up at him. The quickly hidden mischief in his eyes told her that she wasn’t the only one who had been considering the possibilities of their being squished together in a restricted space.
‘My pleasure.’ He backed away, leaving her to take a shaky breath and follow him back up on deck.
Jake was already in the water, along with Lucas and one of the men from his boat. Drew was stepping into his drysuit with the ease that years of practice afforded.
‘Here’s what we’ll do.’ Drew was using his listen carefully tone and Caro focussed her gaze on his face, trying not to think about the strong, capable hands that had eased her into her suit.
‘Jake, Lucas and Terry will be taking the mother and holding her in the water next to her baby, which should calm them both. It looks as if the baby’s tangled in some plastic mesh, and if you help me hold it, I should be able to cut it free. You must try to keep its blow hole above the surface or it’ll drown.’
‘I can do that.’
He nodded, giving her a smile. Pride began to warm Caro’s heart. Drew was relying on her and she wouldn’t let him down.
‘There are a few spots of oil in the water around the wreckage. Try not to swallow any or get it on your skin. Wear your goggles, they’ll protect you.’ She felt Drew’s fingers curl around hers, and he gave her hand a squeeze. Then he was all business again, pulling the headpiece of his suit into place.
Peter handed him a diving bag, while Caro pulled on her flippers. Their exchanged okay signal seemed to carry with it more warmth than just a normal safety procedure, and she eased herself into the water, swimming with Drew towards the wreckage.
Lucas, Jake and Terry had managed to manoeuvre the mother dolphin alongside her baby, which was emitting high-pitched whistles, trying to get free from the plastic mesh in which it was caught and only getting more entangled. Treading water, Drew tried to soothe the frightened creature, and it reacted to his presence.
When Caro wrapped her arms around the baby dolphin it was warm to the touch. She stroked its head and it seemed to calm a little. She glanced at Drew and he smiled.
‘That’s right. You’re doing fine.’
The other three men were having a bit more trouble. The mother was large and strong, and they struggled to keep hold of her, but she was calmer now that she was with her baby. Drew was between the two of them, tending to the baby, but they could see and hear each other, and seemed to be communicating, making sharp trilling noises.
Drew cut the mesh with a knife, looking carefully for any signs of injury as he went. The mother lashed her tail, bumping against his back a few times, but Jake and Lucas were holding her steady, keeping her quiet. Caro wondered if she knew that they were there to help.
Everyone was cool and calm, watching the dolphins carefully while he worked. It took half an hour to cut the little dolphin free, and then Drew wiped the specks of oil from around its blow hole. Caro’s arms were aching and she was beginning to tire, but it only took one look at Drew to shore up her resolve.
He signalled to her to get her attention. ‘Keep hold of the baby. I need to clear some of this wreckage away before we release them.’
Caro held the little dolphin as tightly as she dared while Drew pushed the wreckage out from under it. Finally, Drew seemed satisfied that the dolphin was unhurt, and they could release it. He ducked under the baby, surfacing next to Caro and helping her to hold the small creature.
‘We’ll release them on my count...’ He looked around, receiving the okay signal from the others. ‘Three... Two... One.’
Everyone let go. The baby shot forward, its wake pulling her forward in the water. As the mother followed, Caro felt a heavy blow on her chest that drove the air from her lungs and spun her backwards. Instinctively she closed her eyes and held her breath as she felt herself hit the water and her head went under.
She was drifting. Dazed. Before she could wrap her head around what had happened, she felt someone next to her and when she opened her eyes, she saw that it was Drew. His arm snaked around her waist and then their heads broke the surface together.
She heaved in a breath, choking and clinging to him. Okay. She was okay. Shakily she gave the sign, still gasping for air, and feeling her shoulder twinge as she raised her arm.