“Thanks for bringing me here,” I said, trying not to show how much I enjoyed his closeness.
“It’s the one place that’s always made me forget the crap in my life, and I wanted to share it with you,” he said, nuzzling my neck.
“I can see why you like it,” I said, dropping my head to the side. “Oh look, it’s a baby one,” I said, sitting forward so suddenly, I would have tumbled into the water if not for his arms anchoring me against him.
“Careful, or you’ll be taking that swim after all,” he chided.
“That’s okay, I trust you won’t let me fall,” I said, leaning back against his chest.
“No, I won’t ever let you fall,” he said, trailing light kisses along my cheekbone. I turned my head so that our lips would meet. He deepened the kiss, parting my lips with his tongue as we explored each other’s mouths. He spread his fingers over my ribcage, gently massaging through my shirt. We broke apart when we heard approaching voices.
“Look, there they are,” a young girl’s voice rang out as she ran to the water’s edge to look at the manatees.
“Bethany, wait,” her frantic mother called, still a good distance away.
Maddon and I watched as if in slow motion as the girl toppled off the edge into the deep water below. Her mom screamed and broke into a run as Maddon and I scrambled to our feet. Without pausing, he leaped into the water after her as Bethany’s mom dropped to her knees at the edge of the drop off. A confused man carrying an infant carrier raced to her side. Time stood still as we waited for Maddon to drag her to the surface. Only moments passed since Maddon had jumped in the water when they broke the surface. Bethany was crying and choking at the same time, which was at least a good sign that she was breathing. Her father reached down, dragging a still-crying Bethany up onto the grass. Once Bethany was safely stowed in her teary eyed mom’s arms, he reached down and hauled Maddon out in one swift move.
“Man, I don’t know what to say,” he said, holding back his own tears as he reached to shake Maddon’s hand, but wound up dragging him in for a hug of gratitude. “Thank you so much,” he choked out. “She always seems to be two steps ahead of her mom and me.”
“No prob, man. No harm, no foul,” Maddon said, smiling at him. “I’m just glad all those swim lessons paid off,” he added, sending a wink my way.
“What about your wallet or cell phone? We’ll replace
anything that got ruined,” he said.
“I left them in the car on the off chance my girl got aggravated with me and pushed me in the water,” Maddon joked.
“Well, you’re already wet,” I said, mocking like I would push him in again.
He retaliated by wrapping his wet dripping arms around me.
“Eww, you’re all wet,” I gripped.
“Well, we can’t thank you enough,” the guy said, chuckling at our bantering. “I guess we’re headed home to change some clothes,” he added as his wife stripped their two-year-old down and wrapped her in her own jacket before scooping her up.
“Thank you so much,” she said with tears streaming down her cheek as she gave Maddon and awkward one-armed hug.
“No problem, I’m glad we were here. I’ve always called this place lucky and I guess today proved that,” Maddon said good-naturedly, linking his fingers with mine.
“Sorry about your clothes. Hopefully, you don’t live too far,” she said as a cool breeze picked that moment to blow through the trees.
“I carry extra clothes with me in my trunk.”
“Wow, you’re like a real-life superhero, always prepared,” she said. “You’re a lucky girl,” she added, shooting me a wink.
“Hear that, sweets? She thinks I’m a superhero. Who needs Thor when you have this?” He said, flexing a wet muscle.
“Oh brother, now I won’t be able to get him in the car, his head will be too big,” I joked.
Bethany’s parents laughed as we all headed to the parking area.
“I want manatees,” Bethany said, obviously recovered from her near drowning that had taken years off her parents' lives.
“We have to go home and get new clothes, pumpkin, since you forgot to put on the brakes,” her father teased as he buckled her into her car seat.
“Thanks again, man. Words can’t describe how grateful we are,” he said, shaking Maddon’s hand again.
“Glad I could help,” Maddon answered sincerely.