She led the way to the covered walkway that lined the front lagoon. It was a beautiful, natural setting with seawater and fish flowing in and out. Nate inched closer to the rope fence that bordered the lagoon. He peered over the edge, poised for flight. Just a month earlier, Nate had run down the dock at Sea Breeze and leaped into the Cove. He’d been fearless with Delphine. Now Carson watched his cautious, even timid posture and felt the weight of her responsibility in helping this boy through his sense of loss.
A long, sleek dolphin swam right beneath Nate, tilted to look up at him, then began making clicking sounds. Carson was relieved when she saw Nate smile.
“Mrs. Tupper?”
Carson turned toward the voice. A slender woman with flowing brown hair in nylon fishing pants and a pale blue dolphin T-shirt approached, carrying a clipboard. She smiled as she drew near, and her beautiful, warm eyes captured Carson’s attention, making her feel welcome.
“I’m Carson Muir. Nate Tupper’s aunt. I’m here with him for the program.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Joan, the director of the program. I’ll be working with Nate this week.”
“Thank you for squeezing us in on short notice.”
“Happy to do it. I understand we have a little boy who’s had a bad experience with a dolphin.” Her gaze searched out Nate. When she found him leaning over the rope fence making clicking noises back to the dolphin, a grin spread across her face. “I’m pretty sure the dolphins are going to take good care of him.”
“Small steps,” Carson told herself, repeating the advice that Dora had given her on the telephone the night before.
The first session with Joan at the Dolphin Research Center was going better than Carson had hoped. They began in the small classroom, where creative activities with a dolphin-based theme introduced the goals set by Dora and Joan. Dora had spoken with Joan by telephone prior to Carson and Nate’s arrival, and had communicated that she wanted Nate to work on overcoming his guilt over the accident, but also to help him with his interpersonal skills. Joan had formed “Team Nate,” telling Carson that they’d work together to make sure Nate met his goals.
When she handed Nate his schedule, he clasped it firmly and immediately bent over the table to study it thoroughly. Carson could almost hear his sigh of relief at the sight of the schedule, a simple piece of paper that promised him order throughout his day and removed the threat of the unknown.
For most of the classroom session Carson sat along the wall as an observer. From this vantage point, a fly on the wall, she was fascinated to watch Joan slowly, firmly, steadily build on skills that allowed Nate to grow comfortable. She spoke with a warm lilt in her voice that eventually broke through Nate’s reserve. Carson was proud when Nate revealed how bright he was, and how knowledgeable about dolphins. From time to time Joan would turn her head to meet Carson’s gaze, brows raised in surprise that Nate knew the answer to a question.
When the classroom session ended, it was time to begin working with the dolphins. Carson could feel the excitement as Team Nate walked to the front lagoon. He was nervous, but Joan and Rebecca, the dolphin trainer, kept their voices upbeat and cheery, distracting him with questions as they outfitted him in a life preserver.
When they took Nate to the lower dock, Carson went in search of a place in the shade to sit and observe.
She spied a long, wooden bench set against the wall of the trainer’s building. It sat in the deep shade of a long thatched roof. One man sat there, staring out over the lagoon. He might have been a bodybuilder, his muscles bulging from his black T-shirt. But the rigid posture, the chiseled cut of his chin, the shorn hair, the black sunglasses, and the way he crossed his arms across his chest made her wonder whether he was in the military. He gave off a strong vibe that said Stay away. There was no place else to sit, however, and Carson didn’t scare easily, so she walked to the bench and took a seat on the opposite side.
He glanced her way when she sat down and nodded politely in acknowledgment.
“Hi, there,” Carson responded. Then, because she was curious, she asked, “Are you here to swim with the dolphins?”
His lips turned upward in mild amusement. He had a beautiful mouth, she thought, and a strong, straight nose that made her think of Michelangelo’s David. As a professional photographer of movie stars and models, she had a habit of noticing and filing away physical details. He was, in fact, stunning in a masculine way. If she were working, she might have handed him her card for an audition.
“You could say so,” he said.
Carson wasn’t sure what that was supposed to mean. Yes or no, she thought, mildly annoyed. Nor did he offer a rejoinder to keep the conversation going. Curious, and stubborn, Carson refused to let his coolness deter her.
“I’m here with my nephew. That’s him with the dolphin,” she added, pointing to the dock in the lagoon right in front of them. Another group was at the dock at the far right of the lagoon. They appeared to be a family, parents with two young children around eight years of age. “Is that your family?”
He glanced at the family, then shook his head with a chuckle. “No.”
Talking to this man was like talking to Nate, she thought. Except this man wasn’t family or nine years old, and she certainly didn’t have to deal with his rudeness. She gave up and pulled out her camera and lens and instead focused on Nate, who was sitting on the dock with his legs in the water. A sleek gray dolphin waited only a few feet in front of him. Carson moved closer, watching through her lens as Nate tentatively put out his hand and gave a signal to the dolphin. In a flash, the dolphin rose high up in the water and toggled back on his tail in an impressive show of strength and agility. Rebecca blew her whistle and Team Nate released a hearty cheer for the dolphin and Nate. In the close-up view of the lens, Carson saw the boy’s eyes light up and a huge grin ease across his face. Carson snapped a quick shot to capture the moment, then put her hands to her mouth and fired off a whistle.
She was still smiling when she returned to the bench.
“Nice whistle,” the man said, his lips twitching in a grin.
She glanced at him and, feeling happy about Nate, said with a cocky air, “Thanks.”
After a pause, he spoke again. “Is this his first time with a dolphin?”
Surprised the man was initiating a conversation, Carson half turned to face him. His gaze was on the water, but she sensed that behind those sunglasses he was watching her every move.