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of
course, but like all Kiwis, I love being out on the water. Got to have our
boats. I come out here every chance I get.”
    The boat was a sleek motor launch, not overly large, but
even to Hannah’s inexpert eye, clearly top of the line. Drew helped her aboard
and set about stowing their gear and getting the boat ready to launch. He
obviously knew what he was doing, and she settled herself in the seat next to his
captain’s chair, watching his preparations with interest.
    “Even though I’ve lived in the San Francisco area for ten
years now, I don’t know much about boats, I’m afraid,” she confessed. “I love
to swim, but that’s about all the water knowledge I have. So I don’t know
anything about hauling lines in or making anything fast. If you need my help,
though, just tell me what to do, and I’ll do my best.”
    “Don’t need a mate for a boat like this,” he assured her.
“Nothing for you to do. We’ll be off straight away.”
    Within minutes, they were indeed out on the ocean. Hannah
marveled again at the clear water, the beauty of the beach and rugged cliffs
they passed, and felt herself relaxing in the sunshine. Drew pointed her to a
thermos of coffee, and they were both quiet as they enjoyed the clear morning,
the feel of the wind, and watching the boat cut through the water, raising a
wake behind them. Drew seemed to handle the boat with confidence but without
aggression or bravado, enjoying the day rather than trying to dominate the
water or impress her with a show of speed.
    He stopped not far from shore, near a headland at the end of
a deserted beach, and dropped the anchor.
    “Snorkeling time,” he told her. “This area is all a marine
reserve. Heaps of fish to see. I brought you a wetsuit as well. You’ll be more
comfortable and be able to stay out longer.”
    She looked at the rubbery blue garment doubtfully as he
pulled it from the duffel. “Are you sure it’ll fit me?”
    “Give me credit. I’m used to sizing up my teammates, you
know.” He grinned at her wickedly, and she found herself blushing once again.
    “Go below and get changed, if you like,” he offered.
    Even though she could have stepped out of her clothes and
into the wetsuit on the deck, she was grateful for his consideration. Somehow,
she felt shy about doing something as intimate as taking off her clothes in
front of him. She told herself it was silly. After all, she’d met him—if you
could call it a meeting—in her swimsuit. But still, she took advantage of his
offer and headed down the stairs into the small but well-appointed cabin to
remove her clothes and pull on the wetsuit.
    She arrived topside again to find him outfitted in his own
wetsuit, pulling out masks and snorkels. “You look like a very pretty dolphin,”
he said approvingly. “Let me show you how this works.”
    “You just have to remember, if you’re tempted to dive down,
to let go of the snorkel and hold your breath,” he told her as he finished the
demonstration. “But where we’re going, it’s shallow enough that we can stay on
the surface.”
    Dropping down the boat’s ladder into the sea, he showed her
the direction they would be going, put his face into the water, and began to
swim. She copied him, and realized with wonder that she had entered a new
world.
    The sea floor below them was full of marine life. Seaweed
that resembled thick bushes, and another type like fronded, long-leafed plants,
waved in the current. She was excited when she saw her first fish, a beautiful
electric blue, and then amazed when she found herself swimming over a two-foot
long silver animal that seemed totally unconcerned with her presence. She
lifted her head from time to time to make sure she was still following Drew,
and he too stopped and looked back often for her.
    He was leading her toward the headland, she saw. As they
approached, she realized why. Cut into the side was a large, triangular opening
with large rocks surrounding it. A sea cave, she