As Deep as the Ocean Read online

  “I have a phone call in to my mother. Maybe I can salvage this. Maybe she’ll agree to the sanctuary, and Cassie might forgive me.”

  Raul joined his friend and looked at the view. “Even if she got the sanctuary, you’re going to be pretty unpopular with everybody around here. They all hate the idea of the resort. It’s not just the sanctuary.”

  Alex leaned forward, his palms on the short wall surrounding the patio. “It’s not just me. They’re going to hate you, too. You haven’t told Taylor, either.”

  Raul plopped down on the chaise lounge, wiping away purple bougainvillea leaves. “No, I haven’t, and I feel like a jerk, too. I get it. But at least we’re just friends. We have nothing going on like you and Cassie.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Raul laughed. “Taylor and I are just friends. But it’s obvious you guys have feelings for each other. Taylor mentioned it, too.”

  Alex knew he was right. It was obvious to Alex, as well, and he’d been up most of the night trying to think of ways to salvage the situation. He just hadn’t come up with any.

  He glanced at his watch. “I’ve got to go. I’m supposed to meet Cassie at nine. I don’t want to be late.”

  Raul clapped his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “I think you’ve got bigger problems than being late, but good luck.”

  Twelve

  Taylor was asleep when Alex dropped Cassie off, and walked her to the door. Cassie was so embarrassed about how the evening had ended that she hurried inside after confirming their arrangements for the next day. After she took the bath Alex had insisted she take to help her leg, she turned off the light that Taylor had left on for her, and sat for a moment on the patio watching the moon trail ever higher in the sky, its light still sparkling on the water.

  She’d been disappointed that she hadn’t had even more time with Alex, but she was looking forward to taking him out on the water the following day and just had a feeling he’d understand more about the vaquita, about Baja and about her after he’d seen it through her eyes.

  She fell into bed, thinking she was exhausted, but she didn’t sleep well. Thoughts of how disappointed she was at the end of her evening with Alex intruded in the darkness. She remembered his interrupted kiss, her pain—none of it had contributed to the night she’d thought they might have. She laughed as she limped to the refrigerator to make a picnic lunch for what she hoped would be a better chance for them to get to know each other.

  She watched the small boats leaving for their day of fishing as she packed her ice chest with chips, sandwiches, water, sodas and a couple of bottles of beer. The sheer number of small fishing boats—panga—made her nauseous with the thought of how many vaquita might be caught in the nets meant for commercial fish. The Mexican government had its protective laws, sure, but there wasn’t much monitoring here in the northern Baja waters. It was rare to spot an official vessel of any kind, and most fishermen, local or not, didn’t even bother with the required fishing license.

  As she packed the last sandwich, Taylor shuffled into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes.

  “Did you have fun?” she asked, as Taylor leaned up against the kitchen counter and poured herself a cup of coffee, both hands wrapped around it as she inhaled deeply.

  “Amazing,” was all Taylor could get out, her hands gripping her mug as she stared off into space.

  Cassie shook her head as her friend had trouble forming words. Taylor always had a guy around of some kind, but Cassie had never seen her like this. “Earth to Taylor. Details, girlfriend. Anything has to be better than my story of last night.”

  Taylor snapped back to the present with a sheepish smile. “I certainly didn’t think any of this would happen,” she said, taking small sips of her hot coffee. “Raul is a genius when it comes to spreadsheets. We came back here, and he helped me solve a math and pivot table problem I’ve been struggling with for weeks.”

  Cassie stared at her friend for a moment before laughing. That wasn’t at all what she’d expected to hear. But glancing at Taylor’s t-shirt that read, “A day without math is...just kidding. I have no idea,” should have reminded her what her friend found fascinating.

  “Sounds like a magical evening,” Cassie said with a laugh.

  “Very funny. It was fun and nothing you say can ruin it. We’re just friends—friends who love math.” Taylor said, her eyes bright. “You look like you’re on your way out. What’s up?”

  Cassie reached for the box of salsa she’d made and set it in the ice chest, closing the lid. “We’re going out on a panga this morning to see if we can find any vaquita. He’s curious about them, and I’m hoping we get to see some today.”

  “Oh, I’m shocked. What else would you be doing?” Taylor had been listening to Cassie talk about the vaquita for more years than she could count. “For you, vaquita. For me, graphs.”

  Cassie laughed as she told her friend about her night, and how it had ended. “I’m hoping for better opportunity today,” she said, pulling her cotton cover-up over her. “Want to come along?”

  Taylor shook her head. “Been there, done that. No offense.”

  Cassie rolled her eyes. “None taken.”

  “Besides, don’t you want to spend some time alone with Alex? Sounds like you like him, and you’d have more fun alone.”

  “Well, alone with Diego,” Cassie said as she carried the ice chest out to the Jeep.

  “Ah, Diego. There’s that. But he’s part of the family. You’ll have a great time.”

  A black blur tore down the driveway, almost knocking Cassie off her feet.

  “Whiskers, stop,” Taylor yelled, chasing the mutt toward the water.

  “Hey,” Jimmy said as he shuffled toward the front door. “How you feeling?”

  Cassie looked down at the bandage she’d fastened around her thigh, just to keep it clean. “Better. Much better, although last night was rough. Yesterday I ran into the corner of a table and—well—it all hurt again.”

  “No infection, though?” he asked, cocking his head. “No red or oozing?”

  “Gross,” Taylor said as she walked back toward the Jeep, whiskers at her heels.

  Cassie laughed and stepped back as Jimmy put the ice chest in the back of the Jeep. “Thanks. And no, no red or oozing.”

  “Good thing you weren’t a doctor, Taylor,” Jimmy said as he tipped his hat and whistled for Whiskers to follow him, heading down the dirt road to his house.

  “Yes, it is a good thing,” Taylor called behind him. “And it’s a good thing that graph paper doesn’t bleed.”

  Cassie eased herself behind the wheel and pulled out the keys. “Guess we both landed in the right spots.”

  “Yep, and now you can go and marvel all day at the vaquita.”

  Scrunching her nose, Cassie said, “You care as much as I do that the vaquita don’t disappear. I just won’t tell anybody.”

  Taylor nodded solemnly as Cassie turned the engine over. “No, please don’t tell anybody. I get teased enough about math as it is.”

  Cassie waved as she pulled out onto the short road down to the beach, going along the several houses in between their house and the arroyo. They were all so different—some made of the beautiful fire brick, some plywood, some just trailers with shade covers over them. But they were all beautiful in their own way, covered with brightly colored Mexican tile ceramics in the shapes of the sun, the moon, birds and even lizards. It was quite an unusual place, and she could imagine how Alex would think it was—different. It was like she was seeing it for the first time again, through his eyes. And she looked forward to showing him the most important part of her world through hers.

  Thirteen

  Cassie arrived at the beach to find the panga waiting for them. Cassie had contacted Diego as soon as she’d gotten up. He was her favorite guide and one she had been out on the water with countless times. They had met when she was little, and while he’d taken them all out on fishing expeditions in times past, he had been patiently t
aking her out on her research trips for the past few years. He had become a true friend of the family, as Taylor pointed out.

  “Cassie, it’s so good to see you. You are as lovely as ever,” Diego said as he kissed her hand with a little bow.

  “Oh, Diego, it’s so good to see you,” she said, pulling him closer for a good, big hug. He dropped his eyes, and she remembered she was in Mexico, a culture with very different customs. Hugs between men and women weren’t common. She frequently forgot, though, and she hoped Diego was a bit used to her ways.

  “Are we looking for vaquita again today, little one?” His lilting accent always made her feel safe and comfortable.

  “Yep, as usual. It’s not a research trip, though. Just a fun one, so you’re off the hook. Not the usual excitement.” She opened the back of the jeep and lifted out her supplies.

  Diego laughed, throwing a glance over his shoulder at Cassie. “There hasn’t been one dull trip, Cassie. I know how you are.”

  She pulled her sleeves back and slathered herself with sunscreen. “I have a guest today, Diego, so we have to be on our best behavior. Hoping to see a pod or two. Have you seen many lately?”

  He shook his head slowly as he placed the ice chest in the bow of the panga. His feet in the water, he turned to her, head lowered. “They are almost gone. Many are caught in the gill nets and are just thrown overboard, left for dead. They wash up on the shore. We see more every day.”

  “What’s happened?” Diego asked, moving quickly to Cassie. “That’s a pretty big bandage.”

  “Oh, I got hit by a sting-ray. The pain was awful, and I panicked. A man on the beach saved me from drowning. He’s our guest today.”

  “Thank God for him. We’ll be careful today,” he said as he moved back toward the panga.

  They both turned toward the road as Alex arrived on his four-wheeler.

  “Good morning, Alex. I’m glad you’re here,” Cassie said as Alex jumped off the quad and walked toward the panga, his long legs making quick work of it. He took her hand, his warm lips resting lightly on her hand, his eyes not leaving hers for one second. She looked down, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks and her stomach tighten. “Alex, this is Diego, our guide for the day," Cassie said as he walked over to the panga.

  Alex walked over to Diego, his bright smile disarming the shy fisherman. Holding out his hand, he said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Senor.”

  Diego was a friendly man, and Cassie was confused at his hesitation. His eyes rested on Alex’s face, and he seemed frozen, not moving at all.

  “Diego?” Cassie said, walking to him and putting her hand on his arm. “Are you all right?”

  Shaking his head slowly, he looked up and smiled at Alex, extending his hand. “I’m fine. It’s very nice to meet you, Alex. Mucho gusto.” They shook hands and busily loaded the remaining gear in the panga, ready for their adventure.

  Alex helped push the boat away from the shore at Diego’s direction and hopped in when it was free of the sand. They settled in for the ride, and as the engine hummed and they pulled away from the shore, Cassie leaned back against the side of the boat and closed her eyes.

  Out on the water was where Cassie felt most free. The wind in her hair and the rhythmic bouncing of the panga on the waves always lulled her into a trance. Diego’s expert driving allowed her to just relax until they got to the island they were looking for, the Isla Los Lobos, Island of the Wolves, and she stretched out on the long boat for the ride.

  Alex grabbed the binoculars and turned his sights to the shoreline. He looked north and south as they traveled toward the island, and asked question after question about the houses dotting the shoreline.

  “What campo is that one?” he asked. Cassie gave as detailed descriptions as she knew of the campos and the people who lived there.

  “Playa Bonita. The owner decided it was a good idea to charge each resident ten dollars to get in and out of camp. Not a really good business decision,” she said, glancing at Diego.

  “All the residents abandoned their houses and moved to other campos. Now he’s got a camp full of houses and nobody to live there,” Diego added. His index finger circled around his ear. “He was loco.”

  Alex let out a laugh. Lowering the binoculars, he said, “This is a very strange region. I don’t understand it, I don’t think.”

  “Well, all the campos technically belong to Mexican citizens, and they run them, kind of like landlords. So they’re all just like little neighborhoods. Our campo is Playa Luna, the one to the north is Campo Saguaro—like that. Like neighborhoods.”

  “Ah,” Alex said as he scanned the shore with the binoculars once again.

  Diego slowed the engine and pointed south. Cassie and Alex turned and saw the island, their stop for the day. Its secluded beaches and little white hills glimmered in the morning sun.

  Diego pulled into the first cove and looked for a good place to land. Spotting one a bit north, he slowly guided the panga closer to the sand.

  Cassie pulled off her cover-up and gingerly put her injured leg over the side of the boat. “Want to swim in?”

  “Are you sure you can?” Alex’s eyebrows shot up as he quickly took off his shirt.

  “Race you,” she said, as she pushed off with her good leg, expertly diving to the side of the boat. Alex was fast behind her, splashing into the water and kicking toward shore.

  Cassie felt her leg pull as she slowly swam toward shore, her arms doing most of the work. Alex pointed downward to a group of beautiful yellow fish darting back and forth over the sand and between the small rocks. Close enough to shore to stand, she stayed crouched in the shallow water, crabs moving away from her in quick, jagged movements.

  “Look what I found,” she heard Alex say. Holding up a sunflower starfish, he laughed, twisting it over and over in his hand. “I’ve never seen a purple starfish with eighteen legs.” He studied it for a while, then placed it gently back on the sea floor.

  “They’re amazing, aren’t they? I bet most humans don’t even know they exist, and they are all over out here,” she said, holding out a sand dollar to him. A wave crashed by at that moment, and she was knocked into him, her hands grabbing his waist to steady herself.

  “I like the waves, too. I like all of it,” he said, smiling down at her.

  By the time they arrived on the beach, Diego had the ice chest and blankets out of the panga and had set up a makeshift picnic area. The bright umbrellas couldn’t be missed against the white sand and blue sea.

  “Cerveza?” Diego asked Alex, holding out a cold beer from the ice chest.

  Alex took it, holding the wet bottle up to his forehead to cool off. “Gracias. Do you have an opener?”

  Cassie and Diego both looked quickly at each other, smiles spreading. “You don’t need an opener. You have her,” Diego said, nodding his head at Cassie.

  What the heck, Cassie thought. He may as well get to know the real me.

  She reached in her bag and took out her pocketknife. Opening it quickly, she held her hand tightly around the bottle, bracing the flat end of the knife under between the bottle cap and her finger and popped off the cap of the beer bottle, sending it flying directly into the ice chest.

  Alex’s mouth dropped open as he took the bottle from Cassie’s extended hand. “Where did you learn to do that?”

  “It’s something I learned here in Baja. My dad always said it’s the best thing I ever learned, and I didn’t need a Master’s Degree for it. He taught me before he died.” She smiled, opening another beer for herself and one for Diego. “It’s something I’m particularly proud of. I can also whistle really loud with my fingers. My dad taught me that, too.”

  Alex laughed, shaking his head at the sight. “I’m sorry you lost your father. I imagine I would have liked him. And I don’t know any women who can open a bottle that way.”

  “Well, you just haven’t met many Baja women,” Cassie said, handing sandwiches to both men. “Let’s eat, so we can look for
some vaquita.”

  Cassie packed the trash and remaining supplies as they finished lunch. As Diego set about taking down the umbrellas and finishing the packing, Cassie and Alex walked toward the shoreline.

  “So, tell me what we’re looking for and where we’re looking,” Alex said.

  Fourteen

  Back on the water, Cassie turned her trained eye to the horizon. She knew the vaquita were very elusive and with fewer than a hundred left, the odds of spotting any were low. The smallest of all porpoise species, adults were only five feet long, and they didn’t travel in large pods like common dolphin. It was rare to see more than two or three together at a time, so you had to be a patient spotter to see them at all.

  They circled the island slowly, as she had had her best luck around this area in spotting and categorizing her vaquita. “I didn’t bring all of my equipment from the Institute this trip, Diego. I didn’t think I’d be on the water with you this time,” Cassie said.

  “I don’t think it will matter, Cassie. We’ve spotted vaquita every time we’ve been out together. Almost a miracle. I rarely see them on other trips,” Diego said, steering into another cove on the opposite side of the island.

  “What’s that on the beach?” Alex asked, turning his binoculars to the approaching white sand. “It looks like something big.”

  Cassie turned her binoculars the direction he was pointing. As they got closer, her pulse quickened and her hands started to sweat. “Oh, no. It can’t be,” she said, her knuckles whitening as her grip on the binoculars tightened. Her eyes stung with tears, and she lowered the binoculars, looking away.

  Alex’s slowly lowered his binoculars and looked at Diego. Diego’s eyes were wet, too, and he increased their speed, moving faster toward the beach.

  Cassie took a deep breath and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. The back of her hands brushed the tears from her cheeks, and she pulled on her shoes. She was back to business, now.