Page 26 of Cruising for Christmas
They walked out onto the pier and looked around for a person holding a sign for their excursion. Once they spotted him, they joined the group surrounding him, finding Shay and Ryan there as well.
“Ian? You signed up for this?” Shay asked. “I thought you were just hitting the beach?”
Norah looked between them with her eyebrows furrowed.
“I just decided I would get bored, and this one looked fun.”
Shay gave him a pointed look and raised an eyebrow. “Right.”
He only grinned at her before turning his attention to their host, who was going over details of their excursion.
“I’m Greg, and I’ll be your guide today. We will kayak through the mangrove waterways, take a hike to see a blowhole, volcanic cliffs, and tidal pools, before returning to the water to snorkel. You will then be provided a snack, and you can either relax on the small beach or snorkel until it’s time to go. We only have a few single kayaks available, so if you don’t have a partner, come talk to me to secure a single kayak. Otherwise, you will be paired with someone else on the excursion. Now, let’s go on an adventure.”
They followed Greg down the pier. Norah walked between Ian and Shay, with Ryan on the other side of Shay. Norah glanced up nervously at Ian.
Ian dipped his head to whisper to her. “Would you like to be my partner?”
The tips of her ears turned bright red. She nodded. “Sure.”
He smiled. “Okay. Partners.”
The next hour was a flurry of getting their life jackets, with Greg taking them through a crash course on how to use their paddles and giving them tips on how to get in and out of the kayaks without flipping them.
Ian had been kayaking many times during his adventures, but the look on Norah’s face told him it was her first time.
When they were brought down to the dock to get into their kayaks, Norah’s eyes were as big as saucers as they watched the group in front of them flip theirs while attempting to get in.
She turned her wide eyes to Ian. “I’m so sorry if I flip us.”
He chuckled. “You won’t. But if you do, it’s fine. We’re wearing swimsuits.”
They were instructed to wear swimsuits and bring as few personal belongings as possible. Each couple was given a dry bag in case they were to flip, so nothing would be ruined in that instance, but they left behind most of their items in lockers.
When it was their turn to get on the kayak, Ian chose the back so he could steer them. He held it securely to the dock with the help of Elizabeth, one of the excursion employees who would bring up the rear of the entourage, as Norah slipped in.
“Whoa,” she breathed, as it wobbled.
He smiled and slid into his seat before securing the dry bag to the kayak and taking his paddle from Elizabeth with a thanks. Elizabeth pushed them away from the dock, and Ian and Norah paddled to meet up with Greg, who waited a few hundred feet from the docks as everyone else got into theirs.
Once everyone was on the water, Greg began paddling down the waterway with the group slowly following behind and Elizabeth taking up the rear to help any stragglers.
“What side should I paddle on?” Norah asked.
“Switch sides as you see fit. I’ll switch to help keep us straight.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to make it harder on you?”
“I’m sure, Norah. You’re good.”
Ian looked around at their surroundings, enjoying the view of the foliage, but most of his attention was on the woman in front of him. Being in the back of the kayak was always the plan since he was the more experienced kayaker, but it was also advantageous. He could watch her without being caught.
Almost.
Shay and Ryan paddled up beside them, and Shay gave Ian another pointed look. Ian rolled his eyes.
“How are you enjoying it, Norah?” Shay asked.
“It’s beautiful out here.”
