s. The sky was a bruised shade of gray, and the wind howled like a warning. Despite her instincts ur

g her clothes. She shivered, half from the cold and half from adrenaline. The sailor-Jake, she'd d

and when she looked again, Jake was staring at her, his expression fierce and wild. "You should go!"

ot lea

he storm, she saw something in his eyes-fearlessness, perhaps, but also a depth that spoke of loss and lon

of lightning illuminated the sky. Jake's boat pitched dangerously,

aos. But something in her refused to yield. This storm w

ety, or she could embrace this moment-this chance to connect with som

r voice steady. "I can't

nto the wet sand. She spotted a safety boat nearby, the lifeguard station

d his boat closer to shore, and with a deft movement, he d

o the safety boat, heart racing as she fumbled w

She reached for the controls, and with a shared look of understanding, Jake joined her.

bscuring everything but each other. In that moment, they became

ted, but there was a spark o

ng despite the danger. "But

bond-one that would force them both to confront the truths they had lon