Tides of Love by Kimberly Cooper Griffin

Author:Kimberly Cooper Griffin [Griffin, Kimberly Cooper]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Published: 2023-02-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

Mikayla stayed up late reading, and by the time she prepared for bed, the big yawns had hit. Looking forward to sleep, she turned off all of the lights and stopped by the fish tank to say good night, as she did every evening.

Othello hadn’t eaten earlier when she’d given them all snacks, so she gave him a few, but just as before, he seemed disinterested. He looked fine until he turned just right, and she noticed a tiny hole above his belly.

Concerned, she remembered reading in Brandi’s books how extremely fragile seahorses were and how their skin damaged easily. With his belly distended in pregnancy, she wondered if his skin had split, or maybe one of the other seahorses had bitten him. She considered calling Rich, but it was late, and she wondered if she should wait until morning. The injury didn’t appear irritated. So instead of calling, she snapped a picture and sent it to Rich and Brandi, asking if she should be concerned.

Wide awake now, she peeked down the street toward Gem’s house and saw a light on the second floor and decided to call her. She’d feel awful if something happened to the seahorses on her watch.

When Gem answered, relief flooded through her. “So sorry to call you this late. Something’s wrong with Othello, and I’m not sure what to do. I considered calling Rich. What if it’s nothing, and I get him worried and he comes all the way up here, and—” She stopped herself. “Would it be possible for you to come over and look at him?”

“Sure. I’m not sure I have the skills to determine if a seahorse is okay, but I’ll be happy to check it.”

“Thank you.”

Relieved to have Gem coming over, Mikayla hung up and anxiously pulled one of the chairs closer and continued to watch the fish who, aside from Othello’s wound, all appeared fine. She gnawed at her thumbnail, a habit she’d broken long ago, and took it from her mouth, sliding it under her thigh to keep from putting it right back in.

When she answered a knock on the door, Gem stood there looking casually gorgeous in basketball shorts and a threadbare University of San Diego T-shirt, indicating she had lost no time rushing over. She’d probably been in bed when Mikayla had called. The idea elicited a tremor of pleasure she didn’t examine.

Gem’s eyes swept down her body and back up as she stepped past. She turned almost in a circle as she caught Mikayla’s gaze. “You look amazingly cute in your jammies.”

“I could say the same of you.”

Gem peered down and shrugged self-consciously. “The height of Oceana sleepwear this season.”

Mikayla laughed because she wasn’t sure what else to do. Her body reacted to Gem’s presence in a way she hadn’t experienced since the time she’d woken up in college and had caught her roommates, Kate and Lori, having sex in the bed across the room. The streetlight outside their dorm window had allowed Mikayla to see everything.

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