about her just rubbed him the right way, and her agreeable nature and pleasant voice with its classically seductive Carolinian cadence affected him more than he'd voluntarily admit. And her shoulder-length auburn hair, which perfectly framed her lightly freckled face when it wasn't tied back in a ponytail.
" Hello? Kari? Anyone home?" he called as he entered the shop and glanced around the interior. After his ride the air inside was invitingly cool, and so was all the shiny and neatly displayed gear. And it was the middle of the day during tourist season and the place was deserted. Ketch hoped she was making ends meet. She might do better in a better location, which would probably mean Hatteras on this island, but maybe not as there was already competition down there. Or better yet somewhere else entirely perhaps, but Ketch didn't like to think about that.
Not that he was in a position to help a lot, and not that she'd be likely to take charity from him or anyone else anyway, but he wished he could do something for her. He could buy some new gear, maybe a buoyancy compensator since his was starting to get a little raggedy - but she'd unfortunately probably insist on giving it to him at cost as she often did. That and free tank rentals were the only rewards he got (or wanted) for occasionally assisting with her certification classes and dive charters, and he didn't think he could forgo even those without getting her hackles up.
"Well hey, Ketch!" she said as she emerged from a room in the back. "Long time no see! What brings y'all round today?" It was funny how he sometimes bristled at Southern accents and idioms when they were coming from a man; depending on the man, of course - Ingram's manner of speaking being especially irritating to him, for example. But her voice had quite the opposite effect on him.
"Oh, h ello." Looked like today was a ponytail day. Ketch unconsciously stood a little straighter and brightened visibly. "Well, I was thinking of picking up a tank, for one thing." After he'd said it, he supposed he had thought of doing that sometime recently; but that wasn't really why he was here.
"Okay, no problem. Hey, where's my Jack y?"
"I' m on my bike. Jack's sacked out back at the ranch. We went out with the Captain this morning."
"Bike, huh? What are y'all gonna do, strap that bad boy on your back and pedal it on home?" she asked with a grin. "You remember those tanks weigh about forty pounds full out of the water, right?" Seeing Ketch's look of consternation, she added, "Hey, you look hot. You want a Co-Cola with some ice?"
Ketch cleared his throat. "Well, I can come back with the truck later or tomorrow, you don't have to fill one for me right this minute. And yes, a cold drink would be nice, thanks." What was the matter with him? She'd been over to the house at least a couple of times before. He felt like an awkward teenager.
"Come on back here to the kitchen and I'll pour us a couple," she said with a follow-me wave. While she set them up she remarked, "I hope you're not fixin' to dive solo. It's not sanctioned and you ought to know better, bein' a divemaster and all."
"Not really , I just want to clean the bottom of my boat," Ketch replied. That would be the used seventeen-foot Whaler he'd picked up for a song a while back. Though the boat was ancient, the outboard wasn't, and he'd gotten a great deal on it. "Besides, it was only unsanctioned until they found a way to make money on it. As I imagine you know, PADI started offering what they call a 'distinctive specialty course' on diving without a buddy, and I heard SDI has a class like that too."
" Yeah, they did, but that doesn't mean they advocate solo divin'. It's to teach experienced divers how to take care of themselves in an emergency in case you get separated from your buddy, or when you might not have a competent buddy, or can't have one. You know, like if you're takin' pictures, or buddied with a stranger, or tec divin', and even just when
" Hello? Kari? Anyone home?" he called as he entered the shop and glanced around the interior. After his ride the air inside was invitingly cool, and so was all the shiny and neatly displayed gear. And it was the middle of the day during tourist season and the place was deserted. Ketch hoped she was making ends meet. She might do better in a better location, which would probably mean Hatteras on this island, but maybe not as there was already competition down there. Or better yet somewhere else entirely perhaps, but Ketch didn't like to think about that.
Not that he was in a position to help a lot, and not that she'd be likely to take charity from him or anyone else anyway, but he wished he could do something for her. He could buy some new gear, maybe a buoyancy compensator since his was starting to get a little raggedy - but she'd unfortunately probably insist on giving it to him at cost as she often did. That and free tank rentals were the only rewards he got (or wanted) for occasionally assisting with her certification classes and dive charters, and he didn't think he could forgo even those without getting her hackles up.
"Well hey, Ketch!" she said as she emerged from a room in the back. "Long time no see! What brings y'all round today?" It was funny how he sometimes bristled at Southern accents and idioms when they were coming from a man; depending on the man, of course - Ingram's manner of speaking being especially irritating to him, for example. But her voice had quite the opposite effect on him.
"Oh, h ello." Looked like today was a ponytail day. Ketch unconsciously stood a little straighter and brightened visibly. "Well, I was thinking of picking up a tank, for one thing." After he'd said it, he supposed he had thought of doing that sometime recently; but that wasn't really why he was here.
"Okay, no problem. Hey, where's my Jack y?"
"I' m on my bike. Jack's sacked out back at the ranch. We went out with the Captain this morning."
"Bike, huh? What are y'all gonna do, strap that bad boy on your back and pedal it on home?" she asked with a grin. "You remember those tanks weigh about forty pounds full out of the water, right?" Seeing Ketch's look of consternation, she added, "Hey, you look hot. You want a Co-Cola with some ice?"
Ketch cleared his throat. "Well, I can come back with the truck later or tomorrow, you don't have to fill one for me right this minute. And yes, a cold drink would be nice, thanks." What was the matter with him? She'd been over to the house at least a couple of times before. He felt like an awkward teenager.
"Come on back here to the kitchen and I'll pour us a couple," she said with a follow-me wave. While she set them up she remarked, "I hope you're not fixin' to dive solo. It's not sanctioned and you ought to know better, bein' a divemaster and all."
"Not really , I just want to clean the bottom of my boat," Ketch replied. That would be the used seventeen-foot Whaler he'd picked up for a song a while back. Though the boat was ancient, the outboard wasn't, and he'd gotten a great deal on it. "Besides, it was only unsanctioned until they found a way to make money on it. As I imagine you know, PADI started offering what they call a 'distinctive specialty course' on diving without a buddy, and I heard SDI has a class like that too."
" Yeah, they did, but that doesn't mean they advocate solo divin'. It's to teach experienced divers how to take care of themselves in an emergency in case you get separated from your buddy, or when you might not have a competent buddy, or can't have one. You know, like if you're takin' pictures, or buddied with a stranger, or tec divin', and even just when
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