The day was warm but cloudy, with only the occasional ray of sun peeking through the grayish-white cover that blanketed the city. Still, the beach overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge was busy with late summer swimmers and families flying colorful kites.
Chakotay had stopped at his apartment only long enough to shed his uniform and change into a casual shirt and shorts. Now he slowly made his way across the wide stretch of sand toward the white-painted lifeguard tower. When he'd called Kathryn earlier, she'd said that he'd find her somewhere in the vicinity of the tower but so far he didn't see her. Navigating a path between towels and playing children, he soon arrived at the water's edge and let his eyes travel over the heads of the swimmers and a handful of sailboats beyond. The waves splashed softly at his feet, and he took off his shoes and socks and advanced a few steps into the ocean, surprised at how warm it still was at this time of year.
Several heads bobbed up and down a few hundred meters from the shore, and Chakotay watched as the swimmers moved back and forth. Then one of them changed direction and headed toward his position at a powerful crawl.
He soon recognized Kathryn. About thirty meters from the shore she stopped swimming and stood up to walk the rest of the way toward Chakotay. Her wet hair hung loosely down her shoulders, and she gathered the mass to wring out the sea water as she walked. Chakotay stared unabashedly at her gently swinging hips, admiring the red bikini that accentuated her curves without revealing too much.
"Hi," she smiled as she walked straight into his arms, dropping a kiss on his lips. Her body left a wet imprint on his clothes, but he couldn't have cared less. "You should've come in to join me. The water is quite warm."
"Ah, but then I would have missed the glorious view," he smirked, raking his eyes over her cleavage. She started to laugh, but he pulled her closer and pressed his lips to hers in a passionate kiss that left them both weak-kneed.
"Watch your thoughts," Kathryn warned breathlessly when they separated. "This is a family beach. We don't want to be reprimanded for indecent exposure."
Chakotay chuckled. "Then we'd better find somewhere less crowded. Walk with me?"
"Anywhere you want." Kathryn moved a few steps up the beach and reached for her towel to quickly dry herself off before slipping on a light sundress. Chakotay picked up the beach bag containing her shoes and a PADD and held it open so she could drop the towel inside. Then he added his own shoes and socks, slung the bag over his shoulder and took her hand.
"How was your day?" he asked as they started walking south along the shore, waves lapping at their feet.
"Nice and quiet," Kathryn replied happily. "I had a lazy breakfast, then went out to do some shopping," she indicated her bikini and dress, "and then I came here. I read a bit, dozed a bit, and after you called I decided to go for a swim. You really should go in, the water is very nice."
"Maybe later," Chakotay replied, relieved to hear that Kathryn had enjoyed her day even though he had been forced to work. Whatever troubled thoughts had weighed her down when she'd arrived the previous day seemed to have lifted by now. Maybe it had just been her bad travel experience.
"Oh, and I called my mother," Kathryn went on. "I told her I'd arrived safely on Earth and that I'd come to Indiana on Tuesday. Her birthday is a week from tomorrow, so there'll be enough time to set everything up for the party."
"Tuesday? That's three more days for us then." He lifted their joined hands and kissed her fingertips.
Kathryn stopped walking and turned to him, leaning in to brush a kiss across his cheek as she whispered in his ear, "And maybe a few more before my leave is up. If you want –"
Letting out a loud whoop, Chakotay scooped her up and swung her around. "If I want? I definitely want!"
Kathryn clung to his shoulders, laughing. "I wasn't finished! Now put me down."
He complied, but only to sweep her into his arms again and kiss her until neither could breathe.
When they separated at last, Kathryn gulped in a lungful of air. "There's more," she finally managed to say.
"Good news or bad?"
"Good, I hope." Kathryn grinned. "My mother wants you to come to the party."
Chakotay was stunned. "How did that happen?"
"She asked where I was staying, and I said with a friend. Then she said 'A good friend?' and I replied 'A very good friend', and I think I must have blushed because the next thing she said was 'Bring him!'." A faint trace of pink was creeping up her cheeks even as she spoke. "There wasn't much I could say afterward to deter her. But of course you don't have to –"
"I'd love to," he interrupted her. "That is, if you want me to. If you'd rather spend the time alone with your family, I wouldn't want to intrude."
"It won't be just the family," Kathryn warned. "The guest list is so long, I think she invited half the town. There'll be people there I haven't seen since I left to join the Academy." She pressed closer against him. "But if you're willing to enter the fray, maybe I should point out that I won't be staying at the house. It'll be filled with aunts and uncles and their offspring, so I booked a hotel in town. Mom wasn't happy about that, but even she had to agree that there wasn't enough room for everyone to stay over."
She was looking out at the ocean while she explained the arrangement, and Chakotay got the sudden impression that she wasn't telling him everything. There was a haunted look in her eyes that once again reminded him of the odd occurrences he'd noticed the previous day. Not having anything definite to go on though, he just asked, "Saturday, isn't it?"
"Yes. It starts at 1700 hours, with an open end." She met his eyes again. "Can you get away?"
He smiled, trailing his hand down her spine. "I could get away Friday afternoon and be there early to help you with the preparations on Saturday morning."
Kathryn leaned up and her warm breath whispered across his cheek, making him shiver. "Say you'll stay until Sunday night."
Even if he'd wanted to, he wouldn't have been able to resist the pull of her voice. "I will." They sealed the deal with another kiss.
A beach ball came flying out of nowhere and hit Chakotay in the back, reminding them both that they were still on a public beach. A girl of about fourteen came running to snatch up the ball, muttering an apology before she turned and went back to her group of friends.
Kathryn and Chakotay resumed their walk. The afternoon sun was sinking lower in the sky, lengthening their shadows across the wide expanse of sand. By now Kathryn's hair had dried, and Chakotay ran a caressing hand through the long tresses, admiring the shifting highlights of fiery red and sparkling gold. When he put his arm around her shoulder, she looked up at him and smiled, her expression a mirror of the contentment he felt himself.