Peyton walked around the pool to join him. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him. “Those Navy SEALs are wild,” she remarked.
“They know how to have fun.”
A young man named Elliott came toward him, and one of the coaches Finn had met earlier was with him. Then Beck and two SEALs joined the group. Something was going on because Beck had that devil grin on his face.
“How about racing with us?” Beck asked. “Just two laps.”
“Who’s us?”
“Some of the team is here,” Elliott said. “We go to nationals soon.”
Finn shook his head. “I don’t think so.”
Elliott glanced at Beck, who nodded. Then he turned back to Finn. “Don’t you have what it takes now that you’re an old man?”
“Are you going to let him call you old?” Beck wanted to know.
“You probably haven’t been in a pool since you won those medals, have you?” Elliott asked.
Finn looked at Peyton. She smiled and shrugged.
“Okay,” he said. “Two laps.”
When the swimmers saw the men lining up, they all rushed to get out of the pool and watch the race.
Tristan was designated the starter. He yelled, “Go!” and the men soared out like arrows and sliced into the water. People began to cheer their favorites.
Peyton saw Finn’s dive but could barely make him out as the men splashed their way across the pool. The crowd closed in on her and she had to step around a couple standing in front of her in time to see the swimmers making their flip turns. Suddenly a huge roar erupted from the people watching. She turned and saw Finn gliding home to the finish, his competition still halfway across the pool. Barely winded, he raised up out of the water, looked for Peyton in the crowd, and smiled.
She laughed and thought, Still a hotshot.