Bonnie smiled at him and pulled her sandwich closer, looked down at the top of her gown and sighed. So much of her life had been put on hold…. Even more during her grandmother’s illness, including her friendships.
She wanted to explore that life now, figure out exactly what she could do. What her life could be. Despite the chaos she’d caused when she left home and her wedding, for the first time, she truly felt free. No guilt, she ordered herself whenever she thought of her parents. She rejected even the notion of it. She had done nothing wrong as far as she was concerned… If she didn’t want that ‘princess’ life, there was nothing wrong with that.
“Shoot.” David snapped his fingers and brought Bonnie out of her reverie. “I need to make a phone call. Be right back.”
He left and Bonnie continued with her meal. In between bites of her sandwich, she removed bobby pins from her hair. With each one she set on the table, she felt remarkably lighter as her hair fell in waves around her shoulders. The tightness in her skull eased. The tension in her shoulders melted away and soon she was looking down at the pins on the table.
David’s voice was raised and she distinctly heard the mention of someone kidnapped. Bonnie shifted to watch him pace from port to starboard, dragging a hand through his hair before he dropped his head back and stared up at the sky. When he quit the call and ducked inside again, she couldn’t help herself and asked, “Who was kidnapped?”
“Kidnapped?” He looked as if she’d just thrown an anchor into his arms. “Oh, no. No one was… I was just talking to my partner about a previous case.”
Unexpected relief slid through her. “Oh.” She said.
“Yeah, just catching up, that’s all.”
Bonnie’s lips twitched. “Sure? You sounded a bit…Concerned on the phone.”
He shook his head. “Nah, it’s nothing to worry about.”
She smothered a yawn, probably the result of a massive adrenaline crash.
“You look wiped out,” David said. “Why don’t you get some rest? There’s a separate berth right down there.” He pointed at the narrow hall ahead of him. “I’ve already grabbed the one at the back.”
“Good night” She said, but she didn’t leave. “I know you’ll say you’re just doing your job and all that, but I will never be able to thank you for all this.”
“Nothing to thank me for.” he said and gave her a small smile. “Like you said, I’m just doing my job… figured it wouldn’t be so bad if we had some fun while at it. Your idea not mine”
Bonnie smiled and continued. “You never asked me.”
“Asked you what?”
“Why I ran away,” she stated. “… From my wedding”
David’s half smile didn’t reach his eyes. “It’s none of my business, that’s why I didn’t ask. But if you want to talk about it, then I will be happy to listen…”
Bonnie nodded. “Got it.” she said. “There is one more thing I need your help with. If you don’t mind?”
“Name it.”
Her face went hot. “I’d really love to get this dress off.” She turned around so she wouldn’t have to look at him. She pulled her hair into one hand, then drew it over her shoulder. “I had a hard time putting this on… Could you just-help me with the zip”
“Yeah.” His strangled response had her biting back a smile. “Sure. I can do that.”
He almost sounded like he was trying to convince himself that he could. His fingers brushed the back of her neck as he held up the back of her dress… His other hand found the zipper and gently pushed it downwards. The tip of his fingers grazed her as he did so, over her bare skin, almost tickling, sensitizing, making her fight not to move.
Bonnie shivered as she felt the air on her back, and then she felt him lean closer. So close that she was sure that he was going to kiss the curve of her shoulder. But instead he ran his hand down her arm and said “All done”.
She didn’t move for a few seconds. When she did and turned to face him, she couldn’t help but notice the change in his eyes… in the way he looked at her. His eyes had darkened, and the color rose in her cheeks.
“Good night, Bonnie. Sleep well” he said.
Bonnie simply nodded and headed for the berth. It was the right thing to do, she told herself. The right thing to do…
————–
David flexed his suddenly sore fingers and watched Bonnie shove her way down the narrow passageway toward the forward berth. He would be lucky not to be haunted by images of what she wore under the dress, he thought.
For him, his planned sleep was clearly out of the question. He picked up her shoes and considered following her to give it back to her, but decided not to. Probably best not to see her right now… so he stashed them in a cubby under the bench.
He looked around and sighed. While he’d bought the boat as is, and that included most everything left behind by the now elderly owner, it wasn’t anywhere close to well stocked or outfitted. The bare necessities indeed, which was exactly the tune David hummed as he cleaned up the remnants of the sandwiches and put away the remainder of the groceries.
He pulled out his phone, tapped open the notepad app and began dictating the list of things he’d need to do, from refitting the cabinetry to ripping up the carpeting and replacing it with durable vinyl flooring. Tasks like that he could hire Kendall Davidson and her construction crew to handle. The army vet knew her way around restoration projects and he’d bet she wouldn’t mind adding boat work to what her company offered. The smaller stuff he could pass on to Kyle Knight, who was looking for opportunities to build up his construction experience for the contractor’s license he planned to test for.
David took pictures of the rest of the interior, avoiding the bow berth until it was unoccupied. The head would need a complete overhaul, as would the appliances in the galley. Cosmetics would come later, including a new coat of paint and maybe-maybe a new name. He’d have to spend some time with Blue Blood to decide. Whatever her name, he’d make certain it would fit.