“Yes,” David said with a twinkle in his eye. “Yes, you are. It’s no big deal. I told him where we are…So don’t worry.” He held up a hand. “He just wants to know that you are safe. You should get a phone… so you can… call him sometime.”
“I feel like a teenager who’s run away from home,” she grumbled. Not that she ever had. By the time she was old enough to think about it, she knew very well her father cared too much and would come after her. Which was why this situation was so perplexing. Why couldn’t he just let her be?
“Yeah, well, since it seems like he is not going to let it go anytime soon,” David said as he got up to pull the burgers off the heat, “maybe you should go ahead and speak to him…regularly, i guess. So he will worry less”
“I suppose that’s one option.” She swallowed, gathering her courage. “Or there’s another one.”
“What’s that?” He opened a bag of chips, popped one in his mouth and sat down. She waited until his mouth was full before she answered.
“We could not worry about my dad…I know he loves me and all that, but you know he’s just overreacting at this point because I didn’t marry the guy he wanted me to. He knows I’m safe… there is nothing to be worried about. So let’s forget about it, shall we? You know, I know how to sail. I’ve been on boats almost my whole life. My grandmother taught me so I’d have something in common with my father. Not that that went any… Never mind.”
She was babbling. She always babbled when she was nervous, and she was almost always nervous around him.
“You will be glad you brought me, you know. I cook pretty well, so we wouldn’t starve and you could eat more than peanut butter and hamburgers. I’ve always felt at home on the water, as if it’s where I belong, and that’s what I need now. You did a great thing bringing me here.. Just some time away from…everything. While I figure out what to do. I promise, once we get to Butterfly Harbor i can figure out what i wanna do about my dad”
David stared at her, and for the first time she couldn’t decipher the expression on his face.
“On the other hand,” she added, “if you were hoping for solitude, I can keep out of your way. I’ll even lock myself in the forward berth-”
“What? I wouldn’t ask you to do that,” David said, cutting her off. “I wouldn’t bring you here if I wanted… solitude…”
Hope welled and surfaced like an inflatable dinghy and she smiled.
“This trip’s going to be unpredictable. The boat isn’t in great shape. The engine’s temperamental. I can’t guarantee we’re going to get anywhere at a specific time. Could be up to a week before we get there.”
“Lucky for me I have no pending appointments.” Bonnie said, “It’s an adventure… remember?”
“Fine, but we’re still getting you a phone… just in case… Then, we should shower and get going”
————
The third time David hit his elbow against the water-stained shower wall, he cursed out loud. The solitary bathroom, located in the narrow hallway between Bonnie’s bedroom and the galley, had not been designed for anyone close to his height and breadth. By the time he got to port in Butterfly Harbor he was going to be one big bruise. Towel slung around his waist, he shoved open the accordion-style door and nearly stumbled back into the shower stall.
“Oh Sorry.” Bonnie beamed at him and seeing the laughter in her dark eyes set his teeth on edge. They hadn’t even left the marina and he was already wondering how he would deal with her in such close proximity. “Maybe I should start wearing a bell around my neck?”
“I’ll add it to our shopping list.” he replied.
The top of her head brushed his chin as they exchanged places. He could smell gardenias dancing off her hair and the scent brought to mind a lazy cruise around the Hawaiian islands against the setting sun. Oh, yeah. This trip wasn’t going to be as easy as he thought.
“There’s a little town about three hours north where we can get supplies, and there’s a dealer there who specializes in boat engines. We should also be able to get you a phone and online to connect to your bank.”
“It’s your boat. I’m just along for the ride.” There was that smile again, a smile that told him she’d shaken off whatever trepidation she might have been feeling before and was ready for a new adventure.
“Great. I’ll get dressed and do a final check on the engine.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
He glanced out the narrow window over the galley table. “It’s a plan all right.” With that, he headed back to his cabin. He heard the scream before he shut his door. Still grasping his towel, he raced back to the bathroom. David had his hand on the door handle, then hesitated. “Bonnie? You okay?” he asked.
“No, I’m not okay.” She yanked open the door and countered his own towel with one of her own. Her face was drenched, her hair sopping. Her eyes flashed danger when she pinned him with a look. “You used all the hot water!”
He couldn’t help it. He grinned. “Sorry about that.”
“You know what? Judging by the look on your face, I don’t think you are.”
His grin widened. “You can go first tomorrow, princess. Quirks of the Blue Blood. You better get used to it.” This time he whistled on his way back to his cabin.
——–
If Bonnie had known all it would take to improve David’s mood was to get pummeled by ice-cold water, she’d have showered earlier. She managed to get clean in record time despite getting distracted by the citrus-scented shampoo that smelled distinctly like David Stewart’s hair. Practicality dictated she braid her hair, which she did, before putting on a sweatshirt and pants. Her ankle gave her barely a twinge as she finished getting dressed and headed out to start the day.
Finding coffee steaming and ready to pour, she grabbed two mugs, washed them and filled them, then carried them up the ladder toward the wheel-house, where she found David checking gauges and testing the radio.