“I’m not naturally sneaky,” she said after making a show of climbing the short stair-case. He glanced over his shoulder as she joined him. “I’ll try not to scare you again.”
“You can scare me all you want if you bring coffee.” He accepted the offered mug with a quick smile. “Thanks.”
“Everything okay?” The view from the window was nothing more than a collection of boats and cruisers-a view she’d seen hundreds of times over the years. The view behind her-the view waiting for them-now that was another story.
“Electricity seems to be working. I’m going to try not to push the engine too hard on our first trip out. The ride to Palm Bay should be a good test.”
“Like I said, I’m just along for the ride.” said Bonnie. “You are the boss”
“Oh, you’re more than that.” He took a long drink of coffee. “You’re crew now.”
“In that case, Captain, your wish is my command. If I don’t know how to do something, I’ll let you know or figure it out myself.”
“Fair enough. You know how to unmoor us?”
“Yep.” She set down her mug in a cup receptacle.
“Quick start out, huh?”
He nodded and she unfastened the lashings, looping each thick rope the way her grandmother had taught her back before Bonnie had hit double digits. When she heard the roar of the engine catching, she picked up speed, wanting to watch the horizon come closer as they pulled out of dock.
The weather was cool, and the wind chill increased as the boat began to move. She tilted her head, listened to the odd sounds of the engine. It definitely wasn’t as smooth as she was used to, but then, this boat had been made well before she’d been born. She stood at the bow, feet braced apart, hands gently clasping the brass railing as Blue Blood putt-putted its restrictive four miles per hour out of the marina water space.
She’d never found anything better than the ocean wind blowing across her face as open water lay ahead. The wind made her eyes blur, and she shivered, but she stood fast, the anxiety that had been plaguing her for the past couple months since her grams died fading the farther from the marina they went. They passed early-morning fishermen and late-night cruises on their return to the harbor. Horns blared occasionally in greeting, and soon, as Bonnie closed her eyes and dropped her head back, the Marina was out of sight.
David steered Blue Blood north, kicking up their speed enough to have them bouncing lightly along the current. How she loved that slap, slap, slap against the boat-it was like music to her ears, the vibration of the sea beneath the soles of her shoes reassuring. She felt the last of the emotional shackles she’d been wearing drop away and, head tilted back, she raised her arms and made like a bird soaring across the waves. Seagulls cawed overhead, along with a flash of bright green interspersed among the feathered creatures. A distinctive squawk had her lips curving into a smile and she returned to the wheelhouse and joined David.
“Get your fill already?” David called over the noise of the wind and engine, his brow arched in challenge.
“Never!” She stood beside him, feet braced apart again, and balanced herself as she drank her coffee and sighed. “This might be the best morning of my life.”
He smiled at her. “It’s about to get better.” He rustled up a paper bag from nearby and pulled out an over-sized bagel. He tore it apart and offered her half. “My last one for the trip.”
“Thank you.” Too hungry to refuse, she accepted and bit in, her taste buds exploding with crunchy, soft, herbed goodness. “It’s delicious.”
“I know, right!” There was that charming smile again, the one that made her stomach do odd things. The sun arched higher into the sky, warming the air around them. “If you’re still hungry, you can check the fridge,” David called.
She wasn’t, mainly because she wasn’t normally a breakfast person, but she suspected that wasn’t the reason he’d mentioned it. “I take it that’s code for you wanting something to eat?”
“See? You’re learning to speak my language already.”
“Or I could take the wheel?” She’d meant it to tease him, but the skeptical expression on his face clearly meant she’d failed. “Kidding! Believe me, even I’m smart enough to know not to get between a man and his… wheel this soon out. I’ll just…”
She gathered up the now-empty mugs and paper bag and headed downstairs. She found a scribbled list of supplies on the table, most of which she couldn’t read. The man’s writing was atrocious. She’d need a code-breaker to decipher it. What she did do was take a quick inventory of all he had brought on the boat with him yesterday, noting his particular penchant for all things carbohydrate. Beyond the giant jars of peanut butter and strawberry jam, he’d brought two different kinds of bread, cookies, breakfast toaster pastries and… She pulled out a family-size bag of chocolate-coated-peanut candy.
“A man after my own heart.” Her blood sugar was spiking just holding it. Well, she could throw together some mean salads, so she added to his list, making sure each and every item was legible. She made him a peanut-butter sandwich. She picked it up, along with another cup of coffee, this one in a new travel cylinder she found on the shelf next to the sink. It hadn’t taken her long to get her sea legs back, other than learning to try to keep as much weight off her ankle as she could. She added painkillers to the grocery list, then took his second breakfast upstairs.
This was something she could easily get used to. Waking up in the morning with nothing around her but open water and clear sky. It was a dream, she knew. Not every morning was like this and the ocean certainly wasn’t always friendly, but this was a day she’d remember for a very long time. No matter what else might come down the line, she could cling to that. And smile.
“I added some things to the grocery list,” Bonnie said as she handed him his sandwich and set his metal tumbler where he’d had his mug previously. “Hope that’s okay.”
“Of course.” He had taken a seat in the padded chair, had one hand casually on the wheel, not steering necessarily, but guiding and making sure the boat stayed on course.