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Still, she ought to learn from Deb. Hurting from the betrayal of a husband she’d dearly loved, yet here she was bravely meeting new people.
Am I too cautious to ever have a good time? Too frightened to ever take a chance?
Well, not this trip.
Cat took a deep breath and upended her second shot. A little loopy, she was glad to see the waitress arrive with her nachos. Steam billowed into the air from the plate before her, and the tantalizing fragrance of melting cheese and spicy chilies reminded Cat she was starving.
Joan caught Debbie’s eye and motioned for her to return to their table. She did, with the barfly in tow.
As she took her seat she said, “Jeff, this is Joan and Cat, the best friends a gal ever had.”
Cat scrutinized Deb. How much more tequila had she downed at the bar?
“Will you join us, Jeff?” Joan invited, removing her purse from the empty fourth hammock at their table.
“Thanks,” Jeff said.
“Have you eaten?” Cat asked to be polite as she used her fork to detach a tortilla chip from a mound of cheese and salsa.
“You ladies go ahead,” Jeff said, placing his drink on the table. “I’m waiting for some buddies.”
“Jeff crews on a private sailboat and knows these waters well,” Deb said as she squeezed mayo on top of the lettuce and tomato on her mahimahi sandwich.
“How big is the boat?” Joan asked before taking a bite of a giant hamburger.
“Eighty feet. She’s in dry dock for a week, so I’ve got some free time.”
“He was telling me about a fabulous anchorage in the Biminis where we need to go,” Deb said. “Tell them, Jeff.”
“Yeah, I highly recommend Gun Cay if you have enough draft.”
“Draft?” Deb asked.
“How deep your keel goes down in the water,” Jeff explained. “You don’t want to run aground. The water depth in Gun Cay is about ten feet, so it’s dicey at low tide for the Ocean Watch.”
“Ocean Watch is the boat you work on?” Cat asked.
“Right. Do you know your draft?”
“Six feet,” Joan said.
“Then you’ll have no problem. There’s seldom another boat to interfere with your serenity. At least, now that the busy winter season is over.”
“I like that idea,” Cat said.
“Crowded anchorages can ruin a vacation,” Jeff said with a nod. “And with no one else around, you ladies can enjoy the sun au naturel, one of the best things about cruising.”
“I don’t know about that,” Joan said. “We have a male captain.”
“I doubt if he’d mind,” Jeff said with a laugh. “Anyway, the water is so clear in Gun Cay, you can see every detail on the bottom from the deck of Ocean Watch. There’s plenty of conch, interesting fish, great snorkeling. The interior of the island is like a jungle with tons of birds if you’re a birder, and there’s a fabulous sandy beach. You can take the dinghy ashore and have a bonfire and barbecue at night. Killer sunsets are another plus.”
“Doesn’t it sound like heaven, guys?” Deb asked.
“Is it far away?” Cat asked, surprised by Debbie’s enthusiasm, more like the old Deb she remembered from their college days. If this pristine anchorage was doable, why not?
“It’s an easy half day or so sail from here, the perfect shakedown cruise to learn about your temporary home.”
“But I thought we decided to stay in the Keys,” Joan said before biting into a French fry.
“Jeff says we won’t find a peaceful anchorage in the Keys,” Debbie said.
“Not like this one, anyway,” Jeff added. “It’s our favorite spot to drop a hook in the Bahamas.”
“It does sound awesome,” Cat said with a glance at Joan, who appeared to have doubts about the new idea.
“There are my friends now.” Jeff stood and waved his arm to catch the attention of two other men who threaded their way through the crowded bar toward him.
“What do you think about Gun Cay, Joanie?” Cat asked.
“I think our captain will object to a change in plans.” Joan eyed the two newcomers, and then grinned. “And I think we’re about to have a party.”
CHAPTER TWO (#u111365f0-1232-504d-b1b6-159caa4e1bf5)
JAVI JERKED AWAKE at the sound of laughter drifting through the open hatch. He reached for his service weapon, senses instantly on alert.
He released the gun when he realized where he was and that a group of obviously inebriated people were making their way down Spree’s dock. Illuminating his watch in the dark, he cursed. 1:00 a.m. Damned inconsiderate of these jerks to make so much noise this late on a dock full of live-aboards, some with families.
He gazed through the hatch at stars twinkling in the dark sky. Could these drunken revelers be his charterers? He heard male voices, but maybe the ladies had hooked up and invited new lovers to spend the night on Spree.
Why not? They were on holiday.
“There she is,” a woman said with a touch of admiration. “That’s our Spree.”
“She’s got beautiful lines,” said a male voice.
“Shh!” another woman said, trying to whisper but utterly failing.
Laughter. More whispers and ineffective shushes. Javi resisted the urge to go up top and see what was going on. After several minutes of conversation and a mention of someone needing to get to bed, he heard goodbyes.
A clumsy thud sounded overhead in Spree’s cockpit, followed by giggles and more shushing. Footsteps clomped down the companionway steps as his charterers descended into the main saloon. Fortunately, he’d already closed the door to his quarter-berth cabin. They spoke in subdued tones, at least making an attempt to be quiet, although the occasional laugh broke through.
Reminding himself these women were on vacation and that he’d given them permission to stay aboard tonight, he waited for them to settle in their bunks.
As their hushed conversation continued, he caught mention of an ex-husband they all considered the devil incarnate. Javi wondered which one the ex belonged to, but doors closed, indicating they’d entered their cabins. Faint voices reached him from the master suite shared by Joan and Debbie. Irish, the redhead with the porcelain skin, had opted for the smaller cabin with bunk beds.
The ache in his thigh jerked him back to the present. He’d done what strengthening exercises he could do without a gym, and maybe he’d overdone the reps to compensate. He was seriously pissed about how long his recovery was taking. Two months in from the shooting, and he still wasn’t a hundred percent.
The worst thing wasn’t the pain. The worst thing was the boredom. But he only had four more weeks before he’d be cleared to return to active duty. Four never-ending weeks. God, he missed the job.
Although boredom wasn’t what he anticipated for the next week. Frustration from these clueless women sounded about right.
Spree rocked gently at the dock as he stared through the hatch at a dark sky full of millions of stars. That subtle motion brought back memories of the many happy years aboard Ganesh, a forty-five-foot wooden yawl, his home until college. He and his brother, Roberto, been homeschooled by his mom and dad as they cruised around the world, often hooking up with Marlin at foreign ports. It’d been a hell of an education from far more than textbooks.
Until it all came crashing down on their heads. Javi closed his mind to history that wasn’t quite ancient enough.
This charter had gotten off to a rocky start, and it was his fault because he didn’t like change. Mandatory visits to the Bureau shrink after the shooting had revealed that lovely quirk. Dr. Moonface claimed it was because he had a controlling personality. Maybe she was right. As a result of his irritation, the charterers considered him an evil troll, no doubt on a par with the evil ex.
One of the reasons he’d allowed them to sleep aboard tonight was to enable an early start. The channel in this marina was tricky at low tide, and he wanted to take advantage of the morning high tide. But considering their late night of partying, he doubted any of the ladies would be up before noon. More change.
He’d do better tomorrow, work hard to control his reactions and make them feel welcome. He was supposed to be a gracious host, not a pain in the ass. Marlin depended on repeat business.
As he drifted off, soothed by the rhythm of the boat, Javi decided to fix the women brunch for their first day. Pancakes and bacon. That ought to work. The aroma of frying bacon would rouse the dead. The contract specified they did their own cooking, but in his experience women appreciated a food offering.
* * *
JAVI WOKE TO the shrieks of seagulls greeting a boat returning to port. He heard the quiet rumble of a motor, and Spree rocked from the wake. He suspected this was the Growler, who came in from her night of fishing around 6:00 a.m. Through the overhead hatch, he watched coral-tinged clouds drift, reflecting the sunrise.
Morning had always been his favorite time of day. The world remained calm, the day ahead unknown and the temperature cool. At home, he’d be lacing up his shoes for an early run. But a return to jogging was still weeks away.
He rolled out of his bunk and pulled on khaki shorts and the light blue T-shirt with Spree’s logo he’d wear for the next week, determined to be a welcoming, proper captain today. When he entered the main saloon, as he suspected, none of his charterers were yet awake. Working quietly, he fired up the butane stove and prepared a pot of coffee.
He poured himself a cup and he set out three unbreakable coffee mugs for the women. Grabbing a towel, he hurried up the stairs. He’d take a hot shower in the facilities provided by the marina—the last good shower for a week. He’d check with the Growler, too. If she had a good night, the captain might share extra mahimahi, which would provide a fresh fish dinner for the charterers.
Javi came to a startled halt in the cockpit where he discovered the redhead fast asleep, her long hair loose and splayed out along the fiberglass bench. She wore shorts and a T-shirt that read Green Gully Orchids. He enjoyed a long look at how her shirt strained against what appeared to be perfect breasts. His gaze drifted appreciatively down her long, toned body. Nice legs, too.
Under different circumstances, no question he’d make a play to get this one in his bed.
But Irish was a charterer, which made her totally off-limits, a hard rule no charter captain dared break or risk disaster. His role for the next week had to be the friendly yet distant professional.
Besides, these women already hated him.
She lay with her knees curled to her chest, her body language indicating she was chilled, so he placed his towel over her body and went below to grab another one for his shower. He’d thought all three had gone to their bunks, but maybe she’d been too drunk to make it to her cabin last night.
On his return, when halfway up the stairs, he spotted Irish sitting up and yawning, the towel around her shoulders.
She nodded at his cup. “Is that coffee?”
“Absolutely.” Perfect opportunity to play the good captain. “How do you take it?”
She smiled sleepily. “Just a little cream, please.”
He returned and handed her a fresh mug.
“Thanks,” she said, and took a cautious sip.
“You’re welcome.” Javi sat across from her. “Something amiss with your cabin?”
“My cabin is fine. I came up to look at all the stars, and I guess I fell asleep.” She shot him a pointed look. “Was that against the rules, too?”
“Not at all. But if I’d known you were up here asleep, I’d have been quieter.”
“Oh.” Her pale cheeks flushed a delightful pink. “I’m sorry about last night. We had a little too much to drink.”
Javi mentally kicked himself. He hadn’t meant to bring up the noisy arrival. So much for getting on better terms with my charterers.
“That happens sometimes on vacation,” he said.
She nodded, still appearing embarrassed. “Did you give me this towel?”
“You looked cold.”
“Thanks.” She broke eye contact and took another sip of coffee.
“Not a problem.” When she didn’t speak again, Javi decided Irish wasn’t the friendly type. Or maybe she wasn’t a morning person. He stood. “I’m going to grab a shower at the marina.”
“We can’t shower on board?”
“You can,” he said. “But I didn’t want to wake your friends. Plus, we have a limited fresh water supply, and none of it is hot.”
Her eyes widened. “No hot water?”
“At anchor, I can rig a sun shower and use solar heating to get some water warm. Have you ever chartered before?”
“No,” she admitted. “Joanie is the sailor.”
And apparently Joanie didn’t tell her friends the truth about life aboard a chartered sailboat, or at least this one. “When your friends wake up, I’ll give you the full orientation and a safety drill.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” Cat said.
Javi couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic or serious. The woman was hard to read, something he wasn’t used to, which annoyed him.
This was going to be one miserable week.
* * *
CAT RELEASED A relieved sigh when the captain jumped onto the pier and moved out of sight. The man made her nervous. He was too damned tall, too damned fit and way too gorgeous. The best strategy would be to ignore him as much as possible for the rest of the week. That’s the way she handled men who made her nervous, which was most men.
She found it so much easier to talk to her orchids. They didn’t talk back, expecting her to say something witty or intelligent.
She closed her eyes and allowed her mind to drift to her shade house full of phalaenopsis. She knew what to do there, how to nurture her plants into awe-inspiring blooms. Why was it so hard for her to interact with real, breathing, talking human beings? Her mother and father had built Green Gully Orchids by making friends all over the world at shows and conferences, while she preferred to hide in the background and hope no one paid her the slightest attention. Why couldn’t she be more like her parents?
Javi had a body that belonged on the cover of a fitness magazine, but he was also the captain of this boat. She couldn’t snub him all week because she was tongue-tied. She had to interact with him, especially if she wanted to learn how to sail. The brochure hadn’t mentioned the lack of running hot water, but it had most definitely promised sailing lessons.
Cat took a swallow of delicious coffee. The captain might be prickly about his precious rules, but he could brew an excellent cup of caffeine.
She was on vacation, for goodness’ sake. They hadn’t even left the dock, and she’d already started thinking about her business. How ridiculous. Joan was right. She needed to relax. She needed to forget about one bad night ten years ago.
So why not go below and crawl into her bunk? She hadn’t meant to fall asleep on deck last night, but the rock of the boat had acted like a narcotic. The tequila probably didn’t hurt, either. Joan and Debbie wouldn’t be up for hours, particularly Deb, who’d imbibed an incredible amount of liquor.
