Page 57 of Born to be Wilder

I pointed at his hat. “I’m a captain, just like you.”

He gave a slow nod, no more questions. “I see. Well, then two captains are better than one on an airboat tour.”

“Exactly.” I clapped once and pointed to him. “I like how you think.”

I looked back at the widows, who were watching me with fear and suspicion in their eyes, no doubt wondering what I was saying to him.

Then as I looked into those blue eyes of his, I leaned in and said, “You can go now, right? In the sun? Don’t need to wait for dark… know what I mean?”

He furrowed his salt-and-pepper brows, a confused smile tipping up one side of his lips. “I can go now. More dangerous at dark on account of all the twists and turns we need to navigate.”

“Yeah. Right. Good point.” A little sigh of defeat caused my shoulders to slump.

Not a vampire, I mouthed to the widows.

Alice pressed a hand to her head, and Doris made the sign of the cross.

“Tell ya what. I’ll wait for you to finish up your food, then you can follow me to the boat. We can head out right away.”

“Deal.” I grinned at him, then hurried back to the widows.

“What did you do?” Sylvie shoved me when I sat down. “Did you seriously run up and ask that poor man if he was a vampire?”

“Well, not outright, of course.” I shoved her back. “But I did figure out that he’s not.”

“How?” Doris asked, her gaze flicking to him as he sat back down at the bar.

“Because I asked if he could go out in the sunshine, and he can. And assuming the lore is real, he’s not a vampire.”

“You just asked that man if he could go out in the sunshine?” Alice pressed two fingers to her temples.

“Well, I was more sly than that, of course. But forget the vampire thing. He’s not one. What he is is an airboat captain.”

“An airboat captain?” Sylvie asked.

I grinned. “Yep! Told you Bertha knew what she was doing. She brought me to the first wish. We’re going airboating!”

I sat back in the booth and crossed my arms with satisfaction.

The bayou. An airboat. Open water.

“Right now? He’s taking us right now?” Alice’s eyes widened.

“Yep. Well, I had to drop the cancer card for expedited service, but we’re in.”

She swatted me with her plastic menu. “You dropped my cancer card? Without me? Only I get to drop the cancer card, Marge.”

I waved her off. “Ah, it’s all good. His mom had it. He’s all in for giving you the pre-cancer time of your life.”

“Or end of my life. Early.” Alice sighed.

“Marge.” Doris reached across the table and grabbed my wrist. “Is this safe?”

“Completely.”

“Is it, though?” Sylvie tipped her head.

“Don’t you girls trust me yet?”