Page 33 of The Sailor

Marit flushed. “Yeah.”

“I know I spoke a big game about what I was gonna do to you when we got up, but I think we covered most of those bases before we crashed. What do you say we get up, get showered, and I make us a good old-fashioned American breakfast? With eggs, bacon, biscuits, and French toast.”

Marit’s stomach growled.

Zach grinned. “I guess that’s a yes?”

“I haven’t had a breakfast like that in forever. I usually just grab a bagel or something on my way out the door.”

Zach had the momentary thought that he wanted to feed this woman a nutritious and filling breakfast every day for the rest of her life. It was way too early for that kind of thought . . . wasn’t it? He honestly wasn’t sure anymore. He’d never felt this comfortable with someone so early in a relationship.

“How about after we eat, we head down to the festival? It’s your first time experiencing it, and I’d love to share it with you. All the good stuff happens this weekend, but we can at least walk around a little bit.”

“You just want to check out The Lobster Buoy,” Marit teased with a smile.

Zach shrugged. “I do, but that’s not the real reason I want to walk around with you. Can’t I want to show you off?”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m not exactly a prize, Zach.”

Marit went to scoot away from him, but he wasn’t having it. Zach rolled until Marit was under him, trapped under his much bigger body. He looked into her eyes as he said, “Wrong. You’re hardworking, smart, strong, fucking beautiful, and anyone who sees us will take one look and know that I’ve hit the jackpot. They’ll probably want to know how the hell I caught your attention and why you’re with a bum like me.”

Marit scowled. “You’re not a bum.”

“I own a lobster shack. One that has yet to prove itself successful. People around here judge others by how much of a ‘Mainer’ they are. And my stint in the Navy was probably a strike against me because I spent so much time away from Maine as a result. You? Being a lobsterwoman? You’re at the top of the impressive list.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Marit said, staring up at him, still frowning.

“Do what?”

“Pretend I fit in around here. I know that no one is super thrilled that I’m doing a man’s job. It was the same in Portland, but since that was a bigger city, I got away with it a lot longer than I have here. I’ve only been here a short while, and I’ve already seen the looks people give me around town. I’m petite, yet I work in a male-dominated field. One that’s belonged to men for over a century. It’s weird, Zach. I’m weird. And I’m okay with that.”

“Listen to me, Marit. Are you listening?”

She nodded.

“You aren’t weird. I think the looks you’re getting are ones of respect. Everyone around here knows how tough it is to be in the lobster industry. It’s like farming in the Midwest. It’s a damn tough job that no one really wants to do, but that everyone relies on. If people want their lobster—and trust me, they do—they have to rely on people like you to go out on the water and get them.

“You’re new, so yes, you’re going to have people curious about you. But you’re also friendly, and open, and not an asshole. That goes a long way, especially when the locals deal with tourists day in and day out who aren’t so nice.”

“I haven’t been here that long,” Marit protested. “Not long enough for anyone to know that stuff about me. And I can be an asshole.” She tacked that last bit on as if daring him to disagree.

“Of course you can. We’re all assholes at times. All I’m saying is to give people a chance. A chance to get to know you. I don’t really want to go there this early in our relationship . . . but you have some baggage, Marit. Emotional shit related to the way you were treated by the people who were supposed to love you unconditionally and didn’t. Just because your brothers were douchebags, doesn’t mean you can’t be loved by strangers. By people you run into day in and day out. You just have to give them a chance to get to know you.”

Zach couldn’t read Marit’s expression. He had no idea if he’d just fucked up royally, or if maybe he’d gotten through.

After a long moment, she nodded. That was it. A simple nod. But Zach was relieved she hadn’t struggled to get out from under him and stormed off.

“So? Breakfast, then walking around? Then we can do whatever else you want to do.”

“I thought you were taking just the morning off?”

Zach shrugged. “If I can peek in on The Lobster Buoy and they’re doing all right—which I’m sure they will be; Jack will probably be cracking the whip and keeping everyone in line—I thought I’d take the rest of the day off too. Spend it with you. That is . . . if you want.”

“I’d like that,” Marit said with a shy smile.

The timid woman smiling up at him was so different from the sexually confident and demanding woman from the night before, it made Zach want to uncover all the various facets of her personality.

“But first . . .” she said.