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“No, we didn’t.”
Chip shot me a look that said I’d lost my mind. “We did, and you know it, Gannon.”
“Trish, are we still set for the SS Atlantic’s outbound departure?” I asked, hoping to change the subject before Chip listed all the times he’d said or done something that had led to a string of bad luck.
“Yes,” she said. “Everything is set to go for departure. Be careful debarking with those winds.”
I gave her a smile. “Always am.”
Two hours later, I was climbing down the rope ladder of the SS Atlantic after maneuvering her out of the bay and out to sea.
“Fuck,” I mumbled, the ship rolling from side to side as I attempted to get onto the pilot boat. The deckhand was strapped in and ready to help me when I made the move from the ladder to the boat.
Once I landed on deck, I let out a breath. It was my job to provide safe passage for these vessels, and I took it seriously, but I also fucking loved the adrenaline rush I got from it.
“Good job,” Chip said as he took off back toward land. “Looks like fog’s rolling in.”
“I’m glad our shift is almost over.”
“Trish said the SS Franklin requested that you fly in for a drop.”
“Why?” I asked, sitting down in the chair next to Chip.
“Not sure.”
I sighed. “Wonder if it’s a new captain, and he’s a little nervous about us coming in alongside him.”
“Could be. The weather tomorrow looks better, so you might be able to just drop.”
“How does it look when it has to go back out?”
Chip shook his head. “Not sure. Doesn’t seem to be shaping up, weather-wise.”
I ran my hand through my hair. More and more pilots were dropping onto ships via helicopter, myself included, but I liked doing it the old-fashioned way. There was something about grabbing the rope and climbing up with the waves crashing along the waterline.
“Guess we’ll worry about it when we have to,” I said.
I lifted my hand to knock on the front door, smiling when it opened and I was greeted with a huge grin on Adelaide’s face. She’d texted and asked if I wanted to join her and Palmer for dinner, and I’d told her I’d love to.
“Hey, how was work?” she asked as she reached up and gave me a quick peck on the lips before motioning for me to come in.
“It was good. Some big waves out there, so that made things fun.”
I could see the concern on Adelaide’s face. “No problems getting off and on, were there?”
“Nope,” I replied before I wrapped her in my arms and gave her a proper kiss.
“Gag me. Must you do that?” Palmer whined as she walked into the living room.
Adelaide and I broke the kiss, and she stepped back to face her younger sister. “Just because you’ve given up men for cats doesn’t mean we all did, Palmer.”
“What is this about you turning into a cat lady?” I asked in a teasing voice as I handed Adelaide the bottle of wine I’d brought. She held it up for Palmer to see.
“Oh, that will go perfectly with our homemade pizzas,” Palmer said.
I let out a groan.
The girls looked at me. “What?” they asked at the same time.
“Tell me you made a regular pizza.”
Adelaide raised her brows. “A regular pizza as in…?”
I looked back and forth between them. “Pepperoni, cheese, red sauce.”
They exchanged a look and then Adelaide grinned at me. “We made a regular pizza then. And added banana peppers, mushrooms, and pineapple.”
Pretending to gag, I replied, “I’ll just have a glass of wine.”
Palmer hit me on the shoulder. “Ha-ha. You know you love our pizza. Why don’t you admit it?”
I followed them into the kitchen while I glanced around Palmer’s place. It was nice. Small, but perfect for her. She’d decorated in neutral colors. There were some paintings hanging on the walls. Some floral, some landscapes, including a few of the beach and a sunset or two.
“Wow, these paintings are beautiful, Palmer,” I said when we were all in the kitchen.
“Thank you,” she replied with a wide grin. “I painted them.”
I jerked my head around and stared at her. “You paint?”
She and Adelaide both laughed. “Palmer has been painting for as long as I can remember,” Addie confirmed.
“How did I not know this?” I took the plate Adelaide handed me. “I don’t ever remember seeing you paint.”
She shrugged and played it off. “It’s just a hobby, that’s all.”
“You should see this too,” Adelaide said as she walked over and took something off a shelf. “Look at this sea glass tree she made.”
“Wow!” I looked closely at the piece of art. “Palmer, this is stunning. Do you sell them anywhere?”
Adelaide shot her sister a look that said I told you so. “No, she doesn’t, but I told her she needs to. I’m positive Sutton would carry these in her store if she knew Palmer made them. They’re beautiful.”
