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“There’s aren’t any on here. We’re not in very deep water.”
“Didn’t you see Titanic?” I ask, one step away from jumping ship (literally) and plastering myself to the dock.
Rhenn chuckles. “Angel, I thought you weren’t scared of sailing.”
“I’m not.”
“Then, why are you holding on to your seat like your life depends on it.”
“Because it might. You don’t have life jackets.”
“I have them on the boat. Not in here. We’re only going about two hundred yards, and the water is still fairly shallow.”
“You should always have life jackets, Rhenn. What if something happens?” Why am I panicking? Seriously, I’m starting to get embarrassed for me.
Rhenn moves, causing the entire boat to shake. “You’re right,” he says, softly, reaching forward and rubbing my cheek. “I should have them on here too. I’ve never really thought about it since I only use this every once in a while. Next time, I’ll have them.”
Swallowing hard, I get lost in the sea of blue in his eyes. “Okay.”
“Are you all right?” he asks, again that thumb caressing my cheek.
“Yeah.”
“I promise you’re safe. I’d never let anything happen to you.”
There’s so much sincerity and honesty in his eyes that I can’t help but believe him. Nodding my head, I offer him a small smile. It feels tight against the tension in my cheeks, but when he smiles back, I relax just a little more. This is going to be okay. This trip, this relationship, or whatever you want to call it, it’s going to be fine.
I’m going to be fine.
While holding on to the container of leftover pancakes as if it were going to save me in the event of the boat capsizing, Rhenn unties us and gently reverses away from the dock. We move slowly toward his sailboat (probably in light of my sudden fear of drowning), the detail and magnificence of it more evident as we draw closer. It really is a beautiful boat. Large and white, with deep blue trim. I can’t wait to get on board and really check it out.
Nick and Meghan are there as we approach the rear of the boat. Nick presses a button and the back slowly drops down, making a perfect rack to store the small boat. “Seriously?” I ask absently, watching how this entire process works.
“You okay?” Rhenn asks, steering us to the ladder. “Can you climb up there? Nick will help you.”
“I’m good,” I reply, ever so slowly reaching for the ladder. The boat is rocking, which makes it more difficult to maneuver. Not wanting to show any more fear than I’ve already displayed, I grab the rungs and pull myself up. Nick places his hand under my arm and helps guide me over the edge.
As soon as I have both feet on the deck, I’m engulfed in a warm hug from Meghan. She smells of sunscreen and coconuts, and instantly hands me a cup of something cold and bubbly. “It’s a mimosa. I figured you’d earned one since I know this isn’t your thing.”
I take a tentative drink, relishing in the cold liquid as it slides down my throat. She drinks from a glass too, but tells me hers lacks the champagne kicker. I find myself curious and carefully walk over to the edge. Nick reaches down and grabs the bags and Tupperware container of breakfast, while Rhenn expertly uses a winch to lift and secure the small boat in place.
Once it’s all set, Rhenn climbs aboard and offers me a warm smile. “Still good?”
“Yeah,” I reply, realizing for the first time that I really am good. I don’t know if it’s the anti-nausea drugs or the mimosa, but I’m really not that nervous now. The boat is much bigger than I anticipated, and the rocking is actually quite soothing, instead of frightening.
Rhenn heads over to the steering wheel and presses a few buttons. It makes me realize I know absolutely nothing about sailing, and curiosity gets the best of me. I walk over and watch as he does his thing, assumedly getting us ready to head out.
He notices my approach and waves me over. “So, this is the helm. We’ll use the motors to move out of our position, and once we get into deeper, open water, I’ll turn it off and we can sail for a bit.”
“Can I watch?” I find myself asking.
He grabs my hand and pulls me close. “I’ve got a better idea. I’ll let you sail.”
“Wait a minute, you give me shit for days and I’ve been doing this with you for years, but suddenly, you’re ready to hand the wheel over to Marissa? What the hell, man?” Nick teases his friend, a smile and ornery gleam in his eyes as he waits for a response.
“She looks much better in a bikini, man,” Rhenn replies with a shrug. I continue to watch for a bit as he does a systems check and checks all of the sails, getting us ready to head out. Once he’s done, he reaches for my hand. “We’ll take a quick tour before we pull anchor.”
I don’t draw attention to the way my body shivers when he touches me. At least, I hope I don’t.
