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“I’m impressed,” he shared, bumping his shoulder into mine and grinning. “You were born for this, weren’t you?”
I felt as if my face would crack if I couldn’t get the shit-eating grin off of it. “I’m living my dream right now,” I admitted. “My own fishing vessel and the man I love next to me, how could my life be any better?”
“Just you wait,” Hayes stated. “Now that you have your boat, I can start promoting our company.”
Hayes had taken a keen interest in my business early on, impressed with the numbers I had achieved with a small boat. He felt he could build on that and had since formed our first company which he’d named B&H Seafood. His thoughts were that if I could source local lobster and crab on a small scale, and successfully sell the seafood to local restaurants, why couldn’t we set up contacts nationwide and provide the same resources to a wider audience? He’d built our website, made contact with shipping companies, marketed our catch as locally sourced and ready to ship overnight. He had big plans and I knew the combination of our skills would lead to great success, both of us proud of our efforts.
We were near Parris Island and our land on the riverfront. I pointed out the shack as we neared, maneuvering the boat closer to the property and slowing down.
“Damn, Bo!” he gasped. “The house looks huge from here.”
Hayes meant the new house that stood to the left of the shack and not the shack itself. The construction company we’d hired had just removed their equipment by barge from our land and the house was ready to occupy.
“You don’t think the shack takes away from the charm of the house?” I asked. “We could tear the shack down if you truly wanted to,” I added, not really wanting to tear down my former home. I would have done anything that Hayes asked me too but I desperately wanted us to keep the shack in reverence to my family tree.
“Not a chance,” he declared. “The shack is our relationship in a nutshell, my love. The shack is our monument to love. It’s well-worn, resilient, and strong. Just like us.”
“And the new house?” I asked. “What does that represent?”
He gazed across the water at our modest, low-country cottage style home. Typically these homes are raised above the ground for the tidal region and feature a simple rectangular structure with plenty of shaded outdoor living on wrap-around porches. Hayes chose the floor plan and handled the entire process of subcontracting the build. I was reminded of what a control freak he could be when he managed the construction, but appreciated his determination and skill sets of completing our first home.
“Fresh, new, and with all the promise of weathering future storms,” he stated. “I think it’s perfect for us, Mr. Dawson.” He slipped in front of me and stood between me and the giant wheel that steers the boat. “First Mate reporting for duty,” he announced, standing upright and facing straight ahead through the wheelhouse’s large window. He looked over his shoulder and spoke. “Oh, I forgot to tell you that Momma and Daddy are visiting next weekend,” he added, holding the oversized wheel and facing forward again.
“We don’t have furniture in the house, baby. How’s that gonna work?” I asked, grateful for the renewal in Hayes’ and his parents’ relationship.
“I’ll tell momma we waited for her advice,” he stated. “She’ll eat that shit up,” he added.
“And your father?” I asked, leaning into the back of his neck and kissing him.
“There’s the bed in the shack or he can stay in town in a hotel,” Hayes offered.
I gently poked his back with my hand.
“I’m teasing,” he quickly corrected. “Daddy is trying hard and the mere fact he wants to see our new home speaks volumes. I think secretly he’s in love with my choice of men. He thinks you’re quite the strappy outdoorsy type and he envies you.”
“I’m proud of you, baby,” I said. “You’re a good man.” I pointed ahead toward Port Royal Sound and the Atlantic Ocean beyond that. “That way, First Mate. Out there and toward the wide blue ocean.”
Hayes turned around to face me, staying between me and the wheel. His smile could light up any room and the wheelhouse was no exception.
“I have a favor to ask your father next weekend,” I stated, looking past Hayes, carefully navigating into the open ocean as he gazed at me lovingly.
“Don’t expect too much from him, baby,” he warned. “Daddy is beginning to see his son in a better light but let’s not overwhelm him too quickly.”
“I think he’ll be okay with the favor,” I said. “Besides, I already gave your mother a heads up.”
Hayes squinted, giving me the evil eye. “What are you and momma up to now, mister?”
Katherine and I had become quite close and she’d started referring to me as son the previous year.
“I’m thinking I need to keep up with southern tradition, and since I don’t have parents for you to ask, I’m going to ask your father’s permission to marry his only child.”
Hayes’ face went through a few transformations as the reality of my news sank in. His expression was blank for the first second before his eyes widened, and then they filled with tears. “Really?” he whispered.
I grinned and nodded.
“And you’re sure?” he added.
“Is that a yes?” I asked, pinning him against the giant wooden wheel.
Hayes looped his fingers through the belt loops of my old denim shorts, and stood on his tip toes so he could look directly in my eyes. “My answer isabsolutelyyes, Captain.”
We embraced and kissed with the same passion we’d had for more than three years together. Hayes turned back around and helped me steer.Miss Hazel, her grandson, and his fiancé cut through smooth water as we made our way to the blue beyond. We understood there’d be more storms, but we’d been through a storm or two before.
We could weather anything as long as we stood side by side.
THE END
