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“That’s my sister Siobhan. Her trip overseas was cut short and she surprised us this morning.” Paige whispered at his side. The sudden realization of how close she stood by him warmed his senses. Taking a step back, he resisted the urge to literally shake the feeling off.
The bright eyed sibling approached and shook his hand. One by one the people in the room he had yet to meet came up to him, everyone smiling as they made polite introductions. A few of the men slapped backs and teased each other about things that only they understood, the playful attitudes adding to the comfort of the room.
“Care for a drink?” the Governor asked.
“Just water, thank you.”
Paige nodded. “One water coming up.”
He watched her cross the room, or was it considered a cabin? On a ship like this, cabin simply didn’t fit. A few more seconds passed and she handed him the glass. A tall, slender man in a white jacket balanced a large tray of hors d’ouevres on one hand, offering the morsels to each guest before leaving the remainder on a massive driftwood table in the center of the room.
Just as he reached for a mini quiche, a flutter of movement rolled in his gut. His eyes lifted to the massive wall of windows and his brain connected the dots. They were moving. He waited a moment, a sense of dread filling him. Another minute and his stomach settled and his shoulders relaxed. All would be well. Popping the bite sized appetizer into his mouth, he almost groaned with delight.
“How are they?” Paige asked.
He reached for another. “Delicious.”
“They’re a favorite. The cook at the ranch has tried to copy the recipe but they never come out the same and the ship’s chef, Howard, won’t share.”
Daniel popped another one in his mouth. They really were delicious. Suddenly the boards under his feet seemed less secure. Glancing up at the windows he realized they were moving more quickly. Too quickly. The mushrooms in his stomach seemed to have taken up boxing.Uh oh.
A look of sheer panic flashed in Paige’s eyes, and her hand settled on his arm. “Is there a problem?”
He started to shake his head and immediately regretted the movement. There was definitely a problem. “I get seasick.”
Chapter Six
Had Paige personally prepared and hand-fed Daniel salmonella-spoiled appetizers, she couldn’t have felt worse. The man turned green and she momentarily froze. His reaction was not anywhere on her radar. It simply had never occurred to her to ask if he liked sailing. Everyone loved the Baroness, and no one ever got seasick. Until now. Sticking her arm straight out with one finger pointing at the exit, she barked, “Out on the deck.”
Her hand gently against his back, she nudged him toward the closest door. Even though she knew being seasick had something to do with what the inner ear was sensing and what the eyes were seeing, she was pretty sure fresh salt air should help. At least she sure hoped so.
Leaning against the railing, Daniel took in long, slow breaths. She put a hand on his shoulder, then pulled away as if burned. An inner debate began in her mind. She was supposed to be helping win this man over to her grandfather’s plan, not making things worse by making him sick. She couldn’t imagine anything worse than puking your guts out. The new question, of course, was would having her here to watch only make things worse? Would her presence comfort him, or embarrass him? She wanted to do the right thing, but she didn’t have a clue.
The door slid open and Craig came out onto the deck holding out his hand. “Motion sickness medicine. Should help, at least take the edge off.”
Daniel’s best effort at a smile looked more like a grimace. “Thanks.” He accepted the chewable pill and popped it in his mouth. She’d feel a lot better about this if his knuckles weren’t still white on the railing.
“I should have asked if you wanted to sail. We all grew up spending as much time on water as on dry land. We love it, some more than others. I swear Siobhan was a fish in her previous life. Still, it simply never occurred to any of us to check with you first.”
He must have felt a little better because he chuckled. “Sounds like my family on ice.”
“Everyone skates in your family?” She knew his brother was a pro hockey player but she hadn’t read much about the rest of his family.
He nodded briskly and the way he slammed his eyes shut, she knew he’d instantly regretted it. Sucking in a long slow breath, he blew it out equally slowly. “We’re Canadians. Skating is in our DNA.”
That made her chuckle. A part of her knew he was only kidding, and yet another part of her believed his every word. “Even your mom?”
A sly grin pulling at one side of his mouth, he barely dipped his chin in a single affirmative motion. “She was one heck of a goalie. Taught me everything I know.” His gazed wandered off to an unknown point in the distance. “When conditions weren’t right to skate outdoors, my dad would flood the basement, let it freeze, and send my brother and me downstairs to practice.”
“I know this sounds silly, but of all the mothers in this family, the one I can see doing that is Grams.”
“Really?”
She nodded. “The words ‘tough old broad’ come to mind. In the nicest way possible, of course.”
He chuckled. “Of course.”
“It takes a lot to be married to a Marine and raise six children on your own. She was up to the task as a parent and with all the drama in her adult children’s lives, she was a rock for us grandchildren.” Her cheeks tugged at her lips. “And she really knows her poker.”
