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“Was it a mistake?” I ask softly.
“I owe you a dance.”
“What about when we were at the Driftwood?”
Magnus leads me onto the back deck of the bungalow. The moon is still high. Pearls of light bob in the seawater.
“I owe you a wedding dance.”
My heart tumbles.
“At our wedding,” his voice is velvety like the night.
Taking my hands in his, we sway slowly to the music of the softly lapping waves.
Magnus tucks his head back after a few minutes and says, “Lally, I promise from now on to always be your huckleberry.”
We share a smile.
We share an exhale.
We share a kiss that fills the abyss I’d fallen into. That assures me that whatever happens, we’ll be okay. That reminds me of all the things I love about this man.
Magnus hums the song he played on the piano at the Driftwood. That we dueted, that we danced to.
“That night, after dinner, was the moment I realized I love you,” I say.
“I said it once. I’ll say it again and forever.Eu te amo sempre.I love you, Lally.” Magnus leans back, eyes holding, and dives in for another kiss that stretches toward the stars.
It’s a refreshing dip in a placid pool, an invigorating swim in fresh water. It’s everything I want and need.
Eventually, we part and sit on the deck chairs. The horizon is clear. The night still.
“So, what happened during your visit to the Dark Seas?”
“Rum happened, Magnus. Rum did the talking. Always does, as it turns out.”
“Did you find out why the ship has been stalking our shores?”
“Yeah, the captain wants the crown.”
“Don’t tell me it’s still captained by that Benecio guy.”
“Not unless he discovered the fountain of youth-ish. My guess is that he passed the torch to someone. Had bushy hair—could’ve been a wig—a scar, a scowl, and shiny cufflinks.”
“Did you catch his name?”
“They called him Captain J. There’s not too much to say other than it turns out that I’m a crack pineapple poker player.”
“You’ll have to teach me.”
“Maybe you can come to poker night with the Pirate Defense League.”
As I tell the tale of me boarding the ship, almost having my neck slit, challenging the captain to a game, and then making off with the message in a bottle when the captain was good and sauced, the sky lightens, bringing dawn with it. From inside the beach bungalow, the dogs rustle, needing to go outside.
Magnus lets them out. Then, taking my hand, we walk along the beach.
Even though I’m exhausted, I welcome the stillness of the early morning, the gentle lapping of waves to the shore, and the dogs chasing each other, reminding me that I won’t be getting any sleep soon.
