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"Then let's do it. The sooner we get out there, the sooner this lesson will be over." She tossed him a life jacket. "Put this on. No life jacket, no lesson."
He smiled at both her annoyance and her directness. Her candor was one of the qualities that had drawn him to her. He'd liked her behind the bar, seeing people for who they really were, not buying into half-assed pick-up lines. But she'd been a lot more free-spirited on the island, not nearly so tense or so wary. Hopefully, she'd let her guard down and trust him a little.
"The most important thing to sailing a boat like this is the wind," Ria said. "I know that sounds obvious, but it's important. This isn't a motorboat. You don't get to just sit back and relax. If you need to turn, you have to change the sails, same with going faster and slowing down. You want to be sitting on the side of the boat where the wind crosses."
"Got it," he said. "But I'm better at hands on learning, so can we get out there?"
"Untie the line, and we'll get started. I'll get us out of the harbor. Then I'll show you what to do."
Chapter Seven
It took about ten minutes to get past the harbor wall. Once in the bay, the real action started. For the next half hour, Drew wrestled with sails and the wind, feeling more than a little clumsy in his technique.
Being on the water seemed to ease Ria's nerves. She lost her attitude towards him and was both patient and encouraging as she taught him how to turn, how to go faster, and how to slow down.
As the wind and spray blew against his face, and the boat flew over the waves, he felt energized and excited to take on the sea. His competitive instincts kicked in, as well as his desire to impress Ria. He wanted to be good at this, as good as he was at flying, but logically he knew that might take some time.
Ria moved with agility and grace on the boat, no hesitation or doubt in any of her movements. She was in her element out here. Her cheeks were reddened from the sun and the wind, and there was a sparkle in her brown eyes. Her long brown hair was mostly pulled back in a ponytail, but every now and then a few more strands escaped the band to dance in the wind.
It was a great day for sailing, sunny, breezy, and with views from every angle. There were a lot of other boats out on the bay, and the sailors were quite friendly, waving, shouting hello, as they passed by. A few seemed to know Ria, or Tory, as they called her. And she was certainly friendly in acknowledging them. Her stiffness seemed to be reserved for him, and he knew that had something to do with the fact that he'd met her on the island under a different name. He needed to know more, but he was strangely reluctant to break the tentative truce between them.
When they reached the Golden Gate Bridge, Ria had him turn the boat back towards the bay. She suggested he loosen the sails so they could slow down and get a better look at the city skyline. He followed her instructions and then sat next to her on the bench as the boat slowed to a gentle, bobbing cruise.
"This is fun," he told her.
She smiled. You're a natural. I had a feeling you would be."
"I like things that move: cars, planes, boats…"
"I just like boats," she said.
"You told me the sea was your escape."
"And yours was the sky."
"You remembered."
"I remember everything," she said.
Her gaze clung to his, and this time she wasn't trying to hide the shared memories. It was the most honest moment they'd had all day. He didn't want to ruin it, but he was on the clock, and he didn't know how long he would have her alone. "So do I. And the way you look now is the woman I remember. Your eyes are lit up, and your cheeks are pink, and you've got that reckless, fearless look in your eyes."
"That's because out here I'm not afraid."
"Another cryptic statement. What happened, Ria? Why the new name? Why the fear in your eyes? What's waiting for you back on land that makes you so guarded, so nervous?"
"That's a lot of questions."
"We can take them one at a time."
She let out a sigh. "If I let you into my life, I could put you in danger."
"So you're not talking to me for my own protection?" he asked, unable to keep the doubtful tone out of his voice. "I can take care of myself."
