Page 35 of Grounds for Love

Hefting the burlap bag to my shoulder, I wonder how Jenni handles them. They must weigh forty pounds. “I didn’t know coffee beans could go bad.”

She looks up from getting a paper cup out of the dispenser. “You know, I didn’t either. But these sure have. I’m definitely going to have a chat with my distributor. Do you want your regular coffee order?”

“Sure.” I sniff the bag and it just smells like coffee beans to me, but I toss them in the dumpster and hurry back inside.

She’s already at a table near the counter when I return. “This is your Saturday off, right?”

At her nod, I ask, “Can you get the rest of today off? The weather is supposed to be good this weekend and I thought we could take the yacht out.”

“You mean spend the night on board? Is that safe?”

I chuckle. “I’ve lived on the yacht for months at a time. It’s perfectly safe. But the best part is we’ll be all alone for a long weekend.”

“Whatever will we do?” she asks coyly.

I waggle my brows. “I’m sure we can think of something.”

That makes her giggle and I want to pull her onto my lap. But not here. We’ve already been fodder for the Faire Island gossip mill. “Let me call Melissa in. She’s been wanting more hours and I need to call Joy. Then I’ll run upstairs and pack a bag.”

“Didn’t I mention clothes are optional?”

She slaps me on the arm playfully. “You’re such a pervert. I need my creams and balms and all the witchery that makes this forty-one year-old woman look like a dewy-faced twenty year-old.”

“That’s bull. You’re beautiful all on your own.”

She pats me on the shoulder. “You’re sweet. Delusional, but sweet. Now get out of here so I can get everything done. I’ll meet you at the marina… in an hour?”

“That’s perfect. I’ll stop by the store and load us up with provisions.”

I leave her dazed and well kissed with promises of more to come.

In the Stop N Shop, I find myself whistling as I load the grocery cart because this is the best idea I’ve had in a long time.

This is the worst idea I’ve had in a long time. Everything was fine until I dropped anchor for the night and then Jenni came down with a bad case of motion sickness.

I rub her back and hold her hair as she dry heaves over the side. She’s been throwing up for two hours.

“I think we need to head home, sweetheart.”

“No,” she says weakly and leans more of her weight against me. “This will pass and I’ll be fine. I just don’t understand why being on board didn’t bother me the first time.”

I’m not sure either as I look out over the calm sea. There’s not even a gentle roll in sight and with the size of the yacht, it’s like being on dry land. “I don’t know either. Maybe you caught a bug, which is another reason we should go home. I’d feel much better if you let someone at the medical center check you out. You might be dehydrated.”

“No, Rod,” she whines. “I’m fine. Could I just lie down for a few minutes?”

“Of course.” I gently pick her up in my arms and carry her to our cabin. I’ve no more than taken her clothes off and tucked her in before she’s sound asleep. That’s not the way I’d imagined getting her naked.

My stomach growls, but I ignore it. I’ve not eaten anything since the brownie earlier in the day, but I’m staying put. We’d left the marina at three and weighed anchor for the night in a secluded cove a few hours later. I’d picked up takeout from the Italian restaurant Jenni loves for our evening meal and had just put our dinner on the table when she started feeling bad.

I brush the hair back from her face and press the back of my hand against her forehead, sighing at finding it cool to the touch. That’s good. No fever. I grab my laptop and take a seat in a chair by the bed, stretch my legs out, and get some work done. I want to stay close. She may need something or wake up disoriented.

By midnight, she hasn’t stirred. I pull off my clothes and join her in bed, hoping she’s over the worst of whatever she had. She rolls and snuggles against me in her sleep. I wrap my arm around her and kiss her forehead, giving a relieved sigh at finding it still cool. Soon after that, I follow her in sleep.

One eye pops open when there’s movement next to me. I see her sitting up on the side of the bed, pulling on the t-shirt I’d left on the chair and covering all that glorious skin.

“Hey, baby. Do you need something?”

She turns and grins. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you. I was trying to be quiet.”

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