Page 59 of Guarding My Love

“Probably not,” he said. “Though we could have left him down below. Maybe next time. But I wanted you to try it out first.”

“This is the way to go,” she said. “I’ve been on motor boats before, but a sailboat takes so much work, yet you make it look rewarding at the same time.”

He snorted. “Yeah, I know. I told my sister I was bringing you out on the water today and she was shocked. She said I never bring anyone on my boat.”

“Ahh,” she said. “How come?”

“It’s my safe space,” he said.

“You’ll have to explain that to me,” she said, lifting an eyebrow and licking the frosting from her fingers.

He never seemed like someone who needed what she’d consider a safe space as much as a place to just be alone in his thoughts. Maybe she didn’t know him as well as she hoped she had.

He had so much privacy and alone time in his house daily, so needing the boat didn’t line up with what he’d said.

“I had a bit of a temper as a kid,” he said, laughing. “I knew it and needed a place to go to calm down before I got into a fight.”

“Fighting with your brothers?” she asked.

“Yes. I think I’ve got a much shorter fuse than the rest but not horrible. We are each different and I like space.”

“And there wasn’t a lot of space in your house growing up,” she said.

“Not even close. I used to find a closet or cubbies, cabinets. I think I was four or five and my mother thought I’d run off. We were on base and everyone was searching for me. I had no idea. I was hiding in the crawl space under the stairs next to boxes. I just needed someplace quiet.”

“Was it dark? I would have been terrified.”

“I had a flashlight, but no one realized where I was. I finally came out after a few hours to go to the bathroom and didn’t know what was going on. My mother wanted to throttle me.”

“And you would have felt horrible,” she said.

“I did. But from that point on, she realized that I needed to have a place to go that was just my own. I know I’ve got a full house now, but it’s not the same. The boat is that space now. I wish I could get out on the water more, but work is crazy.”

Now that made more sense and she was pleased he’d shared it with her.

“I know that feeling,” she said. “My hours are all over the place, but right now I seem to be more in this time zone. I’ve got a project in a few months in Switzerland so I’ll be on a different time schedule if needed.”

“Do you have to travel?” he asked, frowning.

“No,” she said. “They asked me if I’d be willing to when I went into this job and I said sure, but it’s not required that I’m aware of. I’m not opposed to it, but I find I like my little office. Maybe it’s my safe space too. How about you? Do you have to travel again anytime soon?”

“I have to go back to Atlanta at some point. Not sure when yet,” he said. “Just for a few days.”

“That’s not too bad,” she said. She finished her sugary snack and leaned back against the boat and looked out over the water. “I could get used to this.”

“I’m glad,” he said.

“Even if it’s infringing on your safe space?” she asked, poking him in the side.

“I don’t mind,” he said. “I could show you below deck more if you want.”

She let out a giddy giggle. “Are you asking what I think you are?”

“If you’re willing,” he said.

“Going to be hard to do it standing up this time,” she said.

“It is tight quarters, but I’m sure we can make do,” he said.

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