Page 4 of The Bosun

“Her lips are blue. Give her your damn shirt,” my savior barked out as he squatted down in front of me. “Are you okay?” When I only nodded as my teeth chattered, he grabbed another towel from the seat next to me and wrapped it around me. “We’ll be back on board in a few minutes, and we’ll get you warm, I promise.”

“Thank you…” Fuck, I still didn’t know his name.

“Remy, ma’am. I’m just doing my job.”

“Do you often have to save women who fall overboard?” I asked with my teeth still chattering. When did the wind pick up?

Remy shook his head and gave a signal that seemed to mean to hurry up. The wind picked up, and the water misted my face. Moving to sit beside me, he looked toward the boat as we quickly came upon it.

“I have to say you’re the first, and hopefully the last person I have to save from going overboard.” His jaw ticked as he looked straight ahead.

Was that a reprimand? It wasn’t like I meant to fall over. Maybe Mister Body of a God should keep his clothes on while on deck, so no accidents would happen.

In a matter of minutes, I was helped off the little dinghy and back aboard the yacht, where I was met by the waiting crew and my friends. Penelope immediately wrapped me in her arms. “I’m so glad you’re okay. One minute we were sipping our Champs, and the next, you were gone.”

I didn’t need my best friend to remind me of my folly. I would have done anything in that moment for none of them to know what happened to me and to be able to hide it from them. They’d likely keep an extra set of eyes on me for the rest of the trip since I was now a liability.

Leaning into Pen as we walked to my cabin, I asked. “How many people saw that catastrophe?”

“Do you want the truth or—”

It was bad, I knew it, but I still interrupted her. “The whole truth.”

“Everyone but one of the stewardesses.” Penelope’s face was a hopeful grimace as she looked at me.

Kill me now.

2

Remy

“Remy,Remy, Ophelia, can you come to the galley?” I hear through my earpiece.

I groaned as I helped Scout and Owen load the boat they’d taken out earlier when we had to save one of the guests.

“What’s that about?” Scout asked on a grunt.

“No idea,” I answered back as we finished. “Are you guys good from here?”

“We’re always good.” Owen smiled and pulled out a cigarette. “Especially if we can take a ten-minute break.”

“Take a break, but then be ready if the ladies need any help serving dinner.” The wind had picked up, and it was a little choppy. Not enough to cause us to dock, but enough to knock you off your balance if you weren’t careful. And climbing stairs with multiple plates in your hands while the boat sways could be difficult.

“Roger that,” Owen saluted me.

I looked heavenward. I’d told him multiple times I was no longer a Marine, but he continued. Maybe if I told him why I was no longer in the military, he’d understand and stop, but I couldn’t talk about that time in my life. If I did, my mind went to bad places, and I couldn’t let myself go there and be in charge of this boat. I wouldn’t—couldn’t put anyone’s life in danger ever again.

Heading inside, I made my way down to the galley to find all the stewardesses’ eyes on me along with Dean, our chef. “You need me?”

Ophelia gave me the once-over and smirked. We’d hooked up once a couple of years ago when I got trashed. Since then, she’d been looking for our next hookup and hadn’t caught on that it wasn’t going to happen, much to her dismay.

“The primary has requested that you eat dinner with them.” I went to object, but she held her hand up and smirked. “You have to since you saved her friend’s life.” Ophelia finished the last like it was the funniest thing she’d ever heard.

“You can’t say no,” Kylie, the second stew, said as she sat plates down for Dean to start plating.

I knew I couldn’t say no since we were required to do anything the guests and especially the primary asked of us, but I’d still try to talk my way out of it.

“I’ll go change,” I murmured as I turned on my heel and headed to the room I shared with Dean. We had the only room that didn’t have a bunk bed. Our beds were on each side of the tiny room with a walkway between that was about a foot wide.

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