Page 34 of Naughty Irish Fate
“Yeah? Yes. Took her out for a bit on my trawler. We uh, had a good time until a panic attack happened. I knew it might trigger one; I never should have taken her out. I just wanted to share it with her.” I sigh, knowing I sound like a fucking pussy.Share the sea with her?Idiot! Yeah, maybe, but I definitely also shared my dick with her.
“Christ almighty. Rooker, this is some heavy shit. Bronwyn’s Paps used to take us out as kids. Always felt like Bronwyn was more mermaid than woman, honestly. Girl loved being on the water. After her mother died and the attacks... she never went near the water. Paps and Grams tried for years to get her back out on a boat, Rooker. Few years ago, she started going back to the pier again but... never near the docks and nowhere close to a boat. Christ. You know what this means, don’t you?” I look away from her because, yeah, I know what this means.
It is the same for her. Bronwyn is drowning in this just like I am.
It’s a lot bigger than falling in love, no doubts now.
“I know what it means, Trudi. I am coming back. My entire life the sea has been like a siren call for me. I didn’t think I was searching for something but now I know I was. I’m no romantic fuck from some swashbuckling, bodice ripping romance novel, Trudi. I know what I feel and I know what I want. It was Wyn I was searching for and damned if I am going to walk away from her now that I found her.” Trudi watches me with a skeptical gaze for a moment. Until suddenly her face transforms as she claps her hands and squeals, launching herself at me.
I stumble back as she locks her arms at my shoulders, hanging off me. Laughing awkwardly, I pat her gently then disentangle myself. Behind her, that friend looks like he’d like to kill me where I stand.
Truth be told, he might be better for Bronwyn than I am. Not going to give the gutless fuck a shot though. Wyn is mine, fate might have had a laugh at our expense today but I know what I know.
No flip of a coin is changing shit for either of us.
“Keep an eye on her for me, yeah? I got business to take care of, not sure how long I need to be gone. I will come back.” I stress as she nods and backs away.
“Always keep my eye on our girl. Be safe, lovie.” She winks at me and turns back to her friend, the two of them talking in hushed voices.
Making my way to the docks, I am impatient to get out on the water. Sooner I get out there, the sooner I can get back. We rush through log sheets, plot our course, and prepare for some rough weather.
“Be sure everything is nailed down. Call in our course to the fleet manager. Let them know we should reach port in about a day.” I command to my second.
As we shove off, I watch Shore Ridge become a dot in the distance.
Part of me will always be on those shores now. I’ll need to come back to feel whole again. Even though it aches to leave her behind this way, I smile because I know it won’t be the last time I see those shores.
Six hours later, I doubt myself as a sea captain.
A storm we thought would roll past us with a few miles of rocky waters is instead throwing us around. My five-man crew has battened down the ship but it turns from rocky to scary fast.
“Call it in!” I shout to my second as I struggle with the wheel, doing my best to keep us on course.
I watch my second gasp as he peers out the windows of the bridge. Frowning, I bend to see what he’s seeing. My hands tighten on the wheel as my heart stops.
A wave that seems never ending is coming our way. It churns frothy and gray as it barrels down on us, pushing us off course almost immediately. Been on the water most my life and I’ve never seen anything like it.
Dark skies overhead empty heavy sheets of icy rain down. Lighting streaks across the skies. We all gasp as it lashes out for us, hitting the hull. The wheel spins out of control and we start taking on water fast.
“Mayday, mayday. Esmerelda East is in distress. I repeat. Mayday. Mayday. Esmerelda East is in distress. Setting is....” My second is shouting into the crackling radio but I can’t hear him.
Everything slows down. Sounds, sights, everything.
Peering out over the horizon as a sky-high wave crashes down on us and tosses us into choppy waves, I feel nothing. For a pause of time I feel and hear nothing.
Until suddenly, I see the shores of Shore Ridge.
I see my beautiful baby at the pier.
Shouting. Pleading. Begging for me.
Come home. Come home to me.
As our boat capsizes and the shouts of my men mix with the splintering of our boat, I can only hear her voice. Can only see her beautiful face with her pretty blue eyes and sweet ginger hair.
Even knowing I am likely going to drown, I am smiling.
Fate is very likely laughing her ass off at us.
