Page 92 of As a Last Resort
Captain Harold was walking the little old lady trio down the dock toward theSea King.
“We’ll meet you guys in a couple hours!”I yelled at him.
It was still early enough, so the water was calm and full of potential for the day, just waiting for a boat to come through and stir it to life.I felt the hum of the motor through my feet as we taxied out.
“I have a vanilla latte and a breakfast sandwich from the Mug in the hatch.”
“You do not.”Her eyes went wide and my heart swelled.
“I do.”
“I love you.”My breath stilled at the sound of that phrase.
What the hell, pull it together.
She reached past me to open the hatch and snatched the brown bag out.She stuck her whole head in, taking a huge breath.
“Wait, how did you know I’d be here?”Her head was still in the brown paper bag.
“Harold texted me this morning about the charter saying you’d jumped on last minute.He figured I’d be more willing to help since his first is out with the flu.”We idled past the mangroves where thewater started to open up.“Assuming your call this morning was less than ideal?”
“Ugh, don’t remind me.Let’s pretend it didn’t happen.”She took a huge bite, and with her mouth full, leaned back onto the cushion.“I love bacon.”
“I know.”I smiled down at my feet so she wouldn’t see me blush.
She was quiet on the way out, sitting up front with a towel wrapped around her.I assumed she was still running through the call from this morning in her head.She wore the strain from work across her face but I figured it was more than that.She hadn’t heard from her mom yet that I knew of.And being here without her must feel out of sorts.It couldn’t be easy, just waiting around.I guess it was better than waiting around for calls at two in the morning.
But the effect of salt and sea air could be revitalizing.The water had a way of opening you up and spilling your guts out to it, whether you felt like it or not.I just needed to give it time.Let her bring it up if she wanted to talk about it.
We idled out past the markers and I sped up.She sat on the bow of the boat as the wind ripped through her hair.She looked back for a split second, the traces of worry and angst gone for a moment.
There was that feeling again where my stomach dropped and my heart tugged a bit.The urge to taste her lips was overwhelming.And distracting.But Lexi’s warnings kept ringing in my ear.
I was starting to pay attention too much.I knew she’d be perkier after her latte, and if she didn’t have one she’d get a headache soon.She preferred bacon over any other food in the world.Except cotton candy.I put an extra slip mat on the boat because I knew she’d be wearing heels, even if they were just heels disguised aswedges, whatever that meant.I also had a pair of boat shoes, sizeseven, under the seat for when she tripped one too many times and wanted to take her shoes off.
Sure, I needed to get bait fish for the charter, but my plan was to take her to a small, secluded spot where spotted trout were a dime a dozen.You could catch something with your bare hands if you stayed in the same spot for more than ten seconds.Fishing was an adrenaline rush the moment you hooked one, whether you liked to fish or not.I thought it would be a welcomed distraction for her and I wanted to help give her some relief, even if it was only for an afternoon.
After a ride through the open water, we hit a flat and I threw out my cast net to catch bait.Her eyes burned a hole in the back of my shirt as I worked to pull up the net.I’ve never been so intently focused on the surface of the water before.
“I thought we were fishing?”
“We will, just have to catch the bait first.”
“I never got the whole cannibalism thing with fish before.”
“The cannibalism thing?”
“You know, fish eating other fish to survive.It’s kinda weird, right?”
“I guess I’ve never seriously thought about the survival of the underwater ecosystem before.Survival of the fittest?”I offered up.
She laughed and I stuck the sound in my back pocket for later.
“You know, I went out with your dad and Lexi a few times when we were little.Although I don’t exactly remember fishing.I think it was more tubing and escaping from imaginary sharks.”
I pulled up the cast net and sent the slivers of silver fish flopping along the deck.
“Catch ’em!”I yelled.
