Page 31 of Sail Away
“No. I’m just taking responsibility for my actions and how I ended up where I am today.” She blinked her eyes open and inhaled the fresh salty air. Her father had accused her of being lonely.
He also thought she was afraid and that she ran from the things that scared her. He didn’t think she was chasing a dream.
He thought she was running from it.
Except, from the time she was a little girl, all she ever dreamed about was the water. The vastness of the ocean. The wide-open space it created. The way the wind raced across the top, making ripples that turned into waves, creating massive swells. It was both life and death.
Whenever she was sad, she used to ride the ferries back and forth between the islands. She would watch the birds dive into the water, looking for fresh fish.
She had nowhere to go and nothing to do. She would just sit and be one with the Sound. The second she stepped off the vessel and headed back to her family, she felt her skin prickle. Her muscles tightened. A thick lump formed in her throat. It made her crazy. She loved her family. She enjoyed every waking moment with them, but the pull to be on the water was too great.
“Um, Darcie. Looks like someone wants to talk to you.”
She stepped away from the railing and turned. “Oh. Hey.” She stared into Reid’s intense blue eyes. They always reminded her of the ocean the first thing in the morning as the sun brought light to the depths below.
“Can I steal you for a few moments?” Reid asked.
“Sure.”
“I’m going to go prep the slide,” Kirk said. “We’re getting close to our anchor spot. I’ll make sure everything is ready.”
“Thanks.” She fiddled with her hair, tightening her ponytail. “Why don’t we sit over here?” She glanced toward the bridge, knowing Jim was sitting in his chair, watching her every move. When she dated Jim, for lack of a better word, he’d shown a different side of himself that she wished he’d let the rest of the world see. He could be sweet and charming when he wanted to be, but instead, most saw the arrogant ladies’ man who thought he knew everything. “How do you like your accommodations?”
“They’re awesome. While stoked they get the master, our youngest team members aren’t thrilled they’re sharing a bed.” Reid laughed. “But Preston and I are too old to share rooms, even if they are twin beds.” He rested his arm over the back cushion. He’d changed into a pair of long red boardshorts and a white T-shirt. “It never gets old pulling that kind of shit on the new guys. One of them will either end up on the floor or the sofa, but we’re hoping they get drunk enough and don’t care so we can sneak in and take pictures.”
“Men. You’ll get naked with each other. Shower together. But you won’t sleep in the same bed.”
He leaned a little closer. “Women. You’ll sleep in the same bed, but you don’t like to get naked with each other. I don’t get it.”
She shook her head. “Not to mention that’s really childish.”
“You know what they say about men and boys.”
“That I do.”
The yacht slowly banked to the right, heading into the cove where it would anchor for the night. She’d been all over the world and had seen some incredibly exotic places, and every single one amazed and touched her soul.
Her backyard was no different.
“I’m glad you came and found me. I wanted to ask about Deception Pass and what happened to it because it was taken off the activities list and replaced with a scuba diving trip with friends.” She raised her hands and made quotation marks with her fingers. “Why would you need your so-called friends to come and get you when we could have tendered you wherever you wanted to go? Within reason. We can also recommend some great places for scuba diving.”
“We didn’t know our buddies would be here. We just thought it would be fun.”
“That’s how you’re going to play this? Because I know when you’re lying to me.”
“Fine. Preston blindsided me with Hans, but I’m not fucking around. Hans is a potential business partner. He invited us out on his boat, and he loves scuba diving at night. He’s a wannabe extremist and kind of a pain in the ass. However, we couldn’t say no without being rude.”
“Let me ask you this. Do you want to do business with this Hans guy?”
“Not the point,” he said. “But it’s one less thing for you to worry about.” He tapped her nose.
She jerked her head back. “Don’t do that.”
“Sorry. I’m a creature of habit, and I always did that when we were dating.”
“Not when I was working, and my boss is glaring at us.” She nodded toward the bridge.
“Well, then I should shove my tongue down your throat and stick my hand up your shirt and really give him something to gawk at.” Reid tapped his index finger on her knee. “I can’t get over the fact you went out with him and that he cheated on you.”
