Page 13 of A Ferry Merry Christmas
“I believe Kyle and Dan decided to take a stroll around the deck, isn’t that right?” Harrison said, looking pointedly at his friends.
“Right,” Kyle said, and Dan nodded.
“They can stay,” Avery said quickly, smiling at the two other men. There was safety in numbers.
“No, they can’t,” Harrison countered like a lightning bolt had flashed into the room.
“Right,” Dan said. “Kyle and I need to make ourselves scarce.”
The look Harrison gave his shipmates could have burned through steel.
After the two men wandered off, Avery glared at Harrison. “It wasn’t necessary to make them leave, you know.”
“I disagree,” he countered. “I wanted the chance to talk to you without Kyle and Dan constantly butting in. Maybe it is selfish of me, but I only have this one chance to get to know you. I’m not about to squander that opportunity.”
Avery appreciated Harrison’s honesty and that he’d been up-front about his intentions.
“So,” he said, “I’m guessing you live in the Bremerton area?”
“I do. I’m an accountant.”
Harrison’s thoughtful expression seemed to indicate he was absorbing the information. After a moment, he spoke. “That tells me that you’re someone who’s detailed, disciplined, and responsible.”
How he was able to sum up her strongest qualities so quickly gave her pause. “I am. I like routine and work long hours, especially during tax season.
“Okay, my turn. Tell me about you?”
He shrugged as if to suggest he wasn’t that interesting. Nevertheless, he said, “I joined the Navy out of high school and went to submarine school before being assigned to the base in Bangor, Maine.”
“You mean to say there are two Bangor submarine bases? One on the East Coast and one on the West Coast? Guess that’s to confuse the enemy, right?”
“I don’t think that was the intention, but it could have been.”
“Tell me more,” she said, waving at him to continue.
“I’ve been in the Navy ten years and decided after my first tour of duty to make it my career.” He said this as if he wasn’t sure what to expect from her at this news.
Avery accepted then and there that this was not a relationship that would work for her. She saw no harm in continuing the conversation, in part because she believed in keeping her word. But as far as she was concerned, once the ferry reached Seattle, it was unlikely that she’d see Harrison again.
He watched her expectantly, as if wanting her to comment.
Avery said, “Sounds like you enjoy your job.”
He nodded. “I do. In some ways I feel like I wasbornfor this. I work with the missile defense system. I don’t take that responsibility lightly.”
She could appreciate his sense of duty, knowing he held life and death in his hands. “And you’re patriotic.”
Again, he agreed. “I love our country and am proud to serve it.”
“And loyal to boot.”
He chuckled. “That’s me in a nutshell.” He reached for a handful of popcorn mixed with the Skittles. “I confess I was pretty rebellious as a teenager, which is what prompted me, with a bit of encouragement from my parents, to enlist. Dad felt the discipline would do me some good and he was right. It didn’t take beyond the first day of boot camp to understand my life was about to change drastically.”
The more they talked, the more Avery found herself liking Harrison, which was unfortunate. If he had a regular job and lived nearby, she might even be tempted to agree to go on a date with him. But as things stood, this conversation would be the extent of their involvement.
Dan and Kyle returned from their stroll around the deck.
“Is it safe for us to return?” Kyle asked, sending Harrison a teasing look.
