Page 41 of The Sailor in Polynesia
He grabbed my hand. “I want to do it. I will help you, okay? Eivind can manage my boat fine.”
“Are you sure? Wouldn’t that be weird for you?”
Jonas chuckled. “Yes, I am sure. When do you want to leave?”
I suddenly felt lighter and the prospect of sailing to Tahiti, with Jonas, became something to look forward to instead of something to dread. “We can leave tomorrow. I’ll be ready then.”
Nodding, he stood up. “Today it is our last day in Fakarava, yes? Let’s go snorkeling again.”
Fifteen
Eivind dropped Jonas off atWelinaearly in the morning, and Jonas brought with him a small duffel bag full of clothes and his own deck harness. He stepped aboard and handed me a container of strawberry jam pastries, a gift from Marcella. Even thoughWelinawas so much slower thanEik, we were leaving together to exit the pass at slack tide.
I had coffee ready, and Jonas and I ate our breakfast in the cockpit as Eivind raised their dinghy and the rest of the crew puttered around on deck, preparing the boat for the short passage. I had already tackled a lot of things last night while I couldn’t sleep, soWelinawas nearly ready to go.
I shifted around on the cushion, sipping my coffee. Jonas completely absorbed himself with the pastry, relaxed and comfortable. I wondered if he was worried at all about leaving his crew on their own.
After preparing some food—a pasta salad—last night, I’d checked the weather again and emailed more with my brother. The marina was expecting me, and James had booked my flight for me. I left in four days. That gave me plenty of time to arrive in Tahiti.
Jonas ate his last bite of pastry and licked his fingers clean. I stared, trying to distract myself from the building excitement in my stomach. Two nights of sailing out in the open ocean was going to be amazing, but also, the prospect of spending that much time with Jonas thrilled me.
“What can I do to help?” Jonas asked, his expression open and eager. Liam had always been a bundle of stress before every passage, and it swelled my heart that Jonas was so eager to sail with me.
I blew out a breath and blinked, focusing on his face. “Let’s go talk through the lines and sail setup together and then we can go through the safety checklist so you know where everything is.”
We went downstairs and I sat at my desk. We read the list out loud and ticked off the tasks I’d already accomplished. “Check VHF, check electronics, bring out headsails, secure the dinghy...”
The few ones that were left were easy to tackle as we got underway.
We were discussing the sails onWelinawhen my VHF crackled.
“Welina,Welina,Eik.”
I picked up the handset. “Eik,Welina,up one?”
“Up one.”
I changed the channels and hailedEik.
“Are you ready to go?” Eivind asked.
“Roger that, see you out there.”
I switched back to channel sixteen and Jonas and I climbed into the cockpit. I fired up the engine and checked the electronics. Jonas cast us off the mooring ball and we motored toward the pass.
Eikcast off too, and when I turned to look back, I could see the crew on deck, Eivind at the helm.
Jonas stood beside me as I pointedWelinaout toward the pass. The day was still early, the sun not quite out fully, so the visibility wasn’t the best, but this pass was well charted and open.
“Does it feel weird not being onEik?” I asked Jonas.
He looked out over the water and grinned. “I will be interested to hear how Eivind does with the responsibility.” He stretched, closing his eyes and leaning way back. His shirt rode up, a sliver of skin flashed. “I feel...”
I tilted my head, mesmerized by the sight of muscles flexing and a light dusting of hair. “What?” I laughed when he trailed off with a big smile.
“You are the boss now. I will do as you wish.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Shall I make you swab the deck? Polish the stainless? Get to work, cabin boy.”
