Page 21 of The Sailor in Polynesia
“What is that expression?” she asked. “Pictures or it’s not real?”
“Something like that,” I muttered.
Elayna tossed her hair. “One of the things I like about sailing out here is that we can disconnect, live in the moment, yes? Well, except for our relationships.” She looped her arm around Marcella. “I wouldn’t trade my time with this crew for anything.”
I looked away into the fire as the crew ofEikhad a moment together, everyone happy and me the interloper.
Jonas leaned forward, his knee bending to brush against mine, and poked the fire with his stick. “I think we might need some more coconut husks.”
Lila jumped up and dusted her shorts off. “We should get more before it gets too dark. Elayna, help me?” She beamed a smile and held out her hand to Elayna.
While the girls wandered around the tree line, Eivind shifted over to sit next to Jonas.
The sunlight faded, and we talked as the fire grew brighter and the sky dimmed. Sunset curled its arms out, the clouds massive colorful tentacles in the sky. Marcella had pulled the fish out, and once they had cooled enough, she picked the meat off the bones and mixed it into a large pot with rice and curry.
My coconut was empty, so I put it in my bag to scoop out the insides later. Jonas did the same, and Elayna and Marcella worked together dishing out dinner. I stretched my legs out and thanked Elayna for the bowl.
We ate by firelight, the stars fully out above us. Jonas was warm next to me, and when he shifted on the towel, the sand underneath shifted too, and it pulled me closer to him.
The other women sat across the fire from me. Eivind was at his brother’s side, and they talked about something in Norwegian. I lay back on the towel, letting my eyes adjust to the sky instead of the fire, and stargazed.
Eventually Marcella, Elayna, and Lila set off along the beach for a walk, the moon and stars lighting their way. Eivind stirred the fire and then went to hunt for more firewood in the trees.
With a little grunt, Jonas leaned back to rest beside me.
“Thank you for coming tonight.”
“Thank you for the invitation.” I stretched my arms out over my head and smiled at the moon before I turned to look at Jonas. I thought he’d looked good in the firelight and the fading dusk, but the night sky gave him a sharper edge. “I don’t really get to do these kinds of things anymore. It’s less fun when you are by yourself.”
“Hmmm. What did you do last time you were here?”
“Oh...” I took a deep breath. “Liam and I had a fight. We were having trouble with the watermaker, and we were still reeling from the Pacific crossing. I was... I was just starting to really consider leaving him.” My throat closed up, the words getting caught there. Jonas shifted in the sand next to me, a tug on my back—or maybe my soul—pulling me toward him. Then his palm slid down my forearm, his fingers twining with mine.
“This place deserves good memories instead.”
Nine
The knocking on the hull was not going away. I already knew who it was: Jonas. He was always up before anyone else in the mornings.
Then the knock had an accompaniment. “Mia. Mia! Get out of bed.”
I climbed into the cockpit and shaded my eyes. Jonas’s face was over the toe rail, which he held in one hand while gripping a paddle with the other.
“A little bird told me you would like to go paddleboarding.” His voice was more confident and comfortable, and I could almost forget that he was a superfan.
“It’s early,” I whined, rubbing my eyes. “Can we go later?”
Jonas pointed up, and I tipped my head back. The sky was molting toward blue, but the sunrise still dominated and it was absolutely cloudless. “It is going to be very still today. And very hot later.” Jonas looked back at me. “Come on.”
Leaning over the edge of the cockpit, I noticed the second paddleboard bobbing in the water next to Jonas. He could see me relenting and a smile erupted from his face. He released the side of my boat to grab the paddle in both hands and hold it over his head in triumph. “Victory!”
A startled laugh burst out of me and he grinned. “Go.” He waved me away. “I will wait. Bring a snorkel and a mask.”
Jonas let his paddleboard drift while I ducked back inside to change. I put on a rash guard and bikini bottom and slathered some sunscreen on my exposed skin. I chugged a glass of water before grabbing my snorkel gear and swinging my legs over the side of the cockpit.
Just like last time, I dove off the side ofWelinainto the glassy water. This time, my boobs were properly covered by the rash guard.
Once I was standing up and stable on my board, I looked over my shoulder at Jonas.
