Page 1 of Love On Deck
Prologue
Marva Maple exits the cab and takes in the large white ship beyond the squat concrete terminal building. The briny air tickles her nose and she tugs her jacket a little closer against the breeze. Like a hummingbird in flight, her heart thrums in her chest. She’s closer to sixty than to fifty, and she’s never been on a cruise. Her Howard, God rest his soul, got seasick in a swimming pool, so they’d never taken a cruise.
“Look at that,” says Wanda, shading her eyes against the glare of the afternoon sun off the ship. Her smile is wide and happy. Whose wouldn’t be after having gotten a week’s reprieve from the winter doldrums and second-semester blues at Ten Rigs High. Being a high school principal isn’t for the faint of heart.
By some amazing twist of fate, Wanda had won the tickets from the large item raffle at the Ten Rigs Christmas Festival last December. Normally the prizes in the raffle weren’t as large or as expensive as this, but here they were. Senior citizen sisters on a Valentine’s Day expedition around the Western Caribbean. Marva wasn’t questioning the fates. She does wrap her arms around Wanda, though, and hug her close. “Thanks for inviting me, Wonderful Wanda.”
“There’s no one else I’d rather go with, Marvelous Marva,” she replies, and they both giggle like the teenage girls they’d been a lifetime ago.
Wanda had broken up with her last gentleman friend shortly after the school year started, citing his derogatory remarks about the marching band as the reason. Wanda takes marching band as seriously as the band director, but Marva thinks their parting had more to do with his tippling than the man’s lack of appreciation for fight songs and John Philip Sousa. Wanda hadn’t lamented the loss, so Marva hadn’t worried.
Wanda tilts her head and rests it against Marva’s. “We’re going to have a great time, sister mine. Now come on, let’s get aboard.”
The cab driver plunks the last of their luggage on the curb and zooms off around a shiny black SUV.
Ten minutes later, they’re loaded down with tote bags and carry-on cases and rolling suitcases.
Except.
A small trunk remains at the curb. It’s not large or heavy and it has wheels, but neither of them has a spare hand.
“Well, shoot.” Marva looks at Wanda. “We’re going to have to rethink this.”
“Oh, hey, ladies.” A striking, athletic-looking young man strides over. He’s got a garment bag slung over one shoulder, a valise in one hand, and a sports bag in the other. “Let me help?” He sets the large sports bag atop the trunk and grabs the trunk’s handle. His smile is bright and charming. “How’s that?”
“That’s so kind. How can we thank you?” Marva says, glancing at Wanda, whose mouth has gone slack.
“Connor. And no thanks are necessary. I’m happy to help.”
“Well, I’m Marva, and this is my sister, Wanda.”
“Nice to meet you, Ms. Marva, Ms. Wanda.” He cants his head in greeting seeing as how none of them have any hands free. He turns to the approaching couple, also laden with bags and cases. “This is my sister, Casey, and her fiancé, Will.” Connor’s still smiling, but it appears less easy now. Hm.
“How do you do?” says Marva to the young couple, who smile and nod in return.
“We’re celebrating Casey and Will’s impending marriage,” says Connor. “They met two years ago on this very cruise.”
“The girl of my dreams,” says Will, lifting Casey’s hand to his lips.
“Oh, that’s so sweet and romantic. Congratulations,” says Wanda. She wrinkles her nose after a moment and asks, “No offense, but doesn’t that make Connor a bit of a third wheel?”
Will chuckles. “It might. However, my best man is joining us as well.”
Casey glances at her brother, an expression of hope on her face. “Maybe if Connor didn’t live, eat, and breathe baseball, he’d find the girl of his dreams too.”
“I knew it,” Wanda murmurs barely loud enough for Marva to have even heard her. Marva would ask what she knew, but Connor is saying…
“I’m twenty-nine years old, Casey. Even if I had time, I wouldn’t be interested ingirls.”
It’s said innocently enough and his intent is obvious, but there’s a note of wistfulness in his voice. Marva has a sneaking suspicion that the implication is the actual truth, and his sister has no idea.
“Don’t worry about it, Connor,” says Marva. “The right person will come along when you least expect it.”
He shoots her a look and a raised eyebrow, then nods.
Chapter One
The thump of the music can be heard and felt from outside the entrance of one of the ship’s many bars. Andrew pulls open the door and lets the noise and color wash over him. Sweeps of sunset red, grass green, indigo blue, and deep orange from a round club light keep the dark at bay. The music has a decent bass, and Andrew’s pulse picks up the beat and thrums in time. The stress of the last few months eases a little. He’s on a well-deserved vacation, even if he’s alone on a Valentine’s cruise.
