Chapter Four #2
Avery wondered if she was being led into a situation she would later regret.
Impulsively, she’d agreed to his idea, and already she was having second thoughts.
Rick had also had a lot of charm, had always been eager to spend time with her, too.
But that hadn’t stopped him from breaking her heart.
Still, Harrison seemed sincere, and what could a short conversation hurt while they shared their snacks?
“I’ll need to collect my overnight bag.”
“I’ll get it for you,” he offered quickly, as if he feared she’d change her mind.
“It’s okay. Let me explain what I’m doing to my two new friends.” She handed Harrison the popcorn and went to retrieve the items she’d left behind.
“We saved your space,” Olivia said, hopping down from where Avery had previously been sitting.
“Thank you. I met a new friend, and he asked me to sit with him,” she explained as she reached for her rolling carry-on.
The middle-aged woman who sat to her left glanced up. “We can keep your seat in case you want to return,” she said. “I’m Virginia,” she added. “Do be careful, those sailors can be real charmers.”
She appeared to have the same caution that Avery’s grandmother had given her regarding men in the Navy.
“Thank you, Virginia. My name is Avery.”
“Are you leaving?” Olivia wanted to know.
“Not really. I’m just sharing my popcorn with that man over there.”
Olivia leaned forward as though to get a better look. She smiled, exposing her two missing front teeth. “He’s cute.”
“Is he?” Avery asked, pretending she hadn’t noticed.
“Will you come back once you eat your popcorn?” Olivia asked. Her short legs swung back and forth anxiously.
“Would you like me to?”
“Yes, please. I like you and so does my mommy.”
“Then I’ll keep my bag right here,” Avery said, pleased to have an excuse to return if she felt it was necessary. Why had she been so willing to give up her seat? Virginia was right. She needed to be wary.
When she joined Harrison, she heard the tail end of his conversation with his friends, which was basically telling them to back off. Avery was with him, and he wasn’t willing to share her company. She pretended not to have heard, but her defenses went up like a border wall.
“I brought napkins,” Avery said, breaking into the conversation.
Harrison greeted her with a warm welcome and an introduction. “This disreputable pair are my shipmates Dan and Kyle,” he said, and motioned to the two other men.
“I’m pleased to meet you both.”
“Likewise,” the one named Kyle responded with a huge smile.
Harrison glared back at him and Kyle’s grin instantly vanished.
Taking two napkins, she and Harrison divided the popcorn and Skittles evenly.
“What about your friends?” Avery asked, feeling guilty to be eating in front of them.
“I had a late breakfast,” Dan explained, brushing off the offer.
“And I ate on base, so no worries,” Kyle added. “You two go ahead and enjoy.”
“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 was born for 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.
Dan was on the phone. From the bits of conversation Avery heard, it appeared he was talking to his wife and explaining the situation.
“I don’t have any idea how long this will take,” he said. “None of us do.”
Avery checked the time. An hour had passed and there had yet to be an update. A lot of the passengers were getting restless, moving about, complaining to one another. The room reverberated with discontent.
Dan ended his call. “The wife is worried I’m going to miss the family party. And I obviously can’t promise her I’ll be there until we get some word as to what’s the problem.”
“Everyone is wondering. It’s already been an hour,” Avery said, looking around the room. She’d been too wrapped up in her conversation with Harrison to pay much attention. The grumbling seemed to get louder by the minute as the passengers grew impatient.
The squeaky sound came from the loudspeaker, indicating another announcement was imminent. The murmurs waned as everyone prepared to listen.
“This is your captain again. I’m afraid I have some unfortunate news.”
Avery heard several curses and loud complaints followed by shushing from other passengers as the captain continued.
“It’s been determined that the engine problem can’t be resolved quickly.
We need a part, which fortunately is available.
The replacement part will be delivered as quickly as possible.
That’s the bad news. The good news is that the fix will take a relatively short amount of time once the part is here. I appreciate your patience.”
“Oh dear,” Avery murmured. She hated the thought of her brother waiting around the Seattle ferry terminal for hours on end. It was clear she wouldn’t make the lunch reservation.
“I know a lot of you are anxious, wondering how long we are expected to wait,” Captain Douglas continued. “I don’t have a definitive answer, I’m sorry to say. Again, I ask for your patience.”
As soon as the announcement was over, myriad angry voices filled the room until the cacophony made it difficult to hear, let alone think.
People were upset. Avery understood; she was disappointed herself.
This wasn’t how she’d planned her Christmas holiday to start.
It was hard enough to keep her spirits high, missing her grandmother as much as she did. Now this.
Caught up in her own frustration, she barely noticed the man in the seat across from where she sat. Earlier, she’d picked him out as a businessman or maybe a lawyer, by the looks of his briefcase.
“This can’t be happening,” he lamented loudly. “Not now. Please, not now.”
Most everyone ignored him. Avery couldn’t. Something was happening that was causing him great distress and it was more than being late for a family gathering or disappointing his wife.
“Is everything all right?” she asked, leaning forward enough to touch his arm.
“No.” The man sat up, then rammed his fingers through his hair. “This is a disaster.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?” she asked.
He shook his head so hard she feared his glasses would fly across the room. “No, there’s nothing anyone can do. My wife is pregnant and went into labor this morning. We moved to Seattle this summer for my job and don’t have any family here. She’s all alone.”
Listening in on the conversation, Harrison gave a low whistle, and the two men introduced themselves. The man’s name was James.
“The baby isn’t due for another two weeks,” James continued. “Lilly’s had a difficult pregnancy and needs me with her. She’s frantic and I’m stuck on this blasted ferry.”
“My buddy is a medic,” Harrison said. “Let me get him. He might be able to help.”
“How?” James asked, looking up hopefully.
Harrison collected Dan, who sat down next to James. “You said your wife is in labor?”
James nodded. “She isn’t completely sure—at least she wasn’t when we first left Bremerton. Now she said the pains are continuing, so she’s thinking this might be it.”
“And she’s alone?”
James nodded again.
“Is there someone close by who can come sit with her until you arrive? That will help with the anxiety she’s feeling.”
“But I need to be there,” James insisted.
“And you soon will be,” Dan assured him.
Avery added her opinion. “This should all be resolved in no time, and we’ll be on our way.”
James frowned, doubt showing in his eyes.
“I don’t know much about the birthing process,” Dan admitted. “My wife gave birth while I was at sea. What I do know is that the first baby generally doesn’t come quickly. It will be hours before your wife is ready to deliver.”
“Hours,” James repeated, and sighed with relief.
Avery certainly hoped that would be the case for James and Lilly.