Chapter Fourteen
GREY’S FACE WAS a mask of concentration as she backed the Veritas toward its assigned berth in Soper’s Hole Marina.
The marina was situated on the northern edge of Frenchman’s Cay, a small island connected to Tortola’s West End by a sandbar and a small bridge, and at one time the sheltered bay served as Blackbeard’s base of operations.
The village itself was small, and the buildings overlooking the harbor were painted in a rainbow of bright, pastel colors.
Like Sandy Spit, this was a stop she usually worked into most of her charters—it was a great location to give her guests a taste of the islands, and it also gave them a place to stretch their legs after being cooped up on the boat.
She inched the Veritas closer to the dock in small bursts, revving the cat’s twin engines to guide them slowly into the slip.
Her brow was furrowed as she focused on the distance between the rear dive platforms and the dock, and she bumped the throttle forward just enough to bring the boat to a stop as she watched Lauren leap onto the dock with the stern line grasped firmly in her hand.
Lauren was pulling the starboard line tight when Grey hopped down beside her, port line in hand.
Once she had looped the line around a cleat, they pulled together guiding the boat back until the bumpers were snug against the dock.
When they were done, Grey turned to Lauren and offered her a small smile. “Nicely done.”
Lauren grinned and gave Grey a purposefully awful salute. “Thank you, Cap’n.”
“That is the worst salute I have ever seen,” Grey chuckled, shaking her head.
“Are we good to go into town now?” Kim called out, interrupting whatever retort Lauren looked ready to hurl in Grey’s direction.
“Absolutely.” Grey waved the Muellers down.
She and Lauren helped the boys make the short hop onto the dock and, once they were all assembled, she pulled a key from her pocket.
It was attached to a bright red foam keychain that would float if accidentally dropped into the water, and she smiled as she handed it to Kim.
“This is a key to the salon doors, just in case either of us aren’t here when you guys get back. ”
Kim nodded and slipped the key into her purse. “Any suggestions for where we should go?”
“The shops are all fun to poke around in.” Grey shrugged and hooked a thumb toward the bright buildings behind her that fronted the wide boardwalk.
“And Pusser’s Landing is good for dinner.
Downstairs is more laid back than up, and there’s usually some kind of live entertainment, so if the boys are still wiggly they would be able to get up and move around without disturbing anyone. ”
“Oh, I think that’s where we’ll be then.
” Kim looked at her boys, who were already running down the dock toward town, eager to explore, and shook her head as she slipped her hand into Will’s.
“Here’s to hoping they can run off some of that energy.
” She smiled affectionately at her children’s backs, and sighed as she looked back at Grey and Lauren.
“Enjoy your night. We’ll see you guys later. ”
Grey waited until the Muellers were on their way before she hopped back onto the boat, and she looked over her shoulder at Lauren as she climbed the steps to the back deck. “Are there any provisions we need to stock up on since we’re here?”
“I don’t think so.” Lauren shook her head as she followed Grey into the salon. “I mean, we pretty much have everything I’ll need for the rest of the trip, unless you can think of something.”
“Not really. I do want to offload our trash and top off the water and fuel, though.”
“Okay. So, what do you need me to do?”
“Nothing. I’m just going to hook up the water, and then I’ll call down to the harbormaster’s office for a trash pickup. There’s not that much, but I’m not in the mood to haul it all over to the dumpster myself.”
“Works for me.” Lauren pursed her lips thoughtfully and added, “What about the fuel?”
“The dock’s on the other side of the harbor—” Grey waved a hand in the general direction of the refueling station, “—so we’ll just hit it in the morning. We actually have more than enough gas to finish this cruise, I just always fill up whenever I can.”
Lauren nodded. “Makes sense.”
“Yeah.” Grey ran a hand through her hair and looked around the salon.
Her eyes drifted to the spot in the galley where they had been standing the day before when she had almost kissed Lauren, and her pulse spiked at the memory of it.
Somehow, in a span of only four days, she had gone from wanting to fire Lauren, to wanting to kiss her.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as that truth began to truly sink in.
She was genuinely attracted to Lauren. For the first time in three years, she wanted another woman in a way that had nothing to do with forgetting her pain and everything to do with simple desire.
She did not want to let go of the hurt and sorrow she had worn like armor these last few years.
She did not want to forget Emily. But she was finally ready to admit to herself that letting go of the hurt and pain she had worn like armor for so long did not mean that she was forgetting Emily. It simply meant that she was moving on.
Grey could not ignore the way her stomach fluttered when she turned to look at Lauren, and she sighed.
She would never forget Emily, could never possibly forget her, but she wanted this.
And, even though Lauren had been the one to pull away, Grey knew that she had not imagined the spark she felt between them.
Two weeks was not enough time for anything serious to develop, but maybe, just maybe, it was enough time for her to learn to live again.
“I…” Grey cleared her throat softly and gave Lauren a small smile.
She tried to ignore the way her heart was racing, but she could hear the way it made her voice tremble ever so slightly.
“After the trash gets picked up, would you want to maybe go over to Pusser’s for some diner? Take advantage of your night off?
Grey’s smile was soft and hopeful, and Lauren found herself returning it as she nodded. “That sounds great.” She looked down at herself and sighed. Though they were clean, her shorts and shirt were not exactly appropriate for going out. “Would I have time to shower?”
“Of course.” Grey’s breath caught as Lauren’s eyes turned back to her, sweeping slowly up her body in a deliberate once-over.
It was not the first time she had caught Lauren looking at her like that, but it was the first time she was willing to acknowledge what it did to her.
She arched a brow when Lauren’s eyes landed on hers, looking darker than usual and somewhat embarrassed at having been caught, and added, “I’ll probably grab one too after I get the trash unloaded, so take as long as you want.
The Muellers have a key, we’re not in a rush. ”
Lauren nodded once. “All right.” She licked her lips as she held Grey’s gaze, and then smiled shyly as she finally looked away and disappeared down the stairs to her cabin.
Grey stared at the empty stairway for a moment, feeling the way her heart fluttered with anticipation in her chest, and shook her head as she pulled her phone from her pocket to call the harbormaster.