Chapter 11
Rowan Rafferty breaks a promise
Moving Pegleg Pete’s Pirate Extravaganza to Pleasure Point was already paying off.
Tonight’s cruise was sold out again, and a line of hopefuls crowded the dock in the Will Call line, chattering with excitement.
A brisk breeze carried the briny scent of saltwater, mingling with the faint smokiness of grilled food wafting from the galley.
The last streaks of the sunset bled across the horizon, painting the sky with streaks of scarlet and gold.
“Red sky at night, sailor’s delight,” I murmured.
It would be smooth sailing tonight.
From my vantage point on the ship’s deck, I could hear the jaunty sea shanty playing over the speakers, blending with the hum of laughter and conversation from the boarding passengers.
A soft creak sounded underfoot as the ship swayed ever so slightly, and I gripped the polished wooden railing, allowing its smooth, cool surface to steady me.
“Dude, I’m telling you. I’m friends with the Captain of this ship, and she said I could have two tickets anytime I want,” a whiny voice cut through the din.
I shifted my gaze to the commotion at the boarding ramp, where a tall man with overly styled black hair gestured animatedly. His blue eyes darted between the ticket taker and the blonde woman at his side, who tugged at his elbow with visible embarrassment.
“Sorry, sir,” the ticket taker said firmly. “You’re not on the list.”
The man’s jaw tightened, and the blonde woman murmured something that didn’t quite reach me over the crowd. My focus sharpened when I caught her saying his name: Jesse.
It had to be him. An arsehole named Jesse asking for my Kendra?
My pulse quickened as irritation churned in my chest. I shoved off the railing and made my way down the ramp, my boots hitting the wooden planks with steady, determined thuds. When I reached the ticket taker, I tapped his shoulder.
“I’ll take care of this,” I said. My newest employee—Decker—looked relieved and stepped aside to scan tickets for the next guests.
I motioned to Jesse and his date. “Step over here, please.”
“We’re so sorry for the commotion,” the woman said quickly, her cheeks flushing pink. “We’ll be on our way—”
“True, don’t be ridiculous!” Jesse interrupted with a smirk.
He turned to me with an air of smug entitlement, his posture screaming that he thought he owned the world.
“This man here looks like he’s large and in charge.
He’ll sort it all out, and we’ll have a laugh with Kendra this evening. Right, my guy?”
“Sir,” I said evenly, my lips curving into a customer service smile. “I am not your guy.”
His smirk widened. “No need to be so formal. We’re friends of Kendra. We go way, way back.”
“Is that so?” I asked, tilting my head.
“Absolutely,” he said, leaning closer to confide some grand secret. “Man to man, Kendra was my first.”
His words hit me like a cannonball to the gut, sending a hot surge of rage through me. Why the hell would this guy announce that here, of all places?
I wanted to bash his face in. I wanted to fight for her honor, and I didn’t even know her.
As I glanced at his smug face, I knew punching him wouldn’t get anywhere. There was only one way to hurt a man who strung along his so-called best friend for years.
I smiled—a strained, tooth-cracking smile. “What a coincidence. Kendra will be my last.”
True gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. “Oh, my!”
Jesse blinked, his smirk faltering. “What?”
“That’s so romantic!” True gushed, clinging to Jesse’s arm. He flexed instinctively, his ego visibly bruised.
Jesse frowned, looking between us as though trying to piece together a joke he wasn’t in on. “I’m missing something. What’s romantic?”
I clapped him on the back with enough force to make him stumble. “My engagement. Kendra is my fiancée. She might have been your first, but she’ll be my last. Now, let’s see about getting you two a seat at dinner.”
So much for smooth sailing.
The ship launched from the dock with its usual fanfare, the sharp whistle from the Captain signaling our departure.
Lanterns flickered along the railings, casting warm, golden light that reflected off the polished deck.
Guests mingled with drinks in hand, laughing at scripted pirate jokes and cheering for Pegleg Pete’s exaggerated tales of high-seas adventure.
Despite the lively atmosphere, I couldn’t shake the weight in my chest. I’d thrown down the gauntlet with Jesse, and now I had to face Kendra.
Dinner would be served when we reached a certain point.
But right before that, I’m sure Kendra would serve my nuts on a silver platter when I told her what I’d done.
It hadn’t even been a day before I broke my promise to her. That had to be a new record.
By the time we reached the anchoring point, my nerves were frayed. The scent of salt and seaweed mingled with the savory aroma of dinner, but I barely noticed as I slowly climbed the narrow staircase to the pilot house.
Dead man limping.
I entered to find Kendra alone, her fingers brushing over the ship’s wheel.
The small space smelled of mahogany and the faint citrusy tang of her shampoo.
Her hair had fallen loose from its bun again, framing her face in soft waves, and despite her rumpled uniform, she exuded an effortless competence that made my chest tighten.
“Hey, Captain. Where is everyone?”
She glanced around. “I gave them a break. We don’t have much to do until it’s time to turn back. Chef always has a few extra goodies for the crew. I told them to bring me back a piece of cake.”
I swallowed thickly around the lump in my throat. She was more pulled together tonight than she was yesterday. Although her clothes were still wrinkled, at least her shirt was tucked in properly.
“You’re looking at me funny,” Kendra’s voice broke me out of my daydream.
“Funny?”
She touched her hair, which had fallen out of her bun again.
“It’s my hair, isn’t it? Decker told me you have a strict policy about uniforms and appearance.
I have a hard time keeping my hair out of my face.
It’s so thin, my hair, not my face.” She laughed.
“I have one of those full faces that my grandma once compared to a moon.”
“What the fuck?”
Kendra’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry?”
“Don’t be sorry. People who love and care for you shouldn’t talk to you like that,” I growled.
She waved her hand from side to side. “Meh. She was an old woman with a stick up her ass. I take everything she said with a grain of salt.”
I needed to calm down. I still hadn’t told her the bad news, and at this rate, I might have a heart attack from the stress.
“Boss? Did you need something?” She frowned at me.
I blew out a breath and looked at the ceiling. “Um. I have some interesting news.”
“Okay.”
I pulled her away from the helm. “Come sit down in the Captain’s chair.”
She tilted her head at me and narrowed her eyes. “Rather not. You’re acting all kinds of shifty, Boss.”
“Stop calling me Boss.”
“You are my Boss.”
“This is weird enough.”
“Weird enough because I saw your ding dong?”
I flopped down into the Captain’s chair. “What the hell, Kendra?”
She tapped my shoulder. “Take it easy, Boss. No one’s around to hear me. And you look like you need a laugh. What’s the trouble, bubble?”
My throat tightened. “Promise me you won’t get mad.”
“I can’t.”
I glared at her. “Why not?”
“It’s not fair to make me promise you something before you tell me whatever it is you will tell me. What if you tell me you sunk my boat 100 percent this time? That would make me mad, and if I went against the promise I made you, then I wouldn’t be a woman of my word, would I?”
“That’s an excellent point,” I conceded.
“Tell you what.” She tapped her chin and sucked her bottom lip into her mouth. “I promise I’ll hear you out before I react to the best of my ability. Fair enough?”
I nodded.
She held out her hand. “Wanna shake on it?”
I grabbed her hand in both of mine and held on. “Jesse and True are here.”
Kendra stiffened and tried to pull her hand out of mine. I shook my head at her.
“There’s more,” I added.
She raised her eyebrows and went still.
“I might have - accidentally - mind you - told them we were engaged,” I finished.
Kendra began breathing heavily and stared at me for an uncomfortably long time.
“Kendra?”
She didn’t respond. Her nostrils flared.
“Goldilocks?”
“Don’t fucking call me that!” She yanked her hand out of mine and began pacing the room. “Why the hell did you tell him that? What happened to your promise of no funny business? Man of his word, my left ass cheek!”
My stomach dropped as I considered telling her why I lost my mind about this, but I knew that would only hurt her, and I felt oddly protective of Kendra. But by the murderous looks she was giving me, I knew none of that would matter. I had to think fast.
“I, uh,” I stuttered. Genius. Well said, arsehole.
“Out with it.”
“I want to help you stop his wedding.”
Kendra stopped pacing and popped her hands on her hips. “And how the fuck is being fake engaged going to do that?”
I eased out of the Captain’s chair and held both hands up in supplication. I didn’t want to make any sudden movements that would scare her away. “You are going to ruin his wedding, right?”
She bit her lip and stared out the pilot house windshield.
“Do you have any idea how you’re going to do that?”
She shook her head.
“Well, I might have a few ideas, but you’ll need help.”
“I don’t need your help!” Kendra shouted. “And have you thought about how the hell this will help me win him over when the wedding is canceled? He will think I’m engaged to you!”
Jesse’s smug face flashed in my mind’s eye. “I have a feeling that will only make him want to fight for you more. He strikes me as one of those guys who always wants what someone else has.”
Kendra reared back. “No, he’s not. You don’t even know him!”
“I know enough,” I said. “And how well do you know him? When was the last time you two were in the same room together?”
“Yesterday!” She shouted. “We had lunch!”
“Did you have a nice time meeting the fiancée?”
Kendra lifted her chin but wouldn’t look me in the eye. “She wasn’t there.”
It felt like she slapped me. The thought of that wanker taking my Kendra to lunch without his fiancée made me want to smash his face in.
Damn it. I needed to stop thinking of her as my anything.
“Fine. When was the last time you were in the same room with him before that?” I threw back at her.
She stepped back, blinking furiously. I saw her eyes watering and felt like dog shit on the bottom of a shoe.
“I’m sorry.”
Kendra slowly shrugged. “No. You’re right. It had been a while.” She backed away from me.
“Kendra.” I started toward her.
“No. I need a moment.” She whirled toward the door. “Watch the helm while I call Decker to relieve you. I’m going to freshen up. Then we’ll see my second-oldest friend and his fiancée in the dining room. I’ll meet you there.”
With that, she exited the pilot house and slammed the door behind her.