Sailing at Sunset

by Cindi Madsen

  There was that amazing laugh again, making the blood in his veins zing faster. She haughtily lifted her head. “You’re just jealous that you don’t have one.”

  “I am. Where’s my gold star?”

  One honey-colored eyebrow arched, drawing attention to her hazel eyes, the whirlpool of green and brown sucking him right in. “Do a good enough job, and maybe you’ll earn one by the end of the trip.”

  With that, she headed toward the cabin where the kitchen was located.

  Leaving Josh to think up ways to make her happy enough to snag himself one of those fancy stars.

  After breakfast, they took their steaming mugs of coffee and sat at the table on deck to start the morning’s think tank session. The entire time, Danae struggled to make eye contact with Mark.

  Yesterday’s comments felt personal, especially the remark about using Google calendar to run their lives, which was something they’d disagreed on while dating. She’d simply wanted to have a shared calendar, so she knew what was going on and when. Instead of seeing how convenient it’d be for the both of them, he’d told her that she didn’t need to micromanage his life.

  Not what she’d been trying to do, for the record. Silly her, she’d thought it would bring them closer, instead of being the final straw.

  Even though she and Mark had promised to continue to support each other, and that they wouldn’t let the promotion change anything, things were different. By accusing her of putting too much emphasis on the wrong market, he also seemed to be implying she didn’t deserve to be the Chief Marketing Officer.

  His verbal jabs during meetings might become an issue she would have to address—one he’d probably dodge while accusing her of being too sensitive—but since she’d just delivered the inspirational quote, she was focusing on staying upbeat.

  “This morning I want to mix things up and do something fun,” Danae said. Clearly her team needed to climb aboard the optimism train, because their skepticism was palpable. “Let’s split into teams of two and come up with out-of-the-box ways to market our boats. Then we’re going to shuffle our papers and have other teams present them as their ideas on how to make it work.

  “Everyone remember how you want your own ideas to be received. Remember to be open-minded and brainstorm ways to implement the idea before making a snap judgment or declaring it impossible or unproductive.”

  Her gaze automatically flickered to Mark, conveying to him that she’d heard his silent critique yesterday, and she was working on it. The residual sting radiated through her, Mr. Barton’s similar feedback pushing it that much deeper.

  Mark gave her a tiny nod, and the pressure in her chest eased. She could learn and change. It’d only make her better at the job she fully intended to keep.

  They worked for twenty minutes, shuffled the papers, and then created presentations for the concepts they’d received.

  The wind had kicked up after breakfast, and it swirled Danae’s hair around her face as she and Vanessa stood to give their mini presentation. As luck would have it, they’d ended up with Mark’s idea. That was easy enough to figure out, thanks to his suggestion, and she recognized his scrawling handwriting besides.

  Across the deck, she caught sight of Josh. He flashed her a smile. His skin was sun-kissed from the hours he spent outdoors, and those eye crinkles took charming to an unfair level.

  “Danae,” Vanessa shout-whispered at her side, and she glanced at her partner, who raised her eyebrows even higher.

  Right. She was in the midst of a presentation, and how in the world had she allowed herself to be distracted? “So, what we would like to do is show that it’s not solely about getting the woman, so to speak. It’s about getting the right woman.”

  “One who’ll let you go sailing on a whim,” Mark helpfully added, and Danae found she didn’t even have to work to maintain her smile. Mostly because Josh had used his hand to stifle his.

  “Exactly. The perfect lifestyle, right?”

  Vanessa chimed in. “But then we’ll also have that amazing, powerful woman on the boat sipping wine, because she deserves a perfect lifestyle with the man—or woman—she cares for, too.” She’d come up with that twist at the last minute. Neither she nor Danae had been comfortable with the idea of objectifying a woman, even if it helped sell boats. Danae didn’t truly think Mark intended his idea to come off that way, either. He simply wasn’t as sensitive to it as women who’d grown up seeing it done in advertising way too often.

  Mark ran his fingers along his freshly shaven jaw. “I’m sure no one will be surprised that I wrote that pitch. And I like what you two have done with it.”

  He gave Danae a nod that she returned. As soon as this meeting was over, there would be checkmarks, and she definitely deserved a gold star.

  She glanced at Josh, remembering how he’d teased her about her stickers. Some people had gone bug-eyed over her organization skills and detailed planner, while others wished aloud they could be that on top of life. There had been condescension and eye rolls over the supplies required as well, but Josh had managed to joke without insinuating that her system made her uptight or kooky, feedback she’d gotten before.

  “Whoa,” Paige said, putting a hand on her stomach. “Is it going to be this rocky for the rest of the trip?”

  The gray clouds overhead had been gradually dimming the light of the sun, bringing along with them the scent of rain. As they thickened, the water turned choppy and the swaying of the boat intensified. The sail whipped in the wind, the snap of the fabric loud. Sizzling energy hung in the air, signaling a looming storm.

  “Looks like we’re going to get some rain,” Danae said. “I’m sure it’ll be fine, but if anyone wants to go down into the kitchen cabin, feel free. Paige, there are some of those pressure point bracelets and motion sickness pills on the counter if you need them. The cooler is stocked with water and soda, if anyone needs a cold drink.”

  “I need more coffee,” Mark said, standing. He gripped the backrest of the bench seat as the boat rocked. “Would you like a refill?”

  Danae glanced around, because he couldn’t possibly be talking to her. But Vanessa had already headed into the cabin. “Water would be great, actually. I’m going to go see what our captain thinks about the storm and how long it’ll be before it passes.”

  Mark nodded, and Danae gripped the railing and walked toward the helm, where Josh stood at the wheel.

  “Hey,” she called, and the wind blew the word back in her face.

  “Remember, don’t shoot the driver. Your beef is with Mother Nature, not me.”

  “It was with Mother Nature, until you implied I might take it out on you,” she shouted over the roar of the flapping sails, hoping the volume she used to deliver the joke didn’t make him think she was serious. “Any idea how long this storm is going to last? I know that’s a stupid question, since it hasn’t started raining yet, but even a ballpark—”

  “Would help you schedule out our delay?”

  Warmth trickled through her, fighting the cool air nipping at her skin. Even though they’d just met and hardly saw eye to eye, Josh understood how anxious getting off track left her. “Basically, yeah. If you’re within fifteen minutes, I’ll totally give you a gold star.”

  Josh ducked his head as a swell hit and water sprayed both of them. “It should pass soon, but it’s heading the same way we are, so if we keep sailing along this path, we’ll remain in it the entire time. I’m thinking we heave to and wait it out.”

  Heave to. Now there was a phrase she hadn’t heard in a while, but memories flickered through her mind. Basically it meant parking in the ocean without having to drop the anchor, and it came in handy when fixing a part on the boat or dealing with a contrary wind or a storm.

  “I’m gonna tack the boat.” Josh began to spin the wheel, turning so the headsail was set against the wind. “Then I’ll—”


  “…let out some of the mainsheet. I’m on it.”

  Satisfaction swelled in her at the surprised look on his face. It was nice to know she could impress the guy, and she took a quick beat to enjoy it before rushing along the starboard side, ducking under the mast, and going to work.

  With the headsail turned to catch the backwind and keep the boat in place, easing out the mainsail reduced the ship’s forward drive. With that done, the boat slowed, and Danae felt Josh turning the rudder to windward.

  Fat drops of rain trickled down, and then the clouds opened up and released more and more, faster and faster. Her job done, Danae returned to the helm.

  Josh locked the wheel, and they managed to park, so to speak. The ship lightly bobbed in a seesaw motion, but they were no longer at the mercy of the choppy waves.

  “Let’s make our way into the cabin.” Josh extended a hand. “Careful, it’s slippery.”

  Danae was pretty sure she could manage, but there was his open palm and when it came to not slipping and falling into the icy ocean, employing the safety-first method seemed like the best course of action.

  Her palm hit his, and he clamped onto her hand as they hurried toward the main cabin. His strides were twice as long as hers, and she worked to keep up, a flutter going through her as he maneuvered her around the deck of the ship with such ease.

  Then they were in the entryway of the cabin, the closed door muffling the sound of the wind and lashing rain.

  Droplets clung to Danae’s glasses, obscuring and blurring everything. She slipped them off and wiped them on her damp blouse, her breaths sawing in and out faster than usual.

  “That was impressive,” Josh said, and she met his blue eyes, her heart thumping harder at his praise. “This isn’t your first time sailing. Not even your second or third.”

  “You caught me. I’m a spy who’s been sent to see how good a sailor you truly are.”

  “Are we sinking?” Paige asked, poking her head through the open doorway and wringing her hands together. “I knew this was a bad idea. I should’ve stayed home with my fiancé, with the solid ground beneath my feet.”

  Danae quickly assured her they’d be okay. “Storms happen all the time, and remember the specs on our ship? We use only the strongest materials at Barton Boats.” Sure, she sort of sounded like an infomercial, but as team leader, she needed to make certain that no one panicked or did something as drastic as leave the trip early. She glanced at Josh, silently pleading for him to help.

  “Danae’s right. I’ve been through way worse storms. This’ll pass soon, and it’ll be much smoother sailing.”

  “Soon?” Danae tried to raise one eyebrow, but both of them came along for the ride. “Are you purposely using a vague term? Because I clearly remember mentioning you had to be accurate within fifteen minutes to earn a gold star.”

  His laugh filled the entryway. “How about I just tell you whether or not I was right once we get to shore? Spoiler alert: I’m gonna be.”

  She snorted at that, and they entered the kitchen cabin to find all eyes on them.

  Mark slowly extended a water bottle her way. Right. She’d asked for one of those.

  “Thank you.” Danae twisted off the lid and gulped it down. Funny how you could be soaking wet and still ridiculously thirsty.

  Josh shook out his hair like some kind of overgrown puppy. Danae flinched and brought up her shoulders to block the water, despite the fact that it was too late and she was already wet. “Dude.”

  Since everyone was still studying them, and she realized she’d accidentally-on-purpose leaned into Josh slightly, she decided she should move away from him before people got the wrong idea.

  Before she got the wrong idea.

  “Did you find the snacks?” she asked, as she stepped into the center of the kitchenette and peered inside grocery bags.

  “Not a whole lot of places to search,” Vanessa teased as she boosted herself up on the tiny counter. “But we managed.”

  Danae dug out the pretzels, and since Josh had to be thirsty, too, she grabbed a bottle of water. As she handed it to him, a shiver racked her body.

  “You guys have to be freezing,” Vanessa said. She crawled inside the cabin she was using and yanked the comforter off the bed. She wrapped one side around Danae, the other side around Josh, and nudged them toward the table. “You two sit, and I’ll make some hot cocoa.”

  “Oh, it’s okay.” Danae had never been great at accepting help. She was far more comfortable giving it. But the stern mom-type glare Vanessa gave her and Josh was enough to make Danae follow instructions. She sat at the rectangular wooden table, which had a piecework compass symbol in the center, and then scooted across the royal blue bench cushions so Josh could have a seat, too. When she failed to suppress another shiver, he reached across and tucked the blanket more firmly around her.

  In order to fully warm up, she should probably get out of her wet clothes. But as the blanket and being next to Josh did their job of returning heat to her body, her motivation to move became nonexistent.

  “So, where’d you learn those mad sailing skills?” Josh asked.

  The sentimental emotions that had been her constant companions since climbing aboard the ship the first time crested once again. It was a bit like the tide, showing up in a huge surge, only to recede and return in intervals. “My dad. From the time I was a little girl, he used to take me out on the boat with him. Every so often my younger sister and brother would tag along, but they took a lot of looking after and weren’t great at following instructions, so he and I both preferred it when my mom sent us on alone. He taught me everything I know about sailing and the sea.”

  Vanessa placed two mugs of steaming hot cocoa in front of them, and Danae decided she lived here now. After all, what more could a person ask for than sipping chocolatey goodness next to a guy who could turn her insides melty with nothing more than a smile?

  Only then did she consider that her entire team was in the kitchen area, and she was getting way too cuddly with Josh. Another sip and she began to scoot away from him. “I’m, uh, going to go change my clothes. Then we should probably use this time stuck inside to get our work done.”

  Chapter Seven

  “I miss my fiancé,” Paige said, sweeping her red locks over one shoulder while she drummed her fingers on the kitchen table they’d crowded around to avoid the rain. “It feels like we’ve been apart for a week already.”

  Vanessa rolled her eyes. “It feels like you’ve been talking about how much you miss him for a week already.”

  Danae pinched the bridge of her nose, taking a second so she could intercede in a calm, kind manner. “We all miss things, whether it’s people or pets or our own beds. But we have to remember what a great opportunity we have to check out beautiful locations while doing our work.”

  “I’ve already been to most of the places we’re going, though,” Paige said with a sigh, and Vanessa opened her mouth.

  Working to cut off a bickering match before it grew out of control, Danae spoke over whatever retort Vanessa had on the tip of her tongue. “Not only do publicity and social media go hand in hand, I need both of your incredible brains right now in order to make this new campaign as successful as possible.” She flipped the pages in her binder to find the other teamwork quote—the Michael Jordan one had been aimed mostly at Mark anyway. “‘Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people.’ Let’s be that team.”

  There. Powerful. Motivational. Everyone’s important.

  It desperately needed to work, because being cooped up inside seemed to make everyone shorter-tempered. Thanks to how tightly packed they were around the table, Danae had accidentally elbowed Vanessa and Franco, who were on either side of her, several times.

  Vanessa twisted her wrist and studied the large bejeweled watch that hung from her golde
n charm bracelet. “By my calculations, we should be reaching Block Island soon. If we work really hard for the next fifteen minutes, we could get a rough draft of our publicity and social media strategy hammered out before we dock.”

  “I love that idea,” Danae said, and she was about to suggest they go outside to do so since the windows overhead were brightening up.

  But Vanessa wasn’t done. “I’ve never been to most of the places we’ll be stopping at, and personally, I’m grateful to Mr. Barton for providing us the opportunity to check them out in style.”

  Oh, boy. The passive aggressive was strong with this one.

  “It’s okay to miss my fiancé. When people don’t understand that, it makes it hard to feel like a team.” Paige tossed her notebook on the table. “I have a headache. I’m going to head to my cabin and find an ibuprofen.”

  As soon Paige left, the rest of the team’s attention scattered, and there was a zero percent chance Danae would manage to get it back. Since she wanted to maintain at least a semblance of control, she lowered her own notebook. “As Vanessa said, we’ll be docking shortly, so we might as well break and prepare for our tour of the lighthouse.”

  Mark headed upstairs to the deck, and Franco scooted over, giving the three of them who were left more room. “Don’t get me wrong, I think Paige likes saying the word fiancé a little too much, but I miss Justin, too. And my dogs.”

  Danae patted his arm. “They’ll be there waiting for you when we return to Newport, and I bet Jack is going to slobber over every inch of you to show how much he missed you. Rose as well.”

  Franco wrinkled his nose. “Thank you for the visual. That makes it easier to wait.”

  “Liar,” she said with a laugh, and he chuckled.

  “Fine. I’m going to FaceTime all three of them when we get a chance to sit on the sandy shore. Is that what you want to hear?”

  Danae flashed him a grin. “Say hi to everyone for me.”

  Franco climbed out from behind the table, stood, and stretched. “Guess I’ll go grab my bag.” At least he seemed less hurt about the team’s reception of the beta version of the website, although she suspected he’d buried his feelings down deep.