The Big One (Second Chance Romantic Comedy)

by Katherine Hastings

  “It’s bigger than the one we used to sail.” I examined the sleek boat bobbing in the water.

  “It’s twenty-five feet. The ones we sailed on in Ephraim were fifteen to twenty footers. It’s still small enough I can sail by myself, though, but big enough for a few people if I want company.”

  “Is it yours?”

  “It was my grandfather’s. He’s the one who taught me to sail. He and I used to sail it often before he passed. It was part of my inheritance, but I haven’t taken it out since we lost him.”

  “Why not? Sailing used to be your favorite thing after soccer. Wasn’t it always your dream to have your own boat?”

  He shrugged. “It was. I guess I just haven’t made much time for myself lately. But now that you’re here, you’ve reminded me about the things that matter most. Sailing was one of them, and I want to share it with you again.”

  “Then, permission to come aboard, Captain?” I smiled.

  “Do you remember the rules?” He raised a challenging brow.

  Kicking off my shoes, I smiled and lifted them up, meeting his cocky stare with my own. “No shoes, for one.”

  “You always were a fast learner.” He hopped onboard, his bare feet landing with ease and he turned to extend a hand. “Permission granted.”

  I took his hand and stepped off the dock. The boat dipped under my weight and I grabbed the railing to steady myself. A protective arm slipped around my waist and I tumbled forward into his embrace.

  “I need to find my sea legs,” I said, shifting my balance to account for the movement beneath me. It didn’t seem to faze him at all, and he waited for me to settle in. “It seems yours are still very much intact.”

  “Years of practice.” He smiled and guided me to sit down.

  “I stopped earlier this morning and dropped off some supplies. I’ve got water, wine, snacks, and protection.”

  My eyes bulged before I remembered what he meant, and a flush rose through my cheeks.

  “Get your mind out of the gutter. I meant sunscreen. It’s sunny today. I didn’t want you to burn.” His smile grew, and I shot him a look before bursting into laughter.

  “Never living this down.”

  “Nope.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Here, I’ll show you around.”

  He popped open the small wooden door of the cabin and I peeked inside. It was larger than I expected, and the orange and brown plaid cushions on the couch and the bed under the bow caused my eyes to widen. “That’s a lot of plaid!”

  “It’s not fancy, but he bought it in the seventies when these were the trendy colors. He and I were going to recover them before he passed, and now I can’t bring myself to change anything. It all reminds me of him. So you’re stuck with seventies décor.” He laughed, stepping down the two stairs and patted the cushions. “But it’s got a sink, a little bathroom, a tiny kitchen and I can say I’ve had some of the best sleeps of my life on that mattress.”

  “The sailboat we stayed on just had that bed underneath.” I remembered the things we did on that little bed and I saw the recognition in his own eyes. “It’s awesome, Liam. I love it. It has everything a sailor could need.”

  “Now I just need to make the time to get out here more.”

  He climbed back up and went to work preparing the boat.

  Watching him move with such ease reminded me not only of his athleticism, but of how much he thrived on a sailboat. That summer, he’d sailed all day for work, but the first thing he’d wanted to do when he’d finished teaching others was to go back out there and sail some more. His love of it had been contagious and soon I couldn’t wait to get out on the open water with him and drift away from the rest of the world. I always felt like a fish staring out from the bowl. It was so quiet on the water, so distant from the steady stream of tourists that flocked to the little peninsula every summer. We would float out and watch the cars and the people fade away until only the colors and vibrant landscape of Door County’s famous shores could be made out.

  “You ready?” he asked, finishing his preparations.

  “Ready. What should I do? I haven’t been on a sailboat like this.”

  “You grab the bow line and I’ll get the stern.”

  “Got it!” I hopped up and reminded myself to slow down and keep a hold of the railing while I moved past him to the bow. Our bodies brushed against each other when I slid past and I felt that spark travel between us and slither down my spine. A subtle glance passed between us and I kept moving until I reached the front of the boat.

  “Go ahead,” he said once he’d reached the back.

  I unraveled the knot and pulled the line into the boat while he did the same. We drifted away from the dock and he turned on the little motor at the back. It chugged and churned before turning over and a little plume of smoke puffed out and drifted up behind him.

  “It still works! That’s a good start!” His natural smile flashed as white as the boat.

  He held the tiller, and we puttered backward, his skilled hands guiding us into the fairway. When we reached a safe distance, he shifted us forward, and I grabbed onto the railing for balance.

  “Remember what’s next?” he asked with taunting eyes.

  I pursed my lips and thought back to all those lessons he’d given me. We weren’t ready to raise the sails. He had the driving under control. Racking my brain harder I felt the weight of his stare.

  “It’s the thing you forgot every single time,” he teased.

  “Fenders!” I shouted and turned around, pulling in the fender nearest me. One by one I pulled them in until every one of them was secured inside.

  “Atta girl.” He patted the seat beside him.

  It took no coaxing to convince me to sit at his side. I crossed the small boat and slid down beside him. Our eyes met and danced with mirrored excitement while we finished our cruise out of the marina and into the ocean that stretched as far as my eyes could see.

  “It’s a little different from the lake, isn’t it?” My awe of the surroundings hadn’t gone unnoticed.

  Mount Vesuvius stretched up over the city that grew smaller by the second. The colorful little buildings started blurring into one and everywhere I turned was a frame-worthy shot. The warm summer breeze and the hot sun tightened my skin, and I took a deep breath of the fresh ocean air.

  “You ready?” he asked, and I blew out the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

  “Definitely.” I knew what was coming. The memories of the way he could handle a boat were still fresh in my mind.

  “Hold the tiller.”

  I grabbed the handle, and he stood up, pulling up the seat cushion and reaching in, emerging with two bright orange life jackets. While I steered the boat, he slid the circular ring around my neck and secured the straps. The pressure on my breasts and the proximity of his hands caused my heart to patter a little faster. We exchanged a glance while he finished tightening the last strap. After he secured his own vest, he slid back down beside me and took the handle of the motor, taking over steering.

  “Remember how to raise the main sail?” He gestured toward it.

  “Yep.”

  “When I say so, start pulling the sheets.”

  I stood up and walked over to the lines and turned back to watch him.

  “Do you remember what I’m looking for?”

  “You’re trying to get the telltales pointing forward so we can raise the sail?”

  “My best student yet.” He beamed.

  I looked up and watched the little red markers flapping in the breeze as he steered us straight into the wind.

  “Raise the sails!”

  I started pulling the line and watched the white sail rise up until it reached the peak. It flapped loosely in the wind, the sound of it filling my mind with the memories of what came next.

  “Now the jib!”

  I grabbed the line and prepared while he turned us away from the wind. The sails filled with air and the sailboat started forward.


  “Bring the lines back with you and come back by me!”

  I carefully pulled the lines along and sat down beside him, holding them the way he’d taught me.

  “Ready?” He beamed while he shut off the engine and took hold of the lines.

  “Ready.”

  Deft hands worked quickly, and we shot forward, the wind pushing us across the soft ocean waves. His hand moved to the wooden tiller, and I clutched the edge of my seat while we gained speed, Liam maneuvering the boat until we reached the perfect angle.

  “Whoo!” he shouted when we reached full speed. His face was lit up, not just from the sun that beat down on his tanned skin, but from that light that went off in him anytime we went out on the water. For a second, I saw that eighteen-year-old boy sitting beside me and I felt a decade younger myself.

  “God, I missed this!” he shouted over the wind whipping around us. “Remind me that I need to sail more often.”

  “As long as you bring me with you.” I sighed and caught his sideways smile.

  “I missed you, too, you know. I missed us.”

  “Me, too.”

  “Remember that thing we used to do?” He turned toward me and his eyes sparkled with excitement.

  “Oh God,” I answered, worry tightening my face. “I remember.”

  “You up for it?”

  I’d already bought a last-minute ticket to Italy and dropped in on a guy I hadn’t seen in a decade. No sense in stopping the adventure now. “Why the hell not.”

  I didn’t know it was possible, but his smile widened. We slid in unison to the side of the boat and he pushed the tiller, unfolding the extension. I felt the speed increase even more and the boat leaning as it lifted up out of the water.

  “Hike! Hike!” He shouted.

  I squealed while I popped up on to the edge of the boat, Liam joining me as we hooked our knees on the ledge, letting our bodies dangle out over the ocean racing below us.

  “Here!” He tossed me a strap I grabbed for balance while we leaned farther out, the ledge we sat on growing higher and higher as he pushed us to the limits. I saw the muscles in his arms bulging while he braced against his own strap and held the tiller steady.

  “Liam!” My heart pounded when I thought we would tip at any moment, our bodies side by side as high as they could go before we toppled off into the ocean.

  “Almost there! I’ve got you, baby! Keep leaning out! Trust me!”

  Baby. Hearing him call me that again chased away any fear I had. We’d done this a dozen times, and each time he’d gotten us safely home. I trusted him. Digging down into my resolve, I leaned out farther.

  “There!” he shouted triumphantly, and I felt the boat settle into its place. He looked at me, his smile so wide I thought his face would tear. My own matched it and I closed my eyes and let the wind whip through my hair while the salt water spray splashed my face. I hadn’t felt this alive since the last time I’d hung over the edge of a sailboat with him. Everything about him set me free and I remembered now why I loved him so much. He was freedom. He was adventure. He was passion. When I opened my eyes, he was staring at me, his own eyes reflecting those feelings churning around inside me like the waves we crashed through.

  Leaning in, he kissed me. The sensations of his lips, of the wind, of the water, and the freedom I felt hanging over the edge felt like an explosion ripping through my body. I teetered over the edge, and not just of this sailboat. I’d plunged off the cliff and dove headfirst into the feelings for him that wouldn’t subside. When I came to Italy, I came here for closure, for answers, and right now with his lips on mine, I had all the answers I needed. This, us, was all I would ever need, and I had no intentions of letting these feelings go. I wanted to ride this high with him until the end of my days.

  We rode that way until my muscles burned and my body begged for rest. As if he could read my mind, he loosened the sails, and we settled back down, our speed slowing. We slid back into the seats and I panted for breath. The excitement and energy needed to sustain those speeds left me crumpled in a heap beside him back in the safety of the boat.

  “That was incredible,” I breathed.

  “There’s nothing like it,” he said, reorganizing his grip on the lines and the tiller. “Thank you.”

  “Thank me?”

  “You reminded me of all the things I love, the things I’d forgotten about. So yes, thank you. I needed this more than you know.”

  My own thoughts mirrored his. We both needed this... each other.

  “Where to now, Captain?”

  He pointed, and I leaned out to see past the bow. A rocky island jutted up out of the sea and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t even noticed it. I’d been too busy staring at Liam and the way his muscles swelled while he’d worked the sails and the tiller.

  “What is that place?”

  “Capri. We’re spending the day there.”

  “The island of Capri? Like the one I’ve wanted to see my whole life?”

  “I have a good memory,” he said with a smile.

  With mouth gaping, I turned back to see the approaching island and the colorful buildings stacked in layers amongst the rocks. My eyes darted back and forth between Liam and the island and I couldn’t decide which was more beautiful. In the end, my eyes chose Liam.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Liam

  It was hard to navigate between the super-yachts and sailboats surrounding Capri when the excitement on Ellie’s face continued drawing my eyes. That and the smear of sunscreen she’d missed rubbing in that streaked under her eye like a football player.

  “As much as I’m enjoying the way it looks, I know you’ll kill me if I don’t tell you before we see other people.”

  “Tell me what?” Her face fell and mine tightened while I struggled against the smile.

  “You missed a spot.” I pointed toward my own cheek then gestured to hers.

  “What?” She reached up and touched her cheek, examining fingers now tipped with the white cream. “Seriously, Liam! It’s been fifteen minutes since I put it on!” She scolded me, fighting her own smile, while vigorously rubbing it in.

  “I thought maybe it was an American trend.”

  “You did not!” Her laughter erupted, and she checked her fingers once again to be certain she got it all.

  I shrugged. “Well, I thought it looked adorable. Just be glad I told you and didn’t leave you tromping around Capri with a glob of goo on your face. Louie will be glad to hear you used protection though.”

  Her cheeks flushed red, and I smirked. Covering her face, she giggled into her hands. It wasn’t the first time I had referenced her embarrassing encounter this morning, and because I loved seeing her laugh, it wouldn’t be the last.

  “Never living this down,” she sighed.

  “Nope.” Our eyes met, and we exchanged a smile.

  I saw the cove I was searching for and guided the boat toward it, heading toward the other boats filled with tourists all huddled together.

  “Where are we?” she asked, her face scrunched from frustration.

  “It’s a surprise. Do you remember how to lower the sails?”

  “I think so.”

  “Go ahead,” I said, and she hopped up, going to work. After turning into the wind, I started the motor and waited until the last sail was down and she finished securing it.

  “Did I do it right?” She examined her work. “I haven’t done it since we were eighteen.”

  “You have an excellent memory, Ellie. It’s perfect. Now, do you remember how to snag a mooring ball?”

  “I’m assuming we’re about to find out?” She raised her brows, and I nodded.

  “There’s a hook right by you.” I pointed toward it. “Two lines.”

  “Got it,” she said, taking ahold of the pole and climbing onto the bow while I guided us to the mooring bobbing outside the cove. Seeing her standing on the bow with her hair blowing in the breeze chased away my concentration. I’d seen her do this half-a-dozen
times that summer, and once again she transported me back to the happiest days of my life. Well, until now. I couldn’t remember being happier than I’d been since she popped back into my life. The joy seemed even sweeter the second time around because I understood what I’d lost and the magnitude of being gifted a second chance

  “Got it!” she shouted, and I killed the engine. She secured it to the cleat, using the knot I’d taught her before repeating the process on the other side. I couldn’t help but swell with pride she’d learned so much and retained it all these years later.

  “I kicked ass!” Turning to me, she raised a triumphant fist in the air.

  “That’s my girl!” I called back.

  After she made her way back, I slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her in for a kiss. I loved that I could do that, and it was no longer just something I dreamed about.

  “So, where are we?” she asked between peppered kisses while she swayed in my arms.

  “You’ll see,” I said with a grin. After reluctantly releasing her, I turned and waved to the congregation of small wooden row boats clustered together. A man spotted me and started rowing in our direction.

  “Grab your bag; we’re going for a ride.” Her curious eyes watched me retrieve the backpack I’d dropped off on the boat earlier in the morning. She grabbed her own bag, and we moved to the edge of the boat where the man finished closing the distance.

  “Ciao!” he called up.

  I called back in Italian, knowing he would speak English, but wanting to keep my surprise intact as long as possible. When we finished sorting out details, I turned back to Ellie and offered her my hand.

  “Ready?”

  “I’m not sure for what, but I’m ready.”

  Her small fingers closed around my hand and I supported her while she hopped down to the little boat below. After handing her our bags, I climbed down myself and settled onto the little wooden bench seat beside her. I pulled out my euros and handed the agreed amount to our guide.

  Twisting her fingers into mine, I held her hand while he pushed the oars into the water and moved us toward the cove with the rocks towering above us. When we reached the group of other similar tiny boats, he moved us through them with ease until I saw the little dark opening in the side of the rock wall.