“And I’m right, too,” he said as he pulled his truck into the dock’s parking lot. Angling into an empty slot, he cut the motor and flicked off the lights. Even at the predawn hour, the sky looked darker than usual. The wind gusted, driving its force against the truck as thick clouds scudded past. Fair-weather clouds, he told himself. Though he wouldn’t be surprised if a storm was headed their way.
The thought left Samuel with an unexpected quiver of foreboding, an omen of dread. His frown deepened. He’d had enough bad luck in his lifetime; he didn’t need more. Especially not now.
Too much was at stake, too much depended upon him.
Along with her virginity, Jessie had given him an even more precious gift—her complete and unwavering faith. Never before had anyone shown such confidence in him.
Whether he deserved it or not, she trusted him.
He could not fail her.
With the weight of responsibility resting uneasily upon his shoulders, he turned to Jessie and said, “Until we know who and what we’re up against, there’s no way I’m letting you out of my sight.”
“Fine,” she said with a stubborn tilt to her chin. “Then, unless you plan to miss work indefinitely, I don’t see that we have any other alternative. I’m spending the day with you on the Marianna.”
Taking the determined look for what it was, Samuel heaved a sigh. “All right, then. Let’s go. Time’s awasting. It’ll be dawn soon enough.”
He popped open the truck door and stepped outside. The morning air felt cool against his skin. Jessie’s door slammed shut; crushed seashell crunched beneath her feet as she joined him. He glanced at her and felt a hot flush of awareness warm the chill from his blood.
Before leaving Gull’s Cottage, he’d told her to dress in something old, something she wouldn’t mind getting dirty. The bright lemon-yellow tank top and the curve-hugging blue jean cutoffs weren’t exactly what he’d had in mind. With Jessie onboard, he would have enough trouble keeping his thoughts on his work. Wearing that eye-catching getup, he’d be lucky if she didn’t distract him so much that he’d run the Marianna onto a sand bar. Samuel gritted his teeth in frustration.
Bracing himself against temptation, he led her toward the dock. With each step he took, his doubts grew. He had no idea how his crew would react to having a woman onboard. They were fishermen. They lived simple lives, nothing fancy, with little show. He doubted if they had ever come across a woman as refined or as genteel as Jessie. It was anyone’s guess how they would treat her.
Despite the early hour, the dock was brimming with activity. Other fishermen were readying their boats, checking their lines and testing their engines. With Samuel at her side, no one dared to remark at Jessie’s presence. But many a man stopped what they were doing to ogle the newcomer.
A burr of irritation settled in Samuel’s chest at the unwelcome attention. Refusing to attribute his reaction to jealousy, he still placed a possessive hand at the small of her back and urged her forward. The sooner he got Jessie aboard the Marianna, the better he’d feel.
With one booted foot hooked on the top rail of the boat, Jacob leaned forward and watched as they approached. “Samuel,” he said with a welcoming nod. He cast a curious glance at Jessie.
“Jacob,” Samuel said curtly.
“I see we’ve got a guest this morning,” Jacob noted, keeping his tone neutral.
Samuel narrowed his gaze as he steadied the ladder for Jessie to climb aboard. “Is there a problem with that?”
“No, sir. No problem at all,” Jacob said with an amused chuckle. Thoughtfully he stroked his salt-and-pepper beard. “It’ll make for an interesting day, that’s all.”
“Well, I’m glad you won’t be bored,” Samuel growled as he pulled himself onto the boat.
Jessie watched the exchange with quiet interest, but she didn’t comment.
He stepped onto the deck. Turning to Jessie, he said, “Jessie, I’d like you to meet Jacob Winters. Jacob, Jessie Pierce.”
Surprised recognition flitted across the older man’s face at the mention of her name. A slight frown creased his brow as he studied Jessie a bit closer. Thankfully Jacob had the good manners not to question her unexpected presence or her connection to Samuel’s ill-fated past. “It’s good to meet you, Miss Pierce.”
“Jessie, please,” she said, extending her hand in greeting.
With a smitten smile, Jacob accepted the gesture, holding her hand a tad too long.
Annoyed, Samuel cleared his throat. “Is Billy here?”
Reluctantly Jacob dropped Jessie’s hand and returned his attention to Samuel. “He’s down in the hold, checking on the ice.”
“Good. Then, it’s time we got started. Let’s shove off.” He moved toward the pilothouse. Pausing, he looked at Jessie. “Would you like to join me? Or would you rather stay out here on the deck?”
She hesitated, glancing self-consciously from him to Jacob. “I’ll join you.”
Samuel studied her for a long moment, sensing her awkwardness. Then, with a nod, he turned abruptly to hide his disappointment. His jaw tightened against a rising tide of unexpected emotion. She could try to charm his crew as much as she wanted, but the truth was undeniable: Jessie wasn’t going to fit in. She was as different from him and his world as night was from day. He’d been fooling himself if he thought that just because they’d found magic in their lovemaking, they would find compatibility outside of the bedroom.
Taking his seat at the wheel in the pilothouse, he gunned the motor. He carefully steered the boat away from the glow of the shore and toward the darkness of the open sea. Running lights lined the edges of the boat, marking their way as the Marianna sliced through the black water. Jessie stood next to him, watching in silence. Goose bumps of awareness stroked his skin at her proximity. Samuel shivered, feeling her presence as intimately as though he were still holding her in his arms.
Gripping the wheel tightly, he stared at the endless stretch of sea before him. In taking Jessie with him on this outing, he’d taken on more than he’d expected. While having her beside him meant he would have peace of mind—after all, this was the only way in which he could guarantee she would be safe from harm—it also meant he’d be constantly reminded of the night they’d just spent together. Of their bodies moving in perfect harmony as he made sweet love to her. Of the flushed, breathless look on her face when she’d reached the point of release. Of the purely carnal pleasure that he’d found in her innocent body.
In fact, he still wanted her. Now more than ever. If it weren’t for the presence of Jacob and Billy, he’d be tempted to shun his duties. Given the chance, he’d drop anchor, take her in his arms and make slow, tender love to her right now, here on the deck. But desire aside, that didn’t change the depth of the differences that loomed between them. If he’d had any doubts before, he was certain now. This alliance of theirs was only temporary. Once they’d found the key that unlocked the secret to their pasts, they would both have to admit the truth: they had little, if anything, in common. No matter what his heart might be telling him, common sense assured him they did not belong together.
Samuel’s heart thumped painfully in his chest. Stubbornly he set his jaw against the dull ache. Jessie was wrong: everything would not be all right. It would never be all right again.
Other than to call out orders to his crew, Samuel had not said a word to her since they’d gotten under way. The farther out they rode, the deeper the silence grew between them. Jessie knew something was wrong; she’d sensed a difference in Samuel’s mood the moment they’d stepped aboard the Marianna. She hadn’t a clue what it might be. Or how to fix it.
“Looking good,” Jacob called out, interrupting her thoughts. He lifted a thumb in approval after retrieving a small, funnel-shaped net from the sea. She saw that at least ten or twelve good-size shrimp lay caught in the net’s mesh.
“It’s about time,” Samuel growled. He slowed the boat, and Jacob tossed a buoy out onto the ocean, marking the spot. Sh
ifting gears, Samuel began to steer the boat in a circle around the buoy.
“What’s happening?” Jessie asked, raising her voice above a rumbling noise that suddenly shook the deck beneath her feet.
“Jacob’s operating the winches,” Samuel called out. “He’s lowering the booms and dropping the nets.”
“Do you think…” She stopped and shook her head. “No, never mind.” She bit her lip as she looked anxiously out the window of the pilothouse.
“Would you like to go out on deck and watch?”
Shrugging, she said, “I don’t want to be in the way.”
“Don’t worry. Jacob will tell you if you are.” His curt tone told her he didn’t care whether she went or stayed. His brusqueness made her feel as though her presence was nothing more than an inconvenience.
“All right, then. I’ll go,” she announced. Straightening her shoulders, she turned to leave. She told herself grumpily, anything had to be better than sitting inside the pilothouse, listening to the brooding silence.
“Wait, I almost forgot,” Samuel said, stopping her. He snapped open the doors of a storage bin and pulled out a pair of rubber boots. Handing them to her, he explained, “You’ll be needing these.”
She held the black boots at arm’s length, glancing at them skeptically. They looked too large and clumsy, hardly her size. If she wore these, she’d be swimming inside them. “I suppose you don’t have anything smaller?”
“Nope,” Samuel said, his expression giving nothing away.
And yet there was something reflected in his eyes, a hint of challenge. Jessie’s gaze narrowed. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear Samuel was testing her. It felt as though he was going out of his way to make her first time out shrimping as difficult an experience as possible. It was as though he wanted her to fail. Hurt and confusion churned inside her. What was happening to them? Why was it the closer they became, the harder he seemed to push her away?
Biting back the urge to demand an answer, she stepped into the boots, leaving her tennis shoes on, and stomped out of the pilothouse. The boots made a loud slapping noise against the wooden deck. Her feet wobbled inside the cavernous interior. With Samuel’s watchful gaze upon her, she felt as graceful as an elephant plodding through a flower patch.
Jacob glanced up at her as she approached the stern. He smiled. “Come to help?”
“Just tell me what to do,” she said, lifting her chin, daring him to refuse her offer.
“Well, until we fill our nets, there’s not much to do.” He pointed to two large iron beams jutting out on both sides of the boat. She had noticed the tall beams earlier, when they’d hovered in the air above them. Now they were lowered until they lay almost horizontal to the ocean. “Those are the outriggers. The trawling nets are attached to them. Once they’re filled, we’ll lift them on board.”
“How long does it usually take to fill the nets?” she asked, fascinated by the new experience.
“Depends on how good the catch’ll be,” he said, reaching out to check the tautness of the lines. “Some mornings they fill up right away. Others, we have to wait a while. I don’t think it’ll be long today.”
Jessie nodded, glancing out at the lightening sky. The wind ruffled her hair. The fishy, salty scent of the sea clung to the air. The ocean was quiet, the nearest boat a mere dot on the horizon. She’d never felt such peace, such solitude. She envied Samuel and his crew, savoring such an experience every day.
“Have you been a shrimper long?” she asked, filling the gap of silence.
“Nearly all my life. I started as a boy, not much older than our Billy over there,” he said, thumbing her attention to the tall, skinny teenager sitting with his backside against the side of the boat, a sleepy look on his face. “In my younger days, I worked with a lot of crews, but I never stayed long with any of them.”
“Why was that?”
With a wink and a grin, he tipped his head back, mocking a drinking motion. “Liked the spirits too much.”
“Oh!” Her cheeks warmed. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have—”
“Don’t you worry none,” he said, chuckling. “That’s all behind me now. Thanks to Samuel and his family.”
“Samuel?” she asked, frowning in confusion.
“Aye, it was Samuel’s daddy who first took me under his wing. And none too soon. It was past time for me to give up the bottle. I worked with his daddy until—” He stopped abruptly. Jacob glanced at her uncertainly, his thick brows knitting into a frown. “Well, until his brother, Samuel’s uncle, took over the business. Once he was gone, Samuel stepped in. Samuel and I, we’ve been working together ever since. Nigh on twelve years.”
“You must know Samuel well,” she murmured, her curiosity getting the better of her.
“Well as anyone, I suppose.” He hesitated. Silence fell between them. Jessie shifted beneath the weight of his measuring gaze. It seemed as though he was considering how much to say, whether he would be over-stepping the boundaries of Samuel’s privacy. Finally he said, “Samuel hasn’t had an easy life. But I suppose you already know that.” She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
“His parents’ deaths hit him hard. It took a long time for him to get over it.”
“I don’t think he’s gotten over it,” she said quietly, meeting his gaze, defying him to argue.
Jacob studied her for a long moment, then nodded. “Aye, I suppose you’re right. Some things a man never forgets.”
“Not without help,” she said with a fierceness that surprised even herself.
“Maybe, maybe not,” he said thoughtfully. With a meaningful glance he added, “Once a person’s allowed bitterness into their life, it’s hard to make room for anything else.”
A fist of apprehension tightened around Jessie’s heart at Jacob’s warning. Jacob had been with Samuel since he was just a child. He knew him better than anyone. If he had his doubts as to Samuel’s ability to forgive and forget the past, then surely he couldn’t be wrong.
Perhaps it was time for her to admit the truth. She was hanging her hopes on a pipe dream.
There never would be a future for her and Samuel together.
“The nets are full up,” Jacob shouted, jolting her back to the present. “Let’s haul ’em in.”
Samuel cut the engine and the Marianna slowed to a stop. Once again the deck vibrated beneath her feet as Jacob worked the winches. The outriggers hoisted the bulging, dripping nets from the sea and lowered their loads to the deck near the stern. The overpowering smell of fresh fish filled the air. Water streamed from the nets, dousing everything and everyone in its path. Jessie wiped the drops from her face and raked her fingers through her damp hair.
When the catch was released, hundreds of translucent shrimp fell to the deck, slipping and sliding about her feet. Jessie said a silent prayer of thanks for the ugly, oversize boots she’d been forced to wear. The winches whined, as Jacob lowered the nets once again into the ocean. Samuel restarted the engines, easing the Marianna through the waters in an ever-widening circle.
Jacob handed her a long-handled shovel. “Time to throw out the trash.”
“Trash?”
“We only want the shrimp,” he explained, digging his shovel into the slippery mass. “Everything else has to go.”
Jessie watched as Jacob and young Billy leveled the mound of shrimp and began scooping up fish and debris she hadn’t noticed before. A conch here, a yellow-fish there, any number of sea creatures that had gotten themselves caught up in the shrimp nets. Carefully she jabbed at the pile. Until something long and black slithered out across her boot. With a yelp of surprise, she jumped back.
Jacob and Billy hooted with laughter.
Jessie’s face burned with embarrassment.
“It’s just a snakefish,” Jacob told her, as he scooped up the squirming creature and heaved it overboard. Winking, he said, “There now, it can’t hurt you none.”
Self-consciously she glanced toward the pilothouse,
and her heart fell when she saw Samuel’s unsmiling expression. He didn’t bother to hide his true feelings. She knew her skittishness had disappointed him.
Self-righteous anger surged inside her. What did he expect from her? She wasn’t a shrimper. She was an artist. She had no experience in this sort of work.
Setting her chin in a stubborn line, she turned away and forced her attention back to the mound of squirming shrimp. There was more at stake here than saving her reputation, she realized. Samuel was looking for an excuse to push her farther away, even if that meant placing impossible expectations upon her shoulders.
After everything they’d been through these past few days, she couldn’t allow him to do this to her, to them.
If she wanted a place in his life, then she would have to fight for it.
Samuel watched from the pilothouse as Jacob washed down the shrimp with water. Once finished, he thumped a metal bucket down in front of Jessie, up-ending another for her to sit on. Then, with a patience that Samuel remembered from his own youth, he listened as Jacob instructed her on how to head a shrimp.
“Hold it in one hand. Like this,” he said, as he picked up a shrimp. “Then with your thumb and fore-finger, snap the head off.”
Hesitantly Jessie followed his lead. She picked up a shrimp and cautiously removed its head. Glancing up at Jacob, a pleased smile lit her face. With the early rays of the morning sun glimmering through her dark hair, she looked so beautiful, so innocent she stole Samuel’s breath away.
“That’s it,” Jacob said, his grin encouraging. “You’re doing fine.”
Squaring her shoulders, she reached for another shrimp. The work was slow and tedious. Jacob and Billy headed at least six shrimp to her every one, but she never stopped. Knowing that her neck must be aching, her fingers sore and her muscles strained to their limits, Samuel couldn’t help but feel a glint of admiration.
Confusion roiled inside him as he steered the boat in its slow circle. After he’d seen her shriek in fear at the sight of a snakefish, he’d thought his assumption had been proven correct. Jessie was a proverbial fish out of water, hopelessly lost when it came to the ways of the sea, as unsuited to the hard life of a shrimper as his own mother had been.
Safe in His Arms Page 15
