“Well, that seems to have come to a satisfactory conclusion,” Maggie said, practically. “Um … so to speak.” She grinned again at Helena. Taking it pretty well, considering, she thought. “Why do I get the feeling that you never had to deal with this kind of thing when Naomi was around?”
Helena took a sip of her champagne and turned to lean back against the Beowulf’s rail, shoulder to shoulder with Maggie. She shook her head.
“The more distance we all have from that woman, the more I can see that Cadie was really kept in her shell by that relationship,” she said. “I like the way Jo brings out Cadie’s…” She paused, looking for the right words.
“Sexier side?” Maggie prompted, mischievously.
“That too,” Helena agreed, smiling.
“Whatever happened to the senator?”
Helena sighed. It really had been rather sad in the end. However much she had come to dislike Naomi, she had been rather fond of her once.
“Well, it turns out the nervous breakdown was the best thing that could have happened to her,” she said. “The way she was behaving, from what I can gather, she probably was heading for censure, which would have been the end of any political career for her. As it was she just resigned from the Senate on medical grounds.”
“What’s she doing now?” Maggie asked.
“Not much of anything, I think,” Helena replied. “Hard to believe she’s not planning something, though.”
“Ah well. From what Jo was telling me, it’s not likely she’ll ever bother Cadie again.”
Helena smiled, thinking of the spent shell that was safely locked in her husband’s safety deposit box back in Madison.
“No, I don’t think we’ll be hearing from her,” she said quietly. “Those daughters of ours are pretty smart.”
“They certainly make a good team,” Maggie agreed. “They’ve both come a long way.”
Helena looked quizzically at her companion. There’s definitely more to the Jo Madison story than I know about yet, she decided. “One day will you tell me just how far?” she asked quietly.
Maggie looked at her with a coolly assessing gaze, before she nodded slightly. “One day,” she promised.
“Oh my,” Jo breathed as she sagged down, resting her weight, as gently as she could, on Cadie. “You are something else, you know that, right?”
Cadie’s breath came in ragged gasps. “I … I didn’t do anything.” She wrapped her arms around Jo, pulling her close until the dark head was tucked securely under her chin. Their hearts tripped along rapidly, strongly enough that she could feel them both pounding as Jo and Cadie lay, chest to chest.
“You did plenty,” Jo replied between kisses against Cadie’s collarbone.
It was completely dark now, but for the half-moon which was climbing its way above the horizon and the myriad of bright stars sprinkled across the wide, black sky. Cadie felt more alive than she could ever remember. The sounds of the party drifted across the water and she sighed deeply.
“I wish we could stay out here all night,” she sighed.
Jo chuckled. “Honey, this party was our idea, remember?” she said softly. “We like these people.”
Cadie laughed. “I know. I just love being out here with you.” She felt the warm breeze against her sweat-dampened skin and trailed her fingers down Jo’s naked back. “I especially love being out here naked with you.” Jo grinned against her neck, tickling slightly.
“You love being naked with me wherever we are.”
Hard to argue with that. “True.”
Jo licked up a drop of sweat from between Cadie’s breasts with the tip of her tongue. “I suppose we do have to get back to the party,” she murmured.
How does she do that, Cadie wondered, appreciating the ripple of tingles Jo’s tiniest touch produced. “I suppose we must,” she replied.
Jo’s mouth traveled further south, following an imaginary trail down the center of Cadie’s belly. “I mean, we are the hosts, after all.”
Cadie groaned and shifted her position slightly, giving Jo more room to do… whatever it is she’s going… to… do… ohhhhhh… “Mhmm.”
Jo kissed the inside of Cadie’s thigh, her lips trailing across the tanned, soft skin. “Not that another half an hour or so would matter, I guess,” she whispered.
“N... no… ohhhhhhhhhh…”
“Let’s swim back,” Jo whispered, 29 minutes later.
Cadie chuckled. “Swim? Honey I can barely lift my head off the bottom of the boat, let alone swim. You’ve worn me out.” She grinned up at her lover, whose eyes glittered like the stars she was now silhouetted against.
“Well, okay,” Jo said casually. “But as soon as everyone sees me dragging us back in, they’re gonna know what we’ve been up to.”
“What’s the matter? Can’t handle a little teasing from a boatload of people who would love to catch us in the act?”
Jo snorted. “Okay, okay, you got me.” She nibbled Cadie’s chin delicately. “Swim back with me?” she persisted. “It’ll cool us off and maybe we can sneak back onboard, take ‘em all by surprise. It might be fun.”
Cadie patted Jo’s upper arm affectionately. “Okay, love.” She pushed herself up into a sitting position, surprised to see how far away from the yachts they had drifted. One look over the side of the dinghy and she had second thoughts.
“Um, Jo?”
“Yeeeeeeeeeessss?” came the low rumble from the bottom of the boat.
“The water’s pitch black. I’m not sure I’ve got the nerve to swim back.”
Jo sat up.
“You know this water, Cades,” she said calmly. “We’ve swum here a thousand times. It’s only about 30 feet deep, clear and safe. No bities, other than the hermit crabs running along the bottom. And they’re not gonna come out tonight, even at the sight of your loveliness swimming above them.” She grinned.
Cadie bit her lip uncertainly. “It’s just … I don’t like not being able to see what’s coming at me.”
“Tell you what. You hold on to the rope with one hand and my hand with the other and we’ll be back on the Seawolf before you know it.” She took Cadie’s smaller hand in her own and squeezed reassuringly.
Cadie hesitated a second longer but then nodded. “Okay.”
Jo grinned and slipped over the side of the dinghy, almost silently. Cadie took a deep breath and followed her, surprised to feel how warm the water still was.
“Come on,” Jo whispered, pulling her around to the tethering rope. Once she could feel its roughness against her palm, Cadie felt better and was able to think rather than panic about the dark water around her. She felt Jo’s arm snake around her waist, her partner’s solid frame, warm and safe against her.
“See, it’s not so scary,” Jo burred, close to Cadie’s ear. “Take a look down below, it might surprise you.”
Cadie looked at her and Jo nodded, urging her to give it a try. “Okay, what the hell.” She sucked in a breath and ducked her head under the water. They hadn’t brought any masks with them, so when she opened her eyes she had to blink several times against the stinging saltwater. All around her phosphorescence shimmered and danced, catching the moving edges of silver fish, the tethering rope and coral outcrops.
Cadie popped up, gasping for air, a grin from ear to ear.
“It’s beautiful,” she exclaimed. “Why haven’t we done this before?”
Jo laughed, a low, sexy growl that Cadie adored. “We just never got around to it before. Come on, let’s follow the rope.”
Together they made their way hand-over-hand along the line, back to three boatloads of their friends and families.
“How much longer do you think you can stay out there, Jo Madison?” Maggie muttered.
“Out where, Mum?” Maggie jumped six inches in the air and clutched a hand to her heart.
“Damn you, girl, you scared me out of 10 years’ growth,” she yelped, spinning around and facing Jo. Two pairs of blue eyes glared at each other,
Jo’s holding a touch of innocent inquiry that was irritating in the extreme to her mother. “Oh, don’t give me that look. I know exactly what you’ve been up to,” Maggie said with mock severity, planting her hands on her hips.
“Why, Mother, whatever do you mean?” Jo said archly, raising an eyebrow as she handed her parental unit a fresh glass of champagne. “I’ve been down below, helping Jenny with the food and drinks."
“Riiiiiight,” said Maggie. “And taking a shower and changing clothes as well.” She pointed at Jo’s wet hair and freshly pressed shorts and polo shirt.
“S’been a long day. I felt like putting something clean on,” Jo shrugged. The women eyed each other for a few more seconds then both burst out laughing.
“You are so busted,” Maggie said, wiping away a tear.
“I am so happy,” Jo murmured, surprising even herself with the comment.
“Oh, Josie.” Her mother stepped forward and took her daughter’s face in her hands. “I can see that you are,” she said, tears welling up in her eyes again. “And I am so happy for you, darling.”
Jo rested her hands on her mother’s forearms, and grinned through her own tears. “Thanks,” she husked. A familiar warm presence made itself known just behind her and Jo felt, rather than heard, Cadie’s approach.
“Hello, you two,” the American said softly. Maggie removed her left hand from Jo’s cheek long enough to place it against the side of Cadie’s face instead.
“Hello, sweetheart,” Maggie said, smiling tearily at the woman she’d come to think of as her other daughter. She patted both warm cheeks one last time and moved back a little.
“I… um… thought we might get this show on the road,” Cadie said, looking from Jo to her mother and back again. I missed something here, but I don’t think it was a bad thing, she decided.
Jo cleared her throat and looked up at Cadie through lowered eyelashes. “Good idea,” she agreed. “Want to do the honors?”
“Your boats, skipper. Your show.”
Jo shook her head and wrapped an arm around Cadie’s shoulders. “Nope. Our show,” she said, planting a kiss on the blonde’s temple. “Come on.”
Together they climbed up onto the roof of the Seawolf’s cockpit. Jo bent down and banged on the fiberglass with the flat of her hand, trying to attract the attention of whoever was below decks.
“Hey! Turn it down, will ya?” she shouted. Almost immediately the pounding rhythms of the rock music ceased. It also had the effect of drawing the attention of everyone spread across the decks of the three yachts. All faces turned towards Jo and Cadie. Jo straightened up and looked at all her friends.
Paul and Jenny were here, of course. They were still living with Jo and Cadie, the two couples finding that they enjoyed each other’s company. Paul had gained his master’s ticket, so now he was skipper of the Lobo. The four of them were often at sea at different times, an ideal way not to get sick of the sight of each other.
The Palmieri clan was also here. Rosa and Roberto had their hands full keeping track of the, now, not so little Sophie, who was growing into a quite gorgeous young lady. Even Tony had managed to find time off from his duty’s on Hayman Island to come party.
All of the Cheswick employees were onboard, of course, including the newest members of the team, who would be Paul’s crew on board the Lobo. Doris was sitting in the stern of the Seawolf, and she raised her glass to Jo, even as her boss waited for the conversations to still around her.
Jo searched the happy crowd for one face in particular, and finally found it. Ken Harding, dressed in an outrageously loud Hawaiian-style shirt and, of all things, purple board shorts, stood, beer in hand, with her father and the Joneses. Jo grinned at the big cop, delighted that he had been able to get the time off, and had made the trip north for the weekend’s celebrations.
Cadie tucked herself up under Jo’s arm and watched her lover’s face avidly. There was such happiness there, and the sight of it made Cadie feel wonderful. Look at her, she thought. Surrounded by everyone she loves. And letting them love her. I’m so proud of her. Cadie stood on tiptoes and kissed her Jo’s cheek softly. It caught the taller woman by surprise and Jo looked at her enquiringly.
“Just felt like doing that,” Cadie answered the unasked question.
“Cut it out, you two,” came a raucous voice from somewhere on the Beowulf. “You’ve already been at it all afternoon!”
Laughter rippled around the yachts and Cadie buried her blushing face against Jo’s shoulder.
“Wouldn’t you, if you had the chance?” Jo quipped, regaining control of the situation.
“Too right!” That from several voices.
Jo laughed. “All right, all right. Settle down, you lot. We’ve got some announcements to make.”
“Well, hurry up, can’t you? It’s a pretty dry argument down this end.” That voice floated up from the bow of the Lobo. More laughter.
“Hang on,” piped up Jen. “I can solve that problem.” The brunette ducked down below but quickly reappeared hefting a carton of what Jo guessed was ice-cold beer. “Here you go.” The carton was soon being passed overhead to the poor, parched souls who had gone almost an hour without a fresh drink.
“Is everybody happy now?” Jo called out wryly.
“Thanks mate,” came the reply.
“Right then. Finally.” Jo felt Cadie shaking with laughter and she took another moment to look down at the blonde, whose sparkling green eyes were gorgeous to behold. Everyone’s going to know just exactly how you feel about her in a few minutes, Jo-Jo, she thought. As if they can’t already tell. Cadie looked up at her and Jo kissed her softly on the lips, just for good measure. I’m so damn proud she chose me.
“Okay,” Jo murmured, taking one last look into those sea-green eyes and getting all the confirmation she needed before she turned back to the crowd. “Welcome to the annual Cheswick Marine Australia Day Party Weekend.” She grinned as the cheers answered her. “We do this every year, as you know, but this year, we’ve got a few bonus celebrations for you.”
“Great, another excuse for a party,” yelled one reveler.
“Exactly right,” Jo replied. “I want to welcome all the new crew members. As you can see, the Lobo’s had a new coat of paint and she’ll be ferrying her first boatload of tourists around next week. That’s one extra reason to celebrate.” Applause.
“The second reason to celebrate is a little more personal to Cadie and me.” Jo looked at the blonde and reached out a hand, which Cadie took. “As of 11am yesterday, when the mail arrived, Cadie is now a permanent resident of Australia.” No matter how hard they tried neither woman could keep the grins off their faces as a resounding cheer went up from the assembled masses. Somewhere, someone started a chorus of Waltzing Matilda, and soon everyone was singing along.
“Welcome to the country, Cades!” Paul yelled once the song was done, raising his half-empty stubby of beer in her direction.
“Thanks, mate,” Cadie replied, trying on her best Aussie accent for the first time in public. Jo winced.
“Ah, let’s work on that one later, shall we sweetheart?” she said, softening the sting with a 1000-watt grin.
“Ooooo, personal tutoring,” Cadie replied cheekily, eliciting another roar of approval from the crowd.
“While we’re on the subject, I want to introduce you all to someone.” Jo pointed in Harding’s direction. “The big fella over there in the incredibly ugly shirt.” She waited until Ken waved a reluctant hand at all the partygoers. “That’s Ken. He’s the one who pulled a few strings so we could get all the paperwork done in just eight months. Thanks, mate.”
Harding lifted his beer and acknowledged the cheers around him.
“One more announcement, folks, and then you can get back to some serious partying,” Jo called out. Her stomach did a double back-flip and she caught her mother’s eye for a moment, receiving a nod of encouragement. Cadie squeezed her hand gently. “You all have until 3pm tomorrow to sober
up,” she said, grinning at the puzzled looks on the faces of her friends. “Because at 3pm tomorrow, Cadie and I are going to get married.”
Jo smoothed her hands across her belly and thighs, settling the cool white linen pants into some sort of order. She looked at herself in the cabin’s mirror and frowned critically. Tucked into the pants was a white tank top. A linen Asian-style jacket lay across the bed, waiting for her to put it on. Jo’s long, black hair was loose and she pulled it back with one hand, debating whether or not to put it into a ponytail.
“What do you think, Mephy?” she asked of the big black cat, who was curled contentedly on a corner of the bed, his tail flicking from side to side.
“Leave it down. It looks beautiful.”
Jo turned to see Helena Jones leaning on the doorjamb. Cadie’s mother was looking elegant as always, in neatly pressed khaki shorts and polo shirt. Jo smiled and let her hair down.
“Hello,” she said.
“Can I come in?” Helena asked.
“Of course.”
Helena crossed the floor of the cabin and sat down on the bed as she watched Jo continue to get ready. Jo picked up the jacket and slipped it on, pulling her hair up and out so it spilled across the white material.
“See what I mean? Gorgeous.”
Jo smiled shyly at Helena’s reflection, and felt the blush color her skin. She turned as she fiddled with the buttons on the jacket. “Should I leave this open or do it up?” she asked.
“Oh, open, definitely.” Helena stood up and walked over the Jo. She reached up and adjusted the collar of the jacket, which had caught and folded over when Jo pulled it on. “There you go.”
Jo waited patiently as Helena continued to fuss with her clothes. She has something she wants to say, she reasoned. I hope it’s not ‘keep your hands off my daughter’. Nah.
Helena looked up into patient, blue eyes that held more than a touch of tolerant laughter in their twinkle. She laughed at herself and patted Jo’s shoulder before backing off a little.
“What am I fussing about?” she said wryly. “You look great and you don’t need me to tell you so.”
No Ocean Deep Page 42
