by Cindy Bell
“I just need to enter your details in the computer,” Suzie said as she walked towards the computer.
“Sure,” he said as she typed in the information that he rattled off.
“Okay, let me show you a room,” Suzie said as she walked towards one of the available rooms.
“You can stay here, Trent, there are extra blankets and pillows in the closet. You're welcome to have breakfast with us in the morning,” Suzie smiled.
“No thanks, I keep to myself,” Trent said. Then he nodded at Paul and stepped into the room. Suzie was a little surprised when he closed the door behind him. Paul grimaced and walked back with her towards the living room.
“He's not the friendliest soul,” he said with a shake of his head. “To be honest I'm taking a chance on him, because he hasn't been a deckhand long. But I need some help on this next run, and he's available, so off we go.”
“Are you sure about him?” Suzie asked hesitantly. “He just seems a little off.”
“Most men who spend their time on a boat are,” Paul laughed. “You've just become used to it with me.”
“You may be right about that,” she grinned. “Well, he's welcome to stay.”
“Thanks,” Paul nodded as Suzie walked over to the front desk.
“So, this is a big job?” she asked with a slight frown.
“Yes, but it's a quick one,” he shrugged. “At least it will be with an extra set of hands. I wanted to try to be free for the weekend,” he added. “In case you let me whisk you away.”
“Paul, that sounds great,” Suzie said. “But I do have some guests coming in over the weekend. You know that tends to be our busiest time.”
“I know, so I can be here to help if you need it, or just to rub your feet,” he suggested.
“Oh a foot rub does sound nice,” Suzie giggled. “But you're the one who will be working hard. Just promise me that you'll be safe.”
“I always am,” he replied.
“Promise?” Suzie insisted as she looked into his eyes.
“Promise,” he replied before offering her a light kiss. “I have to run some errands for the trip.”
“Have fun,” Suzie grinned.
“You already did the runners didn't you?” Mary asked from the top of the stairs with a huff.
“Beat you to it!” Suzie declared. “I just have to pull them in.”
“Not if I get to them first,” Mary said as she hurried down the stairs. The rest of the day was an all-out race to see who would get the cleaning and preparation tasks done first. Suzie never noticed Trent coming or going from his room. She assumed he might be sleeping in preparation for his journey, but she still couldn't shake the way she felt. At dinner when she knocked on his door to see if he wanted to join them, all she received was a gruff 'No'.
Suzie was glad to be able to do a favor for Paul, but something about Trent just left her uneasy.
“Make sure that you lock your door tonight,” she murmured to Mary as they walked down the hall to go to bed.
“I always do,” Mary said. “Why? Is there something you're uncomfortable about?”
“I just don't know if I trust Trent,” Suzie replied hesitantly. “It just seems like there is something off about him.”
“I understand,” Mary nodded. “You have to trust your instincts, Suzie.”
“Thanks, Mary,” she smiled. “At least he will only be around for a few days.”
“Yes and most of that he will be on the boat with Paul,” Mary reminded her. “But if you feel uncomfortable about anything, please tell me?” she smiled warmly at her friend.
“Yes, I will,” Suzie replied and gave Mary a hug goodnight. As Suzie stepped into her room she glanced around at its contents. She loved decorating so her room had the most flare of all the rooms in Dune House. She changed her style often. The latest motif was black and white with French Quarter influences. It exuded a sense of romance and mystery, which was exactly how she felt about her relationship with Paul at the moment. She knew that he wanted more, but she was dragging her feet.
For so long her life had solely been about her. She had watched Mary engage herself to one man, dedicate her life to one man, and witnessed the hurt that her friend experienced when that man only returned her love with hurt. Of course there had been the rare occasion that Suzie felt some envy of the married life. But it was a fleeting feeling, and was easily swept away by tearful conversations with Mary. She never wanted anything to dampen her freedom, or hold back her creativity.
But that's not how she felt with Paul. If anything she felt freer than she ever had. He inspired her creativity so much that she had painted her feelings for him all over her walls. As she sprawled out across her bed, she thought of him for the thousandth time. She closed her eyes and remembered their latest excursion on the beach, and how lovely it had been to share that special memory with only him.
Chapter Three
The next morning Suzie woke up to the aroma of French toast and coffee. She smiled to herself. They didn't often have guests during the week so Mary was outdoing herself to persuade Trent to have a hot breakfast. Suzie doubted that he would even get up for breakfast as he had mentioned the day before that he didn’t want it. She didn't want Mary to be disappointed, plus the food smelled delicious.
Suzie dressed quickly. She caught a glimpse of her brassy blond hair in the mirror and cringed. She had been so busy with Dune House and Paul that she hadn't kept up with dying it. It needed a few touch ups. She ran her fingers across the faint discoloration under her bright blue eyes. Mary insisted that no one else could see it, but Suzie was feeling more and more self-conscious about it. With a sigh she headed out into the hallway and down the stairs to join Mary for breakfast.
As she stepped out into the dining room area, she spotted Trent sitting at the table. But there was also someone else sitting beside him. Paul in his usual dark blue top and faded jeans. He always looked so relaxed in his work clothes. Suzie studied him for a few minutes while he didn't know that she was there. She loved the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled, lightening the brooding gray color. She adored the subtle twitch of his upper lip when he was trying to hold back a laugh. He was telling Trent a story about one of his fishing trips.
“So, I tried to reel this huge sucker in,” he explained. “But it was fighting me tooth and nail. It kept flipping and twirling in the water. By the time I got him out, he was wound up tight like a spool of thread. I was so excited that I had won the battle, I didn't even pay attention to what I was doing. I just cut the fishing line. Next thing I know it unraveled and that fish plopped right back in the water and swam away.”
“Huh,” Trent narrowed his eyes. “Shouldn't have cut the line until he was in the bin.”
“I know that,” Paul said impatiently. “That's the point of the story. The battle isn't won until it's won.”
“Right,” Trent cleared his throat and stabbed his fork into a portion of his French toast.
“I think it's a lovely story,” Suzie said as she stepped up behind Paul.
“Suzie,” he smiled warmly and stood up from his chair to greet her. Suzie hesitated just a little. Trent was their guest, and she was officially on duty. But she couldn't resist the soft kiss that Paul offered.
“I hope you don't mind,” Paul said quickly. “Mary extended the invite, since we're launching right after breakfast today.”
“Oh, I'm sure she doesn't mind,” Mary called teasingly from the kitchen.
“I don't mind at all,” Suzie replied happily. “Will you two be gone long?” she asked.
“Just two days,” Paul replied. “Going to get Trent's feet wet,” he grinned.
Trent seemed oblivious to Paul's remarks. Suzie tried to keep a smile on her face. She had no idea how Paul was going to tolerate being stuck on a boat with Trent for two days. She could barely stand him for more than a few minutes. This was quite odd for her, because she usually could handle any personality thrown at her. In her line of work as
a reporter she had to be able to communicate with all kinds of people. She didn't always like everyone she met, but she could deal with them. However, Trent was a different story.
“More French toast?” Mary offered as she stepped into the dining room.
“No, coffee,” Trent replied without looking up. Suzie noticed Paul's jaw clench. He wasn't always the most amiable person, but he had strict, old fashioned standards about how women should be treated.
“I'd love some, Mary, thank you,” Paul said with a smile, though his eyes were still locked on Trent.
“Wonderful,” Mary said and slid two more slices of French toast onto his plate.
“I'll get the coffee,” Suzie said with an edge in her voice. “Would you like some as well, Paul?” she asked.
“Yes please, I could use a fresh cup,” Paul replied smoothly. “Thank you very much.”
Suzie followed Mary back into the kitchen.
“How did you not toss that plate of French toast into Trent's lap?” she asked while she walked over to the coffee pot.
“Now, Suzie, we have to make customer service a top priority,” Mary laughed.
“Seriously though, how do you have so much patience?” Suzie demanded. “I need to borrow some!”
“Well, the toddler years, and the teenage years,” Mary laughed. “My kids taught me a lot about how to tolerate some very bad attitudes.”
“You are my attitude guru,” Suzie said and bowed playfully before pouring four cups of coffee. She placed the coffee on a silver tray along with some cream, sugar, and stirrers.
“Patience can be learned in a lot of ways,” Mary reminded her. “I wish I had as much confidence and determination as you do. That's something no one has ever taught me.”
“There's still plenty of time,” Suzie replied warmly as she walked out into the dining area carefully carrying the tray. As she was about to set it down on the table, her foot caught on one of the chair legs. The tray tilted as her balance wavered. She managed to keep the coffee cups on the tray, but the cold container of cream slipped right off the lip of the tray and onto Trent's lap.
“Ah!” Trent screamed as he jumped up from his chair. “What's wrong with you?” he demanded as he glared at her. “You clumsy cow, you could have burned me with that coffee. What kind of place is this?” he demanded.
Before he could say another word, Paul had him pinned against the wall with one hand wrapped loosely around his throat. Trent was clawing at Paul's wrist, but Paul didn't even seem to notice Trent's nails digging deep into his skin.
“Don't you ever speak to her that way,” he growled.
Suzie was so flustered by her mistake that she couldn't even comprehend what was happening between Paul and Trent. In the same moment Suzie’s cousin, Jason, and one of his fellow police officers stepped into the dining room.
“Hey, what's happening here?” Jason demanded sharply as he glared at the two men. “Paul, let go of him, now.”
Trent was struggling to get free. Mary ran in from the kitchen to see what all of the commotion was about.
“Suzie, what's happened?” she asked swiftly.
“I'm so sorry,” Suzie said quickly. “It's all my fault, I slipped and the tray…”
“No,” Paul barked. He had ignored Jason's command. Both Jason and his partner were getting more demanding as they commanded Paul to let go of Trent. “This boy needs to learn some manners. She made a mistake, Trent, it happens. It doesn't give you the right to speak in such a vile way. Do you have something to say?” he asked as if he was correcting a young child.
“Sorry,” Trent croaked out, his eyes wide.
“Paul, enough!” Jason demanded as he stepped closer to the pair. “Let go of him now or I'll have you in handcuffs.”
Suzie's heart was racing. What had started out as a lovely morning had quickly become something terrible.
“It's okay, Paul, please, let him go,” she murmured, flushed with embarrassment.
Paul reluctantly let go of Trent.
“I'm sorry,” Trent muttered again. “It just surprised me.”
“I understand,” Suzie replied, though she didn't completely. She had seen a look of hatred in Trent's eyes that made her very nervous.
“I don't,” Paul warned. “You better rein in that attitude or you can forget about the job I offered you,” he warned.
“Here, let me clean it up,” Trent offered and took the towel from Mary's hand. He began mopping up the cream that was spilled on the floor. His entire demeanor appeared to have changed. But Suzie could still see the anger in his sharp gestures.
“See, everything is settled,” Paul said brusquely as he looked over at Jason.
“Unless he decides to press charges for assault,” Jason pointed out with clear annoyance. “Paul, I could arrest you for ignoring my instructions.”
Paul locked eyes with Jason. He didn't have to say a word, his expression said it for him.
“Aw Jason, everything seems settled now,” his partner said mildly.
“Are you okay, Suzie?” Jason asked as he turned to her. “Mary?” he asked.
“I'm fine,” Suzie replied, still a little shaken. Mary nodded and picked up the container of cream.
“I just wanted to stop by and say hello, introduce you to my new partner,” Jason explained calmly, though his eyes kept drifting back towards Paul with a hint of animosity. “This is Kirk Rondella.”
Kirk tipped his hat slightly. He looked about ten years Jason's senior. His hair was shaved close to his scalp. His stance reminded Suzie of some of the military men she had done interviews with.
“Nice to meet you, Kirk,” Suzie said and managed a smile. “Welcome to Dune House. I'm sorry for the chaos,” she frowned. “Just one of those crazy mornings.”
“Seems that way,” Jason said, his voice still edgy.
“Trent is my new deckhand,” Paul explained courteously.
Jason only nodded slightly. It was clear that he was still rankled by Paul's behavior.
“Let me get us all some fresh cream, and Jason, Kirk would you like some coffee?” Suzie offered.
“There's plenty of French toast,” Mary suggested warmly.
Jason glanced over at Kirk, who was grinning from ear to ear.
“We have a few minutes before patrol starts,” Jason agreed. “Thank you.”
Suzie and Mary slipped back into the kitchen while the four men settled around the table.
“What was that about?” Mary demanded as soon as they were alone in the kitchen.
“I spilled the cream in Trent's lap,” Suzie admitted, still mortified. “He said some rude things to me, and Paul jumped into action. It was a little over the top, don't you think?” she asked hesitantly.
“Paul was just coming to your defense,” Mary pointed out. “You were right about Trent's attitude. Maybe some time alone on the boat with Paul will teach him some proper manners.”
“Maybe,” Suzie frowned as she poured two more cups of coffee. “But I hope that it doesn't end up with one of them tossed overboard.”
“At least you know it won't be Paul,” Mary smiled confidently as she prepared a plate filled with slices of French toast.
“I still think it was a little over the top,” Suzie shook her head.
“Suzie,” Mary said as she picked up the plate. “You have to admit, it must have felt wonderful to have a man come to your defense that way.”
“Maybe just a little,” Suzie replied as she tried to hide her smile.
“Paul is still nervous,” Mary added. “So, he went a little overboard, it didn't seem like Trent minded.”
“I know, but I can fight my own battles,” Suzie pointed out. She carried the two cups of coffee instead of placing them on a tray. Mary picked up the fresh cream.
“Yes, of course you can,” Mary agreed with a soft sigh. “But it is nice when you don't always have to fight them on your own.”
Suzie smiled sympathetically. She knew that Mary had often had to
battle through things on her own.
“Maybe I'm being a little too sensitive,” she agreed. But she still felt very unsettled. Trent's presence had her on edge, but Paul's behavior had made her even more confused. As they walked back into the dining room they were greeted by uproarious laughter from the group of men. It seemed as if the disturbance from a few moments before had been forgotten. Suzie and Mary sat down at the table with the others, and joined into the conversation.
“It isn't easy being a rookie,” Jason said, red-faced. “How was I supposed to know that he was a mime?”
“The not talking didn't give you a hint?” Kirk joked lightly.
“It seemed like non-compliance to me,” Jason chuckled.
Suzie smiled at her young cousin. She knew he tried hard to be the best police officer he could be.
“Did you restrain him in an invisible box?” she asked, drawing more laughter from the group.
“Let's just say that he had a little difficulty once the handcuffs were on,” Jason laughed.
“Well, luckily for me I have a seasoned officer to protect me from those pitfalls,” Kirk volunteered with a grin.
“It's always good to have someone experienced to learn from,” Paul agreed and cast a short glance in Trent's direction.
“True,” Trent offered, though he was busy preparing his coffee. He still seemed detached from the rest of the conversation.
Jason and Kirk polished off their coffee and breakfast quickly.
“Time to be on the lookout for those dangerous mimes,” Kirk quipped as he stood up from his chair.
“Ha ha,” Jason retorted with a grin.
“It was a pleasure to meet you, Kirk,” Suzie said. “I'm sure we'll be seeing plenty more of you.”
“I hope so,” Kirk said. “That French toast was delicious. Thank you, both.”
“Anytime,” Mary smiled.
As Jason and Kirk left, Paul locked eyes with Suzie. “Do you have a moment before we set sail?” he asked.
“Of course,” Suzie nodded.
“I'll just take these to the kitchen,” Mary said as she began clearing the plates. Amazingly Trent stood up and began gathering the coffee cups. Once the two had disappeared into the kitchen, Paul walked over to Suzie's chair.
