by Carolyn Rae
Being with him was exciting, but a little scary. How did she measure up compared to Ashley and Chenille? He hadn’t been here very long, but he seemed to be making the rounds of the single women here. Did she really want to be involved with a man who flitted from woman to woman like a butterfly among flowers?
He took hold of her hand, squeezed it, and gave her a big smile. Damn it, she was attracted to him like a moth to a flame. She was only here for the summer. Why not enjoy his company? She could bask in his heat and run away when summer was over. She hadn’t asked how long he’d planned to be here. If he managed a jewelry store, even if it was part of a family business, he wouldn’t be likely to stay more than a few weeks.
She squeezed his hand and smiled back. For today, he was hers to enjoy, and she wanted to take him all in.
“How were your morning classes?” he asked.
“They mixed colors and painted. I was teaching a nearly blind girl to knit. I enjoyed helping her, but her mother was late picking her up. That’s why I wasn’t ready on time.”
“No problem.” He smiled. “You’re worth waiting for.”
That made her feel good. She smiled.
Later, after they were settled on a blanket on the beach, he helped her smooth on sunscreen. While she rubbed some on him, she enjoyed touching his smooth, well-muscled back and arms. He quizzed her for an hour. “You seem to have this well in hand. I have a better idea for the rest of the afternoon. Help me gather up everything and walk with me to my car.”
Later, as she sat beside him in his rental car, he drove toward the end of the main street and stopped near the shore where several boats were tethered to a dock. “Wait here.” He headed into a store. A sail boat, several motor boats, and a Sea-do floated on the water.
He returned with two life-jackets and held out one. “Put this on. We’re going sailing.”
He was being bossy again, but sailing sounded like fun. “Sure you know how to steer one?”
“My father has a big one, and I’ve sailed it a few times.”
As she stepped off the pier onto the rocking hull, Lisa hoped he knew what he was doing. “It’s kind of small.”
“Yeah, but these are really fun to sail.”
Balancing on the gently rocking hull, she drew in the salty scent of the sea as a breeze rippled her green cover-up.
Justin untied the boat and pushed away from the pier with an oar. After the boat floated farther from the dock, he dropped the rudder and the centerboard, then raised the sail. As the wind filled the canvas, the boat picked up speed.
Lisa was surprised at how fast it cleaved through the water, now dotted with little wavelets. Standing on the front of the boat, she clutched the mast as the boat leaned thirty degrees.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “We won’t capsize.” After a couple of deep breaths, she relaxed. As they got further into the Gulf, the craft moved even faster with its sail stretched to the maximum. Waves rocked the boat, splashing her. The force of the wind against the sail tipped the boat alarmingly. Lisa gripped the mast for dear life.
“This is called heeling. We’re doing it too much. Move to port.”
“What?”
“Quick. Go sit on the left side and lean out, or we’ll go over. Watch the boom.” Justin commanded.
Lisa was only too glad to do so, but in her haste, she tripped over the centerboard, making her feel awkward and embarrassed.
“Do you need some help?”
“No.” She unwrapped the lines she’d gotten tangled in. “I can do this.” She sat on the opposite hull from the sail and let her feet hang down inside the boat. However, her weight wasn’t enough to level the boat.
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” she asked, her heart in her throat. “Will we tip over?”
“Don’t worry. All I have to do is turn the boat into the wind, and its force on the sail will lesson.” He adjusted the tiller. “See. The sail is slack, and the boat is more horizontal.”
Justin turned the craft again, and it moved faster, tipping again. She leaned out to move the boat closer to a horizontal position.
“That’s right. You’re getting the hang of it.” He pointed. “Look. Dolphins. They always follow the boats.”
She reached out toward the water as a porpoise breached the water, hitting her hand. “Did you see that? I touched a dolphin.”
“Hey. That’s really neat.”
The wind picked up, and the boat shot through the waves. “Look out,” Justin said, “the boom is going to swing around.”
Seeing it move toward her, Lisa grabbed hold of it and ducked under just in time as the boat started leaning the opposite way. She sat on the opposite hull, and leaned out to balance the boat. The sail picked up so much wind, the boat both leaned and rocked, making her a bit uneasy.
Two hundred yards out, Justin smiled. "Let's see what this baby can do." He pulled the rope controlling the sail and now with the wind coming directly across the width of the boat, the boat really picked up its pace. “Positioning the canvas with the wind coming directly across the boat like this gives us the most speed.”
The boat accelerated as it leaned to one side. Struggling to get a handhold, Lisa panicked. She leaned way out, but the boat kept tipping.
Justin worked the tiller and held onto the sail rope. "Watch out. We’re tipping too much. We might capsize.”
Lisa splashed into the water with a shriek as the boat rolled over.
Holding her breath, she pulled with both arms, trying to reach the top of the water. When she finally surfaced, she gulped in a deep breath and brushed hair out of her eyes.
He yelled from a several feet away, "Lisa, Lisa, are you okay?" Now he sounded panicked.
"I'm all right.” Except she’d rather be still on the boat and dry. “Did you get hurt?”
“No. I’m okay.”
He swam over to where she was and touched her shoulder. “Are you sure you’re all right?” I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you because of me.” He met her gaze, looking very anxious.
“Yes, don’t worry. I’m fine. So what do we do now?"
"We right the boat."
"What?"
"We turn the boat upright."
A cabin cruiser pulled up, "Y'all need some help."
Justin let out a soft groan, "Great. Spectators." He looked over his shoulder. "I think we've got this."
"Wait?” Lisa said. “Shouldn't we get a ride in?"
He shook his head then turned back to the cruiser. "Can you wait around until we get back underway? Just in case….”
She didn’t like hearing his “just in case.” Would they have to swim to shore?
"Sure," the captain of the cruiser said.
"Come on. Let's get her upright." Justin swam to the other side of the boat. "Come over here and put some weight on the dagger board."
"This isn't going to work,” she insisted. “We should let them take us in."
Justin frowned. “We can’t just leave the boat out here.” He grabbed the dagger board and lifted himself out of the water. "It's easier than you think. Now grab the side of the boat and pull." Lisa reached up and tugged. The boat slowly rolled towards them. As it settled in the water Justin climbed in. Huffing and puffing, she let him pull her aboard. Never was she so thankful to be back on the boat, even though she was dripping wet and probably looked a mess.
She smiled. "That actually worked." If he asked her out again after seeing her like this, she’d know he was really interested in her.
"I've done it a few times."
A horn sounded from the cruiser. Lisa and Justin looked up at the skipper and waved. Justin’s gaze roved over the two bikini clad beauties standing beside the captain as they all smiled and waved back.
Just like a man—well, she wouldn’t comment.
Justin pushed the boom toward the way the wind was blowing.
"What are you doing?"
"Getting underway. Can't sail into the wind."
"Aren’t we going in?"
Justin pulled the sail in close. "No. I thought we'd do some more sailing."
As the boat accelerated it heeled way over. Lisa stared as she leaned back, trying not to panic. "But I'm soaked and cold. Uhhhh."
Justin eased the sail, leveling the boat. "Come sit beside me, and let me warm you up. Then if you still want to go back, we will.”
She squeezed beside him as he put his arm around her shoulders. His muscular arm made her feel safe once more. She loved the warmth and being so close to him.
“There. Is that better?"
"Much better. I guess it’s okay to sail a little longer, but all that leaning way to one side makes me nervous. The boat’s level now. Can we keep it like this?”
"That’s not good."
"What?"
"Letting the sail luff like that. Father trained me to keep her trimmed tight, not luffing. I love heeling the boat with the sail on a beam reach, going as fast as the wind will carry us, but just for you, I’ll try to keep it from tipping so much.”
The sail flapped. "Watch your head. I'm going to tack." He pulled the material tight and eased the tiller. The sail flapped and the boom swung toward her. Lisa barely ducked in time. As it came about, the sail shoved the boom across the boat and out over the water. “Being out where the waves might get big is making me nervous. Do you think we should turn back now?”
He shook his head. “The waves mostly get big when they crash onto the shore. You don’t need to worry.”
“Maybe not, but I don’t want to go swimming out here. It’s deep and too far from shore.”
“Okay, I’ll head back. We can tack back and forth along the shore line.”
Justin zig-zagged the boat, getting closer to shore with each pass. His deft handling of the tiller, convinced her he knew what he was doing. When they were about forty feet from shore, a big gust of wind filled the sail. He grinned. “Sit on the hull, and let’s ride this one in.”
As she sat on the hull, gripping the edge near the middle of the boat, with the sail at maximum capacity, the craft moved even faster. Lisa leaned way back to counteract the tilt of the boat. Then it tipped too far. Lisa gasped. “We’re going to roll over again. Can’t you do something?”
“I’ll let go of the tiller, and let the boat right itself.” He did, then climbed up on the hull. A big gust of wind tipped the boat even more.
Slowly, the sail lowered to the water, stopping their forward progress. Lisa and Justin now sat on the edge of the hull, perched high in the air.
“Damn,” Justin said, glancing at the shore. “We have an audience. Bet they're laughing at us. Don’t they realize this could happen to anybody.”
“Now we’ll have to swim back to shore.” She grabbed the edge of the hull to slide into the water, but the deck was wet and slippery. With a shriek, she slid off the hull into the water.
Chapter Five
Expecting to have to swim, Lisa stuck her feet down. Touching sand, she relaxed. “I can touch bottom. Let’s see if we can turn the boat right side up.”
“This will be easier than last time,” Justin said and glanced toward shore. “Damn. Look at all the gawkers now. I should have been more careful with the sail and not tried to squeeze every bit of speed from it. I’m so sorry you got dumped in the water twice. I didn’t mean to mess up.”
He moved to the front of the boat, grabbed the hull and tugged.
Two husky men waded through the water toward them. The men helped Justin right the boat. Lisa reached inside and pulled out their soggy tote bags. “Guess we’ll have to spread everything out to dry.”
As the two men helped him pull the boat to shore, Justin looked glum. “I thought for sure I could handle this boat.”
One of the men said, “Probably not your fault. That was a mighty gust of wind that blew in all of a sudden.” They tugged the sailboat the rest of the way to the dock, and Justin secured it.
He walked into the boat rental store. Lisa followed, carrying their dripping tote bags.
After Justin explained what happened, he asked if they’d have to pay a fine.
The clerk shook his head. “We’ll just hose it down.
* * * *
Justin opened the door for Lisa in front of her cottage, looking forward to a hot shower at the bungalow where he was staying. Better yet, he’d like to share one here with her. However, Lisa only invited him to come in for hot chocolate. He wasn’t about to refuse. Besides, maybe he could get another look around, although he hoped she wasn’t the thief.
She tossed him a roomy sweatshirt she had. “I’ll bet you’re chilly. Try this on while I get into something warmer.” She headed into the bedroom and closed the door.
It was a tight fit, but he was glad for the warmth. Instead of sitting on the couch, Justin hurried into the kitchen, opening drawers and checking inside sugar and flour canisters. He was glad they actually held sugar and flour. Back in the living room, Justin slid open the drawers on the two end tables and lifted up papers inside. No safety deposit box key. Hearing the door open, he shut it and sat on the couch.
Lisa came out from her bedroom, looking great in tight-fitting brown jeans and a sweater. He glanced at the picture she had on an end table. He picked it up. “You don’t have many photos here. Is this you with a sister and your parents?”
She nodded. “Since I’m only going to be here for the summer, that’s all I brought with me.”
He studied the picture. “I can see the family resemblance. You’re the prettiest of the bunch.”
That made her smile. “Thanks,” she said.
Trying to sound nonchalant, he said, “You know I managed a jewelry store. Would you like me to look over your jewels and tell you which are real and which are costume jewelry?”
Lisa shook her head. “That’s not necessary. I don’t have much that’s expensive. Most of what I brought with me is fashion jewelry. I can’t see spending money on expensive earrings or rings that might get lost. If I lose anything, I can buy something else.”
He’d have to try another approach. He rose and wandered around the living room. “I bet you have good taste, whether it’s fine jewelry or the costume version. Do you have any diamond pieces you’d like me to appraise? I’d be interested in seeing what you have.”
She stared at him. “If you saw the small collection in my jewelry box, you’d probably decide it’s boring. Excuse me, I need to turn on the Keurig to heat the water.” She walked into the kitchen.
He hadn’t wanted to scare her off, but he needed to get a better look at what she had. He’d rather do it sooner, so he could cross her off the list. He stepped to the kitchen door and faced her. “I want to get an idea what to buy my mother for her birthday. Maybe what you have will give me an idea.”
“I don’t know her, so I wouldn’t be a good person to ask.” She pulled out two mugs from the cupboards and some hot chocolate capsules. She set a cup under the spout, and pushed the button. Minutes later, she added a few drops of vanilla and stirred again. “Here, take this.”
He enjoyed the soft touch of her fingers as she handed him a mug. After cradling it in his hands, he finally felt warm.
He finished his hot chocolate and set the mug down. “I’d like to see what you have in your jewelry box. May I step into your bedroom to look inside it?”
She frowned. “You sure are persistent. Do you check out every date’s jewelry?”
“Not really, but seeing what someone wears for decoration tells me something about a person. Men wear jewelry too. My step-brother wears a heavy gold chain with an amber pendant. He also has a diamond pinky ring.”
Lisa looked at Justin’s hands. “Let me see what you wear.”
Justin held out his right hand with the wide silver band. “I designed this myself.” A gold frame enclosed a square ring of sapphires surrounding a smaller gold circle with four sparkling diamonds arranged in a square.
She sat beside him and took hold of his han
d, her fingers imparting a spark of awareness as she bent close to study it. “Wow. That looks elegant. There’s nothing in my jewel case to compare with that.”
“Well, being in the business, I was able to buy the stones wholesale.”
He sat there waiting. Would she bring out her box?
Finally, he said, “If you let me see your jewel case, I’ll take you to dinner.”
She laughed. “Well, that’s a new twist. I’ll take you up on that.” She headed for the bedroom.
When she brought it out, he saw she’d been right. She didn’t have much in the way of expensive jewelry. A tiny turquoise ring set in silver, a small ruby ring, some gold chains, a rhinestone bracelet, and some cloisonné earrings lay inside. He picked up a ring with a large yellow diamond flanked by two smaller white ones. This hadn’t been on the list of missing items. It looked old fashioned, not the kind of ring someone would steal.
“That’s my grandmother’s ring. I liked it so much, I had my fiancé get me one like it.”
Had she been lying about her status all this time? He stared at her. “But I thought you were single.”
“I am. I caught my fiancé cheating with my best friend, only she isn’t my best friend anymore. When I gave the ring back, Bill apologized and said he still wanted to marry me, but there was no way I would after what he’d done. Then my grandmother gave me her ring. She knew I’d admired it, so she gave it to me before she died two months ago. I’m glad to have it to remember her by.”
Justin could see moisture welling up in her eyes.” That must have been hard, being betrayed and then losing your grandmother.”
“It was. I miss her, but this ring has sentimental value. I won’t ever sell it. What do you think it’s worth?”
As old as her ring looked, it was probably an authentic diamond. However, if it wasn’t a real diamond, he didn’t want to make her disappointed. “It really sparkles in the light, but I’d need my loupe to judge its value. White diamonds are judged by their clarity, that is whether or not they have a flaw, by their cut, which affects their brilliance, and how white they are. Yellow ones are evaluated the same way, except of course, not for their whiteness.”
