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“Wear something warm and bring a sweater and a jacket,” he called to me.
“Come in and tell me what’ll be best.”
He searched my closet and pulled out a light sweater and then a heavier one to layer on top. Then he looked through my coats and pulled a jacket off the rack and said, “Let’s go.”
We headed to his car when I remembered that I promised Lisbeth I’d check in on her. “Oh wait. I promised I’d check on Lisbeth today. Part of my job. Do you mind?”
“Not a bit.”
“Come on, then. She’d love to see you,” I said with a grin.
We entered through her back door. I had a key, so we let ourselves in.
“Lisbeth. Are you here?”
I walked through and found her in her favorite sitting area, reading the paper. She was thrilled to see Pearce, especially since he flirted shamelessly with her. We didn’t stay too long, and I promised to check on her the next day. “Call me if you need anything,” I told her as we left.
We got in his car and Pearce made a couple of stops, one at the grocery store and another at a local wine shop. Then he drove to the City Marina and parked.
As we walked along the dock, everyone recognized Pearce. I had a fairly good idea of where we were headed, but when I saw the final destination, I nearly wet my pants.
“Um, you could’ve given me a little warning, Pearce.”
“Why?”
“Well, this is huge.” I gestured to the giant yacht that sat there.
“Don’t worry, I have someone captaining today. We can sit back and enjoy the ride.”
“Pearce, I’m not worried. I’m intimidated.”
He immediately stopped what he was doing and set all the stuff he was carrying on the dock. Turning to me he took me into his arms and said, “Don’t ever be intimidated by any of this. It’s nothing but stuff. Materialistic, replaceable stuff. You, on the other hand, are priceless. If anyone should be intimidated, it’s me.” Then he hugged me and held me in his arms for a moment. That familiar warmth in my heart returned.
Suddenly we heard a voice from above saying, “Dr. Middleton, do you need a hand?”
“Hey, Jack! No, thanks, I’ve got this. We’ll be up in a second.” Then Pearce looked at me and said, “Ready?”
I nodded and he helped me board the “TSCSC.”
“I have to ask. What’s TSCSC?”
“Promise not to laugh?”
“I promise.”
“When I got this thing, I couldn’t figure out what to name it. I suck at picking out creative names, which is why I used the initials for trauma surgeon, Charleston, SC. I know, it’s pretty lame.”
I couldn’t help it. I bit my lips trying to hold the laughter in, but it didn’t work. I ended up spurting it out of my mouth.
“You too, huh? I’ve gotten more grief from everyone I know about that. I’ll make a deal with you. If you can come up with anything better, have at it. I’m tired of getting hell from everyone.”
We walked aboard and I gasped at the sight before me. The boat wasn’t like anything I’d imagined. You could live on this thing. It was huge and beautiful. Soft colors, comfortable furnishings, modern kitchen appliances. There were two staterooms, but the master bedroom was amazing. It was large with its own en suite.
Pearce put all the food away and Jack readied the boat for departure. I sat on the upper deck and watched. We headed out into the Charleston Harbor and made our way past the jetties. The weather was beautiful, warm with clear blue skies with a gentle breeze making the seas very calm.
We finally passed the C2 buoy, which was the final marker of the passage into Charleston. We were in open water, and I stood out on the deck next to Pearce with his arm circling my waist. The feeling of freedom as the boat skimmed across the sea was extraordinary. Sea birds soared in the air above, and in the distance, every now and then, you could see fish jump.
“Are you hungry?”
