Page 17 of Always My Love

ChapterSix

Feeling the salty wind in his face had Nick laughing and feeling more lighthearted than he’d felt in months. The wind had a bite to it, but the sun’s rays warmed his skin.

The contradiction of heat and cold made him feel alive, which is how he always felt when he went out on the sailboat.

They watched the beautiful coast of Oregon pass by them slowly as the motor on the sailboat pushed them through the cold choppy waters.

The coastline had changed over the years. There were new homes scattered along the rolling hillsides that surrounded the small town, which only added charm and character to the area.

They passed the lighthouse that marked the outskirts of the town. He had visited it more times than he could count.

After the first few minutes on the water, both dogs settled at Harper’s feet on his parents’ dog bed, which they kept on board for their dogs.

As the dogs relaxed more, so did Harper. The first few minutes after they’d left the docks, she’d been frozen with fear. But then he’d started talking to her about all the trips he’d taken on the sailboat. He told her what the name of his parents’ sailboat meant.

“The Queen Anne was the cruise ship they went on together after my dad returned from the army. Nick, the guy I’m named after, had purchased two tickets to surprise my mother with. But he didn’t make it home. My dad returned home with a box of things from Nick and gave it to my mother. The tickets were inside with a note in case Nick died. Nick had planned on proposing to my mother on the cruise. Instead, my parents went on it together. As friends,” he added, and he could see Harper relax even more. “The story goes that when they got to the Bahamas, they went scuba diving. My father was a diver for the army and pretty much an expert. My dad and a kid by the name of Ronny Hammond got pulled out to sea. It took a couple days to find them.”

“How horrible,” Harper said.

“My father claims it was nothing, but by the time some illegal fishermen hauled them in and dropped them off back on the island, he and Ronny had made national news. Ronny still visits my family every now and then with his own wife and kids. I had a crush on his daughter Faith for a few years in high school,” he admitted with a chuckle.

“Oh?” Harper smiled.

“She’s married now with a kid of her own.” He shrugged. “Still, if not for that trip, my parents claim they wouldn’t have gotten together.”

“I guess everything worked out for the best,” she said.

“Would you like to steer?” he asked, motioning to the wheel.

She frowned and shook her head quickly. “I… no, I don’t know how to.”

“It’s not hard. Like driving. You turn the wheel the direction you want to go. It’s not like there’s anything out here to hit,” he said with a smile.

She glanced around and then scooted towards him. He helped her stand up and then held onto her hips while she gripped the wheel.

“See, you’re a natural,” he said as she took control.

“You’re teasing me,” she said over her shoulder.

“Never,” he whispered next to her ear.

Her soft scent mixed with the salty air was intoxicating. His hands balled on her hips as he tried to focus on anything other than how wonderfully soft she felt next to him.

That kiss she’d given him the night before had rocked him more than any other had in the past. Not only had it been unexpected, but it had also been stronger than he’d imagined it would be. Sure, he’d been thinking about kissing her. What it would be like. How she would taste. But he could tell by her reaction whenever she’d seen him in his uniform that there was no way she was ready for him to make his move.

Her making the first move had been the sweetest thing that could have happened.

Leaning in, he asked, “So, what makes you hesitate to make another move on me?”

She jerked in his arms, then relaxed, and chuckled. “Make a move? Seriously?”

“Isn’t that what the kiss last night was?” He smiled down at her.

She shrugged. “It was just a kiss.”

“No, Harper, it wasn’t.” He turned her slightly until she was facing him, trapped in the circle of his arms as he held onto the wheel. “Maybe it started out as just a kiss, but it certainly didn’t end up like that.”

He waited as her eyes ran over his. Then he felt her entire body relax again. “Yeah,” she admitted. “I told you, I can’t—”