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He glanced at Laura and felt so very grateful for her. She made him a better person. For the last year, he hadn’t been able to imagine a future, and now he could actually imagine living past tomorrow, past the race, past sailing off into the sunset. He could actually imagine a future life. It was just too bad Laura didn’t want to share that future with him.
As he watched her look out to the horizon, he realized he wanted her in his life. That when he thought of future, he thought of her. It was that simple. Why didn’t she want that as well?
Mark managed to take his place between Tanner and Ciao Bella with St. Claire on the other side. His boat, on the leeward side of Ciao Bella meant he had the right of way, but the boat with the black-and-blue spinnaker didn’t move to the start, effectively blocking Timothy’s right of way.
“Head up! Head up!” Garret shouted at the crew, though they didn’t hear him over the wind. “We have the right to head-to-wind!”
Mark frowned. He knew Ciao Bella played dirty, and it was already starting with cutting in at the starting line. Tim and Gretchen had noticed, too.
Laura glanced back from her post, worry wrinkling her forehead. “They’re going to regret that,” Mark said.
As the boats jockeyed to get into the best positions on the line possible, the race committee sounded the gun, announcing the start. Mark, Garrett, Tim, Gretchen and Laura jumped into action as they trimmed the sails and caught the wind, taking off from the start ahead of Ciao Bella.
But St. Claire, a boat made up of an all-woman crew, matched them nearly gust for gust as the boats took the lead, with Ciao Bella and Tanner close behind.
They continued to sail close-hauled, the fastest point of sail, keeping their eyes on the windward mark in the distance. The wind showed no signs of letting up as the Timothy cut through the water, sending up cool sea spray into Mark’s face. This was where he was born to be, he thought.
Yet as they caught sight of the first mark rounding, the Tanner gained on them as Dave expertly steered their boat up wind. His crew, including Edward, worked furiously on the lines to keep the sail full.
“Dammit,” Mark cursed, as the Tanner pulled ahead, as did the St. Claire and the Jetstream. The Ciao Bella slashed windward at a sharp angle to try to beat Tanner to the inside position on the turn, but that put the Ciao Bella right in their path.
“Helms a lee!” he cried to Garrett and Laura, who worked furiously to trim the sail as Mark tacked the boat. Now the Timothy might end up wrecked, too. They caught the wind and lurched hard, sending Laura somehow off her feet. For a heart-stopping second, he couldn’t see where she went. Please, God, he sent up a prayer, let it not be overboard.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
LAURA FELT HERSELF free-falling. All she knew was that one second, it looked like they might hit the Ciao Bella, and the next, she’d lost her grip as the boat lurched. In a harried moment, she didn’t know where she’d land, the deck or the sea.
Then suddenly, she hit the wood floorboards, skidding on her side and belly toward the bow. She curled up, instinctively trying to protect herself as she fought against physics and clung to the boat. The baby, was her first thought as she curled inward, everything in her wanting to protect her midsection.
Please, don’t let this hurt the baby.
Then she slid into the bow, her head knocking into the interior, making her see stars and stunning her for a second.
“Laura!” she heard someone shout. Mark?
Her head rang but she shook off her dizziness. It was all she could do to hold on and not let go.
Then came another thought. Do not fall overboard. In the middle of a sea of racing sailboats that won’t be able to stop. She remembered the story Mark had told her about the sailor who’d fallen overboard and gotten knocked unconscious by the other boats nearby.
Hang on, she willed herself as she clutched to the small metal loop on the bow. Then slowly, as the boat settled down, moving less at an angle, she managed to right herself, letting out a long slow breath of relief.
“Laura!” Mark was suddenly at her side, lifting her up. But who was steering? In a panic, she glanced at the boat’s wheel and saw Garret there, a determined look on his face.
Her ears still rang a bit as she glanced at Mark.
“Are you all right?” he asked, his face twisted in concern.
“I am. I’m fine.” She rubbed the back of her head where she could feel a goose egg rising. “At least I don’t see two of you.”
“Want to stop?”
“No.” She stood up. Her knees felt slightly wobbly, even as she fought against the boat’s deck, but she still didn’t want to stop. She wouldn’t be the reason Mark quit the race. “I’m okay. Really.”
