Veritas (9 page)

“Nah. They’re fun to explore, but they’re also dark, and I don’t think it’d be good for the boys. We’ll head over to the Indians instead.” She hitched a thumb at the archipelago they had passed ten minutes earlier. “It’s easier snorkeling, and there are lots of coral and fish to look at.”

Lauren turned to look at the cluster of rocks jutting out of the water. “Are there even any mooring balls out there?”

“There are, but we’ll have to hit it early to grab one because they fill up fast. I’m thinking I’ll get us over there at first light, and then we can do a quick breakfast before they hit the water.”

“Okay.” Lauren looked back at the bay they were motoring across, her eyes sliding over the low hills that spilled down onto the water. A feeling of giddy excitement filled her as snippets of the story she had not read in years flashed across her mind. She was at Treasure Island. “I’m just gonna go get my phone real fast to take a picture…”

Grey smiled and nodded. “Go for it.” She shook her head as she watched Lauren scamper down the stairs, and chuckled softly as she turned her attention back to the water in front of her.

After Lauren had returned to the bridge and taken a good dozen pictures of the bay and the island, she turned with a smile to Grey as she slipped her phone into the back pocket of her shorts. “So what’s the plan for tonight?”

“Eh…probably the usual. More water-time for the Muellers, one of the boys will end up crying, and then we’ll have dinner and just hang out until they all go to bed. Is there anything you’d like to do?”

Lauren shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Aww, come on.” Grey slowed the
Veritas
to a crawl as they neared a mooring ball at the eastern edge of the bay. She pushed her sunglasses up onto her head and gave Lauren a searching look. “There’s gotta be something. Snorkeling? Swimming? Taking the kayak out for a spin?”

Lauren laughed and arched a playful brow at Grey. “Are you trying to get rid of me?”

“Not at all.” Grey shook her head. “I’m just trying to get you to do a little vacationing on your working vacation.”

Lauren smiled and gave Grey’s arm a light squeeze. “I’m good. But thank you.”

“You sure?” Grey blew out a quiet breath and gave Lauren a look that clearly said she did not believe her. “Because I know that I’ve pretty much ruined these first few days of your trip. You deserve to have a little fun.”

“Grey.” Lauren shook her head. “Please, don’t. I’ve had lots of fun.”

“Yeah right.” Grey rolled her eyes. “I was a total bitch to you the first day we met. Then there was the whole me running out on you when you told me you were gay thing, and then this morning…”

“Yeah, well…” Lauren looked out over the water and tucked her hair behind her ears. Grey was right, her first few days aboard the
Veritas
had been an unmitigated train wreck, but that did not change how she felt about them. “Even with all that, I’ve still had fun.”

It was clear that Lauren was serious, and Grey’s expression softened as she looked at her. “You’re crazy.”

The warmth in Grey’s tone was unmistakable, and Lauren sighed as she looked back at her. “Maybe,” she agreed, tipping her head in agreement. She held Grey’s gaze until the moment felt like it was becoming too much, and then smirked and added, “But I’ve never claimed to be sane.”

Grey laughed. “Well, obviously. I mean, your favorite movie is
The Cutting Edge
, for fuck’s sake.”

“It’s not a bad movie!”

“It’s not a great one, either.” Grey grinned at the look of indignation that flashed across Lauren’s face and nodded as if to confirm her own point.

“You know what, Wells…” Lauren chuckled as she started for the stairs. “I would love to continue this, but I need to get back to work. Those lines aren’t going to secure themselves to that mooring ball, you know.”

“No, they surely aren’t.” A small smiled tugged at Grey’s lips as she watched Lauren walk away, and before she knew what she was doing, she was calling out to her. “Hey, Lauren…”

Lauren stopped with one foot on the top step and turned to look back at Grey. “Yes?”

“I…” Grey ran a hand through her hair and shrugged. How could she possibly put into words everything she was thinking when none of it made any sense? All she knew for sure was that she was glad Lauren was there with her. “Thank you.”

Lauren smiled and nodded. “You’re welcome,” she answered softly, holding Grey’s gaze for an extended beat before she turned and disappeared down the stairs.

Grey watched the Muellers swim off into the middle of the coral gardens that filled the Indians as she waited for Lauren to finish changing so that they could head out as well. She had been pleasantly surprised by how easy it had been to talk Lauren into going snorkeling with her, and she smiled as she turned the dive mask in her hands over to inspect the lens. She looked up at the sound of Lauren clearing her throat from the doorway, and she was only dimly aware of the way her mouth fell open when she looked at her.

“Goddamn,” Grey whispered as her eyes roamed greedily over Lauren’s body that was shown off to utter perfection by the navy blue halter-top bikini she was wearing.

Lauren smiled at the look of obvious appreciation on Grey’s face and gave the brunette a quick once-over as well. She bit her lip as her eyes dragged over the defined plane of Grey’s abs, and she sighed when she eventually forced her eyes back up to Grey’s. She was going to have a hard time not staring at her. “Hi.”

“Hi.” Grey cleared her throat softly and looked at the snorkeling gear that was laid out on the table beside her. “Here, let’s get this fitted for you,” she said as she handed Lauren a mask.

Lauren slipped the strap over the back of her head and pulled the mask down over her eyes. “Okay.”

“How’s it feel?”

Lauren pushed on the front of the mask and nodded. “Good.”

“We can always make it tighter when we’re in the water if it isn’t sealed right.” Grey waited until she saw Lauren nod again before she lifted a snorkel off the table. “Right, well, your snorkel, milady.”

Lauren eyed the bright red snorkel in Grey’s hands warily. “It’s clean, right?” she asked as Grey clipped it onto the strap of her mask.

“Yes, it’s clean.” Grey rolled her eyes as she gave the snorkel a light tug to make sure it was on tight. “All of this is my personal gear. I never lend it out to guests, and I can swear to you that you’re not going to catch any communicable diseases from using it.”

“If I get sick…”

“You are more than welcome to kick my ass. And if I get sick from using it after you…”

Lauren laughed and shook her head. “You won’t.”

“Well then, yay everybody for being disease-free,” Grey drawled. She winked at Lauren as she pulled her mask on, and then picked up her fins. “Do you have any questions?”

“Nope. I’m good.” Lauren picked up the remaining fins from the table and looked out at the rocks behind Grey. “Let’s go.”

Once they were both in the water and Grey was sure that Lauren’s equipment was fitted properly, she slipped her snorkel into her mouth and started toward the Indians.

They swam side-by-side through a gap between two of the jutting rocks, and Grey smiled when Lauren grabbed her arm and pointed at a burst of purple coral with the most excited look on her face. Grey followed Lauren around the gardens, occasionally touching Lauren’s arm to get her attention when they happened upon something she thought Lauren would like. Though she had swam at this particular spot more times than she could count over the years, Lauren’s excitement over every reef fish or different grouping of coral made Grey feel like she was seeing all for the first time as well.

Sunlight cut through the water in golden rays, making the coral lining the walls of the shallow pool practically glow, and Grey was only dimly aware of the fact that she had all but stopped swimming just to watch Lauren. She smiled sheepishly when Lauren turned toward her, one hand held out in a ‘what are you doing?’ type of gesture, and shook her head as she hurried to catch up.

She had no idea what she was doing. She just knew that she did not want to stop.

They explored the gardens for a couple hours, eventually meeting up with the Muellers. The boys had fun showing off their skills, and Grey found herself laughing more than she had in longer than she could remember. It was the perfect morning, just sun and fun and the water she loved, and Grey’s smile was as wide as everyone else’s when she finally climbed back onto the
Veritas
.

“That was incredible,” Lauren enthused as she wrapped a towel around her waist.

“Yeah.” Grey watched a drop of water make its way slowly down Lauren’s stomach, and she smiled as she looked up into Lauren’s eyes. Her breath felt light in her chest when their gazes locked, and she nodded slowly. “Absolutely incredible.”

Grey’s face was a mask of concentration as she backed the
Veritas
toward its assigned berth in Soper’s Hole Marina. The marina was situated on the northern edge of Frenchman’s Cay, a small island connected to Tortola’s West End by a sandbar and a small bridge, and at one time the sheltered bay served as Blackbeard’s base of operations. The village itself was small, and the buildings overlooking the harbor were painted in a rainbow of bright, pastel colors. Like Sandy Spit, this was a stop she usually worked into most of her charters—it was a great location to give her guests a taste of the islands, and it also gave them a place to stretch their legs after being cooped up on the boat.

She inched the
Veritas
closer to the dock in small bursts, revving the cat’s twin engines to guide them slowly into the slip. Her brow was furrowed as she focused on the distance between the rear dive platforms and the dock, and she bumped the throttle forward just enough to bring the boat to a stop as she watched Lauren leap onto the dock with the stern line grasped firmly in her hand. Lauren was pulling the starboard line tight when Grey hopped down beside her, port line in hand. Once she had looped the line around a cleat, they pulled together guiding the boat back until the bumpers were snug against the dock.

When they were done, Grey turned to Lauren and offered her a small smile. “Nicely done.”

Lauren grinned and gave Grey a purposefully awful salute. “Thank you, Cap’n.”

“That is th
e worst salute I have ever seen,” Grey chuckled, shaking her head.

“Are we good to go into town now?” Kim called out, interrupting whatever retort Lauren looked ready to hurl in Grey’s direction.

“Absolutely.” Grey waved the Muellers down. She and Lauren helped the boys make the short hop onto the dock and, once they were all assembled, she pulled a key from her pocket. It was attached to a bright red foam keychain that would float if accidentally dropped into the water, and she smiled as she handed it to Kim. “This is a key to the salon doors, just in case either of us aren’t here when you guys get back.”

Kim nodded and slipped the key into her purse. “Any suggestions for where we should go?”

“The shops are all fun to poke around in.” Grey shrugged and hooked a thumb toward the bright buildings behind her that fronted the wide boardwalk. “And Pusser’s Landing is good for dinner. Downstairs is more laid back than up, and there’s usually some kind of live entertainment, so if the boys are still wiggly they would be able to get up and move around without disturbing anyone.”

“Oh, I think that’s where we’ll be then.” Kim looked at her boys, who were already running down the dock toward town, eager to explore, and shook her head as she slipped her hand into Will’s. “Here’s to hoping they can run off some of that energy.” She smiled affectionately at her children’s backs, and sighed as she looked back at Grey and Lauren. “Enjoy your night. We’ll see you guys later.”

Grey waited until the Muellers were on their way before she hopped back onto the boat, and she looked over her shoulder at Lauren as she climbed the steps to the back deck. “Are there any provisions we need to stock up on since we’re here?”

“I don’t think so.” Lauren shook her head as she followed Grey into the salon. “I mean, we pretty much have everything I’ll need for the rest of the trip, unless you can think of something.”

“Not really. I do want to offload our trash and top off the water and fuel, though.”

“Okay. So, what do you need me to do?”

“Nothing. I’m just going hook up the water, and then I’ll call down to the harbormaster’s office for a trash pickup. There’s not that much, but I’m not in the mood to haul it all over to the dumpster myself.”

“Works for me.” Lauren pursed her lips thoughtfully and added, “What about the fuel?”

“The dock’s on the other side of the harbor—” Grey waved a hand in the general direction of the refueling station, “—so we’ll just hit it in the morning. We actually have more than enough gas to finish this cruise, I just always fill up whenever I can.”