Seth glanced at Lulu, who could brighten his day with each friendly wag of her tail. “I was the lucky one. She’s a real character. And because she did so many things when she was working in movies, she’s game for anything. She’s so brave.” Another thing she had in common with Fliss.
“She’s not purebred Labrador?”
“Part Labrador, part retriever.”
Lulu sprang onto the boat with a single joyful bound.
Fliss stayed on the dock, studying the boat from bow to stern. “This isn’t the boat you used to sail.”
“I’ve had this about six years.”
“You had a little sloop. A classic wooden sailboat that your dad spent every weekend restoring. He was always trying to track down certain types of wood or canvas. I was always surprised that a lawyer would know so much about boatbuilding.”
“It was a hobby. And he was an incredible craftsman. The boat was his relaxation. His way of leaving the city and the job behind.”
“What happened to the sloop?”
“He sold it. Life got busier and we didn’t have the time to keep maintaining it.” And he missed those days. Those easy, lazy weekends where the only sounds had been the clink of masts and the soft slap of water against the hull of the boat. “This boat is easier to sail. And she’s fast.”
“How fast?” Fliss’s eyes gleamed. “Are we going to get a speeding ticket?”
“You’d like that.”
“It would be an adventure. It’s been a long time since I was on a boat. Does that matter? Am I going to need to help?”
“I can sail her singlehanded if I need to. She has a self-tacking jib and auto-whisker pole.”
“No idea what that is, which proves that whatever you taught me, I’ve forgotten.”
“You don’t have to know anything. I’ll tell you what to do. You just have to follow orders.” He stepped onto the boat and stowed the cooler. “Think you can do that?”
“If the alternative is taking an unscheduled dip in the ocean, then yes. You know how to motivate a girl.” She paused and glanced at him, and there was a wistful look in her eyes. The look she gave him made him pause.
“What? Now you’re scared that you’ll drown? Don’t be. I’m a good sailor and you can wear a life jacket.”
“It’s not that.”
“Then what?”
She shrugged. “This feels—this was one of my favorite things.” It was as close as she’d come to talking about their relationship, and he stopped what he was doing and listened.
The wind and the tides could wait. If Fliss was talking, he was going to let her talk.
“The sailing?”
“The few times you took us all out with you on the boat. I loved it. I used to wish it was just the two of us.” She shook her head. “So is this a date, or am I sharing a sport you love?”
“Call it what you like. Whatever makes you get your butt onto this boat, that’s what it is.” He lightened the mood and saw her grin. He loved her smile, the way her mouth tilted and her eyes sparkled with anticipation. “I’m hoping you’ll get on this boat before the sun sets. Of course, if you’d rather not, there’s always sex and poker back at your grandmother’s house. Your choice.”
“The choice is meant to be between the devil and the deep blue sea. The two aren’t meant to be one and the same.”
“Am I the devil in this scenario? I’m making you nervous?” He sensed it was him and not the sailing.
“Only because I don’t know the rules. I don’t know what this is. I don’t even know what I’m doing here. Oh, what the hell—” She puffed a strand of hair out of her eyes and sprang onto the boat, lithe as a cat. “I choose the devil and the deep blue sea.”
“I’m not the devil, and presumably you’re here because you want to be.” He put his hand on her shoulder and saw her smile falter. “We’re doing some of the things we never did before, that’s all. And there are no rules.”
Her gaze met his, and the smile returned. “Am I going to get seasick?”