I massaged the back of my neck. “Yeah. I’m sorry. It’s been a rough couple of months. I just needed time. I wanted to be in a better place before I came to see you.”
Her gaze held mine. “And are you in a better place now?”
I jerked my head in a nod. “I am.”
She smiled. “Good. I’m glad.”
After a moment of awkward silence, she shouted, “Well, show me your boat! I’m excited to see it.”
I chuckled. “All right.”
I opened my door and went around to help Annika out of the car. Moments later, we were heading down the dock towardMonika. Annika leaned into me, wrapping her hand around my bicep. We moved slowly, Annika using her cane with each step. I’ll admit I liked that she felt comfortable enough to touch me freely. I resisted the urge to puff out my chest and strut down the dock, showing everyone that she was mine.
Whoa, slow down, buddy. You haven’t even asked her to be yours yet.
Right.
But she’d come to me. And before my phone had interrupted us, I’d been about to kiss her.
I halted as we reached my boat. “Here we are.”
Annika’s eyes widened. “Thisis your boat? Holy crap! I expected it to be smaller, like a little fishing boat or something, not a giant yacht! Wow, Adrik, it’s gorgeous!”
“Thanks.”
“What kind is it?”
“It’s a Little Harbor SLOOP.”
She giggled. “Again,little? It’s huge!”
I shrugged. “Yeah, okay. She’s seventy-five-feet long, so she’s not exactly little. In her day, she was a luxury sailboat.”
“Oh,in her day! She’s not old and she’s still breathtaking! Give me a tour, please!”
Laughing, I took Annika’s hand, and helped her aboard.
Monika’sprevious owners had taken good care of her, so I hadn’t had to do much restoration, mostly just replaced items like the mattress in the master stateroom, the table in the main salon area, and reupholstered the cushions on the couches and the deck seating area. I’d also replaced the fridge, sanded and repainted over the chipping paint, polished the wood paneling, and installed new flooring in the areas where it had been rotting and peeling away. The engine had also undergone an overhaul and was now in tip-top condition. And, of course, I’d painted the nameMonikaon the hull in large black letters, covering up the previous name.
I was proud of my sailboat. Other than my car, the boat was the only thing of value I owned.
I was more than ready to share her with Annika if she still wanted to join me.
I gave Annika a brief tour, laughing as she oohed and ahhed over everything. “This isn’t a boat,” she exclaimed. “It’s a luxury house on water.”
I snorted. “Considering your family’s wealth, I didn’t think you’d be that impressed.”
She huffed. “We don’t have a sailboat, just the ski boat in Lake Tahoe. This is so impressive, Adrik. I–” She broke off abruptly, her eyes widening when she spied the electric keyboard I’d purchased and set up in one of the guest cabins. If I’d known she was coming today, I would have moved it out into the salon area to surprise her, but she’d shown up unexpectedly, shooting that idea to hell.
“Adrik,” she whispered, her gaze darting to mine, then back to the keyboard. She moved closer, gently running her fingers over the keys. “Did you buy this forme?”
I cleared my throat. “Yeah. I, uh, thought that since we can’t fit a piano on the boat, I would find something smaller for you to play while we’re out at sea so you could have your music with you, and so you could teach me more songs. Assuming,” I added quickly, “that you still want to travel with me.”
Her eyes welling with tears, she turned to face me. “This is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. Thank you!”
She launched herself into my arms.
I stumbled back, falling onto one of the twin beds in the small cabin, Annika landing on top of me.