Page 15 of Mail Order Splash

“Uh-huh, you keep telling yourself that.” I turned the television off. “Come on, let’s go see if we can do something useful out in the water.”

“Ah, I see, you’re looking for the chick from the other day. You don’t even know what she looks like.”

“I don’t care what she looks like, I wanna go out to save something. Didn’t you get a rush from doing that?”

“It was alright. I mean, I’d do it again, but not sure I want to go searching for it.” He stood and stretched. “You going in the yacht?”

“No, I’m taking a smaller boat. Why? You can’t go unless it’s the yacht?” I chirped.

“No. Maybe,” he confessed. “Aren’t you going to jet ski?”

“Maybe, but I have jet skis on the sixty-five-footer.”

“Yeah, I’ll go, but I’m not driving.” He looked at his watch. “Is it really one o’clock?”

“Yes, it is. Did you even eat lunch?”

“Come to think of it, no, I didn’t. Can the cook come with us and make food?”

“You’re so spoiled. Just go make a sandwich or, better yet, get some fruit.”

“What’s with you today? It’s not like you to eat all that healthy.”

“I eat better than you.”

“Yeah, because your cook makes the food and puts it in front of you.”

“True, but I pay her to keep me healthy.”

“That doesn’t count because, if you had to get your own food, you would starve or eat junk like I do.”

“That could be accurate. I’ll bring cook along to make us dinner, then we can stay out for moonrise.”

“So romantic? Are you getting me flowers too?” he teased going out the door. “See you at the dock in forty.”

“Wear something pretty,” I joked as the door shut.

I made the arrangements with my boat crew then made a few calls to see if I could get information from the Coast Guard on any rescues, but to no avail. It didn’t appear to be a formal thing they did. I was left to decide if I had actually heard her say her “friend with the Coast Guard” the other day.

“Aunt Victoria, how are you?” I answered my cell on my way out the door.

“I’d like to have lunch with you soon. I thought I’d hear from you by now about this.”

“How’s Friday? We can go out on the yacht.” I climbed into my car. “Can you clear your afternoon?”

“I can do that. I leave for New York next week; Friday will work nicely.”

“Did you ask your veterinarian friend about my particular dolphin rescue?”

“I’m sorry, Dalton, I didn’t get a chance to get the address when he had to hurry off. I can reach out.”

“Thanks, I gotta go.” I pulled my car into a spot at the marina.

“Dalton, are you going out on the yacht today?” she asked before I hung up.

“No, ma’am, I’m using the smaller boat today. I wanna rescue something.”

“Good for you, but maybe call for help if you find an animal in distress. You could end up getting hurt yourself.”

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