Page 15 of Forged By Sacrifice

“Sorry,” he said, but it didn’t sound like he was sorry. “This is usually the room I’m in. I left my bag in here yesterday.” He pointed at the military duffel I hadn’t even noticed on the floor by the bookshelf that was full of Eli’s comic books.

“Oh. I’m sorry. Do you want me to move into the other room?”

“God, no. You’re settled here. It was just habit.”

He grabbed the bag, hooked it over his shoulder, and then headed for the door that led to the shared bathroom. “You need in here, or is it okay if I jump in the shower?”

My mouth felt like a stale saltine cracker had been shoved into it. The thought of Mac getting naked in the bathroom that we would be sharing for the next few days. I tried to dump the image from my brain. Tried to imagine Jared. Tried to feel an ache for the man I’d just left in New York, but I couldn’t. Jared and I had been done for a lot longer than we’d admitted.

I moved toward the closet.

“Nope. I’m all good.” I was happy my voice didn’t betray me or my thoughts. It had been developed over years of practice, just like my poker face.

I heard the door shut and the shower start before I turned back around to the mirror over the dresser. My face was flushed even though I hadn’t let it show in my voice. Mac-Macauley was going to be hard to resist.

I opened the drawer of the dresser, pulled out a bathing suit, and threw it, a beach towel, and a bottle of sunscreen into a beach bag. Then, I pulled my hair up into a high ponytail that was becoming my signature hairdo now that I’d left behind salon life. It would, at least, stay out of my face in the breeze on the boat this way.

When I left the room, Eli was on the phone. I pulled a couple waters from the fridge, adding them to the stack of things in my bag. By the time Eli hung up, Mac had come out of his room, hair wet, shorts and a T-shirt on with his boat shoes.

“I’m going to take Georgie out on the boat,” Mac said.

“You don’t have to leave,” Eli said.

“You know Ava. She won’t rest if she knows we’re here. She’ll feel like she has to entertain,” I jumped in with Mac.

Eli couldn’t argue. He knew it was true, but he looked from me to Mac as if he was unsure. “God, Dad, I’m not going to steal her clothes and her virtue. We’re just going out for a sail,” Mac teased.

Eli squinted his eyes and then turned to me. “You sure you’re okay with this?”

I smiled. “I can handle myself. I learned self-defense at the hands of a cop who liked my grandma. If Mac-Macauley tries anything, I’ll push him overboard and radio the Coast Guard for help. You’ll hear all about it from your buddies.”

Eli tried to hide his smile. “Fair enough, but wait longer than you think before you call for help. He’s a Navy man, so he can tread water for a long time.”

“Dude. That’s just mean,” Mac said, playfully punching his shoulder.

Eli fished a pair of keys out of the blue glass bowl on the table near the door. “Here, take Ava’s car. She won’t need it today.”

He tossed the keys to me, not Mac. I caught them with a smile, and Mac grunted a protest before following me toward the door.

I turned back to Eli. “Make sure you tell Ava to just rest and feel better.”

He nodded, and we left.

? ? ?

We seemed to leave the mugginess behind us as Mac sailed out into the Gulf. We soon lost sight of land, and it was both discomfiting and exhilarating at the same time. Mac taught me some basic lingo, told me where to sit and stand so that I would be out of his way, and also what to do if he asked for help, but he basically managed the boat on his own. It wasn’t surprising, as he’d been sailing for weeks on his own, but it was impressive in a way I hadn’t expected to be impressed.

He was serious as he pulled the rigging and ropes. His muscles rippled as he worked, showing themselves under his white T-shirt and plaid shorts that seemed more fashion model than Navy man.

We were quiet while we sailed, the breeze rushing over me, the sun soaking into my bones like the syrup I’d had this morning on my breakfast. It was peaceful in a way that—like a lot of things about Mac himself—I hadn’t expected.

Eventually, he turned the boat back toward the coast more, and when he put the anchor down, I could see land, but it wasn’t close enough to make out exactly where we were. It was mostly just water, and sun, and ocean breeze around us. He disappeared below deck. When we’d first boarded the boat, he’d taken me down to show me around. It was small. There was a bed that was a pile of messy sheets up toward the bow, a small kitchen, and a built-in table. In addition, there was a bathroom that I wasn’t sure how Mac fit into. The whole boat had the look of being well-used but was clean and neat other than the messy sheets.

When Mac came back up on deck, he had two beers and a plate of sandwiches. He placed them on the seat next to me and then sat on the other side of the food. Space between us.

“This is the second meal you’ve made me today. Are you sure you’ve never had a girlfriend?”

His eyes crinkled as he smiled slightly, and for a moment, I felt like I’d seen the smile before, but I couldn’t place it and just pushed it aside.

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