Page 23 of Father Figure

“Sam isn’t joining us?”

“He booked two one-day charters on the Harlowe One for deep-sea fishing. He’s on his own this weekend.”

Could I get any luckier? I had Cass all to myself for the entire week.

“We’re just making a run to the Bahamas. It’s a five-day jaunt. I'll need you to step up and help more, but I know that won’t be a problem.”

His praise made me feel warm all over. “I won’t let you down, Cass.”

“Go stow your bag below deck. We’ve got to hose down the deck and the lounge chairs, and then we need to change the sheets on the beds.”

Hiding my blush, I hurried down the stairs and dumped my bag on my bed. Maybe I could use Sam’s bunk now that he wasn’t coming with us. Then I could be across from Cass, at eye level with him as we both fell asleep.

Don’t think about falling asleep in his arms last time. You won’t get that lucky again.

The island of Exuma didn’t feel real, with its aquamarine waters, sparkling like precious gems, and pink-and-white sand beaches so pristine, it was as if they'd never been touched by mankind.

“There’re three hundred and sixty-five islands and cays that make up the Exumas. Most are too tiny to even anchor at, but it’s one of the most beautiful spots in the Caribbean.”

I lived for Cass’s tidbits of information about the islands and the oceans. He knew how thirsty I was for knowledge and spoiled me with facts and anecdotes.

“What are they known for?”

“Besides their exotic beauty? Swimming with pigs,” he laughed.

“Swimming with pigs? You can’t be serious.”

“I am. The island is full of wild pigs, and they swim in the water. You can swim right up to them and touch them.”

Our guests, Manu and Scott, stood at the railing and waved at a passing yacht.

“They’re an interesting couple.” I wasn’t jealous at all…much.

Scott, an older and wealthy businessman, was married to the younger, flirtatious and vivacious Manu. This trip was to celebrate their first anniversary. They loved to tell the story—like three times already—of how they met in Peru when Scott was on a business trip. He’d rented a villa, and Manu worked for the resort as a personal concierge. When I asked what that meant, Manu laughed and said, ‘Basically, whatever Scott wants, I give it to him.’

Apparently, Scott wanted everything from Manu. I didn’t think they were much different from me and Cass. They had a big gap in their ages, just like we did, and if they could make it work, couldn’t we? Scott didn’t seem embarrassed to show off his much younger husband. In fact, he reveled in it.

“They certainly are,” Cass laughed. “They’re going ashore to one of the resorts tonight to party. You and I are not,” he stated pointedly, giving me ‘the look.’ Cass may not be my father or even my stepfather, but he sure nailed that look to perfection. It was the same look my dad sometimes gave me.

He was also adept at ignoring my pout. “Will we have any fun on this trip?”

“That depends. Do you consider swimming with pigs fun?”

“You bet!”

Cass chuckled. “Tomorrow we’ll check out the island of Eleuthera and The Queen's Bath.”

“What’s that? A bathhouse?” I asked excitedly. A boy could hope.

Cass choked. “Nicky! You’ve got to be kidding me. Really? It's an area full of natural tide pools where you can find all sorts of cool ocean life.”

“Oh, that sounds fun, too.” Not as fun as seeing Cass naked, but…

“Go down and tell our guests that we have to wait for customs officials to clear us before we can depart and raise the yellow quarantine flag.”

Ugh! Clearing customs was my least favorite part of sailing. Climbing down from the flybridge to the lower deck, I made my way to Manu and Scott.

“Cass asked that you remain aboard until we’ve cleared customs. They’ll board the boat and check our documents, and then we can proceed to Exuma. Are you ready to swim with the pigs?”

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