Page 15 of Bayou Sunset

JP, the peacemaker, said, “Since it be our dime, will ya at least humor us and take an indirect route?”

After a moment, Daisy Mae turned the boat. “Okay, but ’member, ya said it was ya dime.”

Steve wanted to laugh when Pierre punched JP on the shoulder. “What da fuck?” Pierre asked his brother.

“Mais, it will be,” JP said, “when we finds da treasure.”

Steve was glad Daisy Mae hadn't heard that.

He went below to explore. Grabbing water from the fridge, he familiarized himself with the below deck before returning tothe stairs. Daisy Mae had done well for herself. He knew this had been one of the fleet boats from her family, but she'd kept it up well.

Back on deck, he went to Daisy Mae and stood behind her.

Without looking back, she said, “Did ya need something, Steve?”

Before he spoke and stuck his foot in his mouth, Steve took a long drink of cool water. How should he word it? He knew whatever he said wouldn't come out right, but there was no help but to ask. “Why ya be so pissed at me?”

Daisy Mae did turn then and swept him from head to foot and back. He'd say he felt like a piece of meat, but he didn't know what to think since she didn't show emotion.

She turned back to the ship's wheel without a word.

So, he had asked wrong. It sounded right to him. He cleared his throat and tried again, more formally, “What have I done to make ya so mad at me?”

There, that sounded right. At least it had her turning back to him.

Steve could have killed JP because just as Daisy Mae opened her mouth to answer, JP yelled, “Land ho.”

Chapter Eight

DAISY MAE SPUN around and couldn’t believe her eyes. Not only had she been saved from spouting off her mouth, but she’d been shocked at the tiny island. How had she never seen it? Mais,I’ve never taken dis route. Why would I? There no be good fishing here.

JP and Pierre high-fived each other. “Oui!” they yelled in unison.

Steve only said, “No fucking way.”

As Daisy Mae maneuvered the boat through unfamiliar waters, she carefully spun the wheel and slowed the speed. With the help of her depth finder, she located a route that brought them close to the island yet still at a distance. It was clear that the twins would need to swim part of the way to reach the shore.

“This be as close as I can git.” Daisy Mae turned to Steve, her supposed deckhand on the trip. “Drop anchor.”

He did that mock salute thing again and rushed off. She wanted to choke him. No, she really wanted to eat up that fine body she’d just perused. It’d been not easy keeping the heat from her expression. But she guessed she’d done that because his expression hadn’t changed.

The twins ripped off their shirts and slipped out of their deck shoes. Without another word, they dove into the water, one after the other. Steve, on the other hand, came back to her.

“Will ya be all right alone?” he asked.

You’ve got to be kidding me!“Mais oui.”

“Are ya sure? I can stay here.”

“Believe it or not, Steve, I be a big girl now.”

“Oui,” he said as he walked away, stripping off his shirt and exposing a finely toned body covered in tattoos. “I be noticing.” After kicking off his shoes, he followed the twins into what she expected was frigid water.

What da hell was dat supposed to mean?Daisy Mae sighed. What was she going to do with that man? He was going to leave again. She knew it. Even if he asked her to go with him, she wouldn’t. She scoffed at the idea of him asking her to go with him. She’d tried that once already. It hadn’t worked then, and she doubted it’d work now.

She attempted to keep her mind off the man of her dreams and went below to get a drink. While windy above, the deck below was hotter than Hades. She grabbed water and a donut, then climbed the stairs, shoveling the chocolate-covered goodness into her mouth.

With the satisfaction chocolate gave her, Daisy Mae looked around her. She loved the water. Leaving it was not an option for her.Don’t git ya hopes up, Daisy Mae, just because he sayunthing dat made ya insides flutter.

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