Page 21 of Merry with a Captain

“Will do. But I guess you could work on me outside of business hours?" He waggled his eyebrows, and she giggled.

"I'm sure we can arrange something. And you can bet you’ll be doing your exercises too!” She cleared off the table and disinfected the items that she used.

"What time are you off?” Fletch shrugged back into his coat.

"I've been asked to stay till closing, which is 8 PM." She didn't look too happy about that.

"Duty calls, it's fine. You don't have to stress it. We'll always have tomorrow. Do you have a ride back to the hotel?"

"Yes, my car is out back. I have a full day again tomorrow, and they're bringing in a replacement that they want me to train so I might have a few late nights. I'm sorry." She reached for his hand.

"I’m not going anywhere. But how about we plan to go to the tree lighting ceremony Friday night. Will that be a late night for you?" He pulled her towards him, happy that she let him do that. But she did glance out the door to see if anybody was watching.

"It's a half-day for me on Friday, and then I'm off for the weekend. So I'm all yours. But I'll expect to see you back in this office before the end of the week. It's important to keep up your therapy."

"I know, but not with you. I like that you'll be all mine from Friday afternoon." He leaned down to kiss her, knowing he'd have to keep it rather chaste, but that only heightened the sexual tension.

13

The week passed in a whirlwind, and Robyn was thankful it was finally Friday. She’d been juggling the clinic manager position, as well as training two new physiotherapists and picking up the load of those clients left without one. She missed Fletch, and by the time she finished at the end of the day, it was way too late, she was far too exhausted, and all she wanted to do was crawl back to her hotel room, shower, and fall into bed.

But, each night when she'd arrived at her room, there was a gift for her. Fletch had arranged the deliveries to be waiting at the end of her day. His thoughtfulness moved her, nearly bringing tears to her eyes. The first night, it was flowers and chocolates, the second, delicious smelling bath bombs with a bottle of wine, and finally, a box of the British pastries that had been ruined the night they reconnected at the Christmas Market. Not only were gifts waiting for her, but he’d also ordered room service so she had dinner delivered shortly after getting to her room.

They talked while she ate, and they had really opened up, sharing their past which was the stepping stones to theirbuilding a relationship. She told him he was spoiling her rotten…but that she loved it and was very grateful. They texted at other times through the day. She eagerly anticipated his messages and knew she was falling for him … hard. Even though they were very new as a couple, it seemed as if they had been together forever, and it was difficult to recall her life before him. She thought of them as a couple, and she could see a future with him. He hadn’t said as much to her, but his actions spoke volumes. He was kind, attentive, playful, and even if he was still a bit guarded, Robyn hoped it would pass with time.

Discovering he was a captain of a boat in the marina had come as a huge surprise, but it did help her understand him better. She recalled that night while watching the sunset on the pier how he’d said there was to be a weather change simply by reading the sky, and sure enough the next day was miserable and rainy.

She sighed and lifted her mug. He was a sailor, ruled by the wind and sea, and wherever it may take him. Something she couldn’t fathom. She was governed by rules, schedules, bills and did her best to blend fun and adventure into her days. Meaning, they were polar opposites, and it gave her a twinge of concern. Could two people so different in their outward lives ever find common ground to build a sustainable and long lasting relationship?

She wasn’t getting any younger and definitely felt her time clock ticking. He was thirty eight and she almost thirty one. Would he ever want kids? It was one topic they hadn’t touched on. It was far too soon to even contemplate it, right? Or was it something they should get out of the way right off the bat?

Robyn looked at her watch, her next and last patient would be arriving shortly.

Anyway, now she understood his need for getting his leg back up to snuff and that little jaunt down the dock the other day had not been kind to him.

She turned her thoughts away from her building concern and remembered the fun they had when together. And the sex, oh my god, the sex. She closed her eyes and welcomed the rush of heat at the memory.

They even did a little sexting which was exciting and laughed about it holding them over until Friday. Which had finally arrived!

Her belly did a little flip flop. In just a couple of hours, he’d pick her up and they’d be together again. It seemed like an eternity since they’d last seen each other at his physio appointment earlier in the week, and it had been agonizing.

Fletch was early.He didn't want Robyn to have to wait for him. He'd rather wait for her. The past week without seeing her had been difficult. But, he could tell how tired she was when they spoke on the phone at night.

He wanted to make her days easier when she got back to the hotel. It was why he had dinner arranged each day. He hoped the gifts also helped her to relax. It was his way of trying to take care of her from afar.

He was looking forward to this weekend. Christmas was next week and even though he hadn't said anything to her about whether he would go to Vermont or not, he thought about it a lot. His hesitancy was mainly based on not wanting to be an unwelcome visitor during a family holiday. Perhaps he was even just a little bit nervous about it. By the sounds of things, she had a very close relationship with her sister and brothers. So if he went, he’d have to be prepared to be judged and interrogated.

He smiled. He was cool with it, because if he had a sister, he knew he’d be exactly the same. Thinking about not having a sister or brother was another stab at his early and formative years. If it hadn't been for Beck, then he would've had a very lonely and even more miserable childhood.

Beck was his brother, maybe not by blood, but still a brother. He missed him and was eager for him to return in the New Year. Fletch had a feeling there would be an announcement forthcoming, and he was thrilled for him and Mick. That excitement swung his thoughts back to Robyn.

He was falling for her, there was no doubt about that. This past week, being unable to spend time together had proven how true the typical absence makes the heart grow fonder adage really was. It all seemed a blur since they bumped into each other at the Christmas Market. The initial awkwardness that first night vanished quickly. She was so easy to be around, and his normally carefree ways resurfaced. They laughed, played, loved, and he was totally into every moment.

Right then, he decided if she asked him about Vermont again, he'd say yes.

Later at thetree lighting event, Robyn leaned over to Fetch and whispered, “This is a really good crowd. I wonder why it’s theofficiallighting of the tree, when the lights have been on for a week now.”

He shrugged. "Who knows, maybe it all has to do with dignitaries and getting all the people together."

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