Page 53 of Sail Away with Me

Pearl looked at Sail. Her eyes were full of love and worry. She caressed his cheek lovingly. “Please be careful. Not only for her sake, but yours as well.”

“We will be.”

She smiled. “And think about bringing her home, officially. I’d love to cook for her and meet her away from the diner. Invite her over as a guest and not an employee.”

Sail nodded. “I’ll ask her, but this is one of those don’t hold your breath moments.”

“Oh?”

“She’s afraid you’ll fire her because of me.”

Pearl’s eyes widened in what Sail would consider horror. “We would never!”

He threw his hands up. “That’s what I keep telling her, but she’s worried.”

“Well, find a way to unworry her, and bring her over.”

“I don’t believe unworry is a word.”

Pearl’s eyes sharpened and Sail shrunk to two feet tall. “Yes, ma’am.”

Seaport always had traffic,unless it was before the birds were awake or long after they’ve nested for the night. However,traffic was dependent upon the season. During the summer months, it could take you an hour to get from one point of the island to the next. But to get from the Carter’s to the diner—ten minutes tops.

Tonight, the drive pushed the twenty-minute mark, and Sail was officially late for his date with Galvin. The respectable thing would be to call or text her, but no, he still didn’t have her number.

Sail had expected her to at least text him once during the day. He would’ve happily opened a thread, just for the chance to talk to her while he worked on his dinghy.

They’d have to change thathe thought to himself. He wanted a chance to send her sweet messages. Mostly things, if he said aloud, would make her blush. At least if she read them, she wouldn’t be embarrassed and could go back and reread them when time allowed.

After, what Sail deemed, the long drive in the history of long drives, he parked in front of the diner. Leaving his car running, he sped walked to the gate, unlatched the lock, and then took the stairs two at a time. Praying along the way that Galvin would understand. He already had his mom upset with him he didn’t want Galvin to be as well.

“Galvin,” he said as he knocked again and then muttered, “fuck.”

The door swung open, and Galvin stood there, with her coat in her hand.

“I’m so sorry.” He handed her his phone. “Put your number in here.”

“What? Why? What’s going on?”

“I’m late,” he said, exhaling. “And I couldn’t call or text you because I don’t have your number.”

Galvin typed her number in and gave him his phone back.

“Please tell me you’re not mad.”

“I’m not mad.”

“Phew.” He sagged against the doorway. “I really thought?—”

“That what? I’d be pissed because you’re a few minutes late?”

He nodded.

“I’m not like that, Sail. Things happen?—”

“Traffic happens.”

“Right. If I was worried you weren’t going to show up, I would’ve texted you.”

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