Page 69 of Sail Away with Me

“What if I mess up?”

“You won’t,” he assured her. “But if you do, I’m right here.”

“What’s there anyway?”

“The ocean.”

Galvin stared from him to the vast space in front of her. “Then what’s this?”

“The bay.”

She pointed. “Sharks!”

Sail smirked. “Too cold for that right now.”

“But they do exist here?”

He shrugged. “Anything’s possible if they’re hungry enough.” He wouldn’t tell her the truth. It wouldn’t serve him well at the moment. “But this isn’t the right season. Like I said, the water is too cold right now.”

She inhaled slowly and nodded. He stepped back just a little, giving her space, but his presence was a solid wall behind her.

Steady.

Unwavering.

She turned the wheel slightly to the left, and the boat respond to her command, the bow slicing through the waves.

“I’m doing it,” she whispered.

“Yeah,” Sail said, his voice tinged with pride. “You are.”

They sailed like that for a while, the silence between them comfortable, filled only with the sounds of the sea. The sun climbed higher, warming their skin. Galvin’s shoulders relaxed by degrees until she no longer looked like she was bracing for disaster. Her smile widened, genuine now, radiant.

Sail leaned against the rail, watching her, his heart swelling. This was the woman who’d surprised him at every turn, who’d challenged him, teased him, and made him feel alive. Seeing her here, onhisturf, conquering her fears—it made him fall a little deeper.

After a while, she turned to him, eyes shining. “I think I love it,” she said. “The wind, the water. It feels . . .free.”

He grinned. “Told you.”

She stepped away from the wheel, and he took over, steering them toward the open waters. H would never ask her to navigate the rougher waters. She stood beside him, her hair whipping around her face, cheeks flushed with excitement.

“Thank you,” she said quietly. “For this. For being patient.”

He looked at her, his expression softening. “You don’t have to thank me. I love having you here.”

Her eyes met his, and for a moment, everything else fell away—the sea, the sky, the world itself. There was only them.

“You know,” she said, “I think I might trust you with my life.”

Sail reached for her hand, threading his fingers through hers. “I’d take care of it like it was my own.” He leaned in, his lips brushing against hers, a whisper of salt and sunlight. She leaned into him, the world tilting in the best way possible.

galvin

. . .

The two of them lay side by side, looking into each other’s eyes. Sail had taken her out on his family’s boat and showed her what it was like to give yourself over to the freedom of sailing. He guided and taught her, put her at ease, and made the trip as memorable as he could.

Mostly, he’d been romantic, if not a little dirty when he suggested they fool around on the boat. Galvin liked the idea of being adventurous but asked him to table the thoughts until the next time they went out. She was still uneasy, and frankly a bit scared a shark would crash into them once they got out into the open water.

---