Page 11 of Waylaid in Whittier

But that was after Jose had left the ship. Perhaps she cared more for the man than she realized and was willing to give theirrelationship another chance. Either way, it wasn’t any of Millie’s business.

She pushed the troubling thought aside and jumped into her morning routine. First was the Sunrise Stride’s laps around the sports court.

The end of the summer in Alaska meant crisp mornings and cooler days, perfect for a brisk walk. While she strolled, Millie chatted with the other walkers, while making a point of appreciating the rugged terrain as the ship anchored near Anchorage.

An orange dot skimmed across the water. It was one of the ship’s lifeboats, heading to shore to pick up supplies along with crewmembers who were boarding for the voyage south.

After finishing, Millie hosted a round of trivia and then ran downstairs to grab a bite to eat.

Thinking it was going to be a day of nonstop running, she loaded up on scrambled eggs, rye toast, and thick slices of crispy bacon, along with a bowl of mixed fruit.

Millie swung by the beverage station for a cup of coffee before searching for an empty spot. She noticed Sharky at a high top bar with his back to her and an empty chair on each side.

She zigzagged past the tables and slipped in behind him. “Mind if I join you?”

Sharky spun around. “Hey, Millie. Have a seat.” He pulled the chair out, giving her enough room to slide in.

“Thanks.” She eased her tray onto the table. “How’s it going?”

“Not good. I tried calling Elvira last night. She didn’t answer. I texted her. She hasn’t replied. I think she’s really ticked off.”

“In your defense, she made a mistake when she surprised you.” Millie unwrapped her silverware. “I wouldn’t be happy if my boyfriend planned to hop on board the ship, expecting a free vacation while I had to work.”

“I hate to say it, but it’s kinda looking that way, like maybe she’s trying to take advantage of me.” Sharky scooped up a spoonful of oatmeal. “I don’t know what it is with me and women.”

“Elvira isn’t a bad person. On the bright side, she’s nothing like Svetlana.”

“Which isn’t saying much. Svetlana was going to kill me.”

“Because you tricked her into thinking you were a bigwig at Majestic Cruise Lines, which put a target on your back,” Millie reminded him.

“True. I learned my lesson.” Sharky reached for his glass of juice. “I guess there’s not much I can do if Elvira won’t return my calls or texts.”

“Would you like me to try calling her?”

He brightened. “Would you?”

Millie picked up her cell phone. “What’s her number?”

Sharky rattled it off while she dialed the number. The call went directly to voicemail.

“Hello, Elvira. It’s Millie Armati. Please give me a call when you get a chance.” Millie left her number and ended the call.

“I hope she’s all right,” Sharky said. “I figured at the very least she would reply to my text, even if it was to tell me to go fly a kite.”

“Have you tried contacting her sister? I don’t remember her name.”

“Dernice. That’s a good idea.” Sharky polished off his oatmeal and picked up his phone. He sent a brief text, asking Elvira’s sister to call him. “I guess now we wait to see what happens.”

“If she plans on catching up with the ship in Whittier, she better let you know soon,” Millie said. “We’ll be there tomorrow.”

“Yep.” Sharky finished his breakfast and left, promising to let Millie know if Dernice called him back.

On a tight schedule, Millie wasn’t far behind. She hosted a cruise director’s Q&A in the piano bar, wrapping it up in time to make it to the theater and introduce the destination expert to a large group of passengers.

Curious about the speaker and having heard nothing but good things about him, she hung around to listen in.

The man was both knowledgeable and entertaining, sharing fun facts about Whittier, how it was renowned for being one of the premier spots to tour the glaciers. It was also home to a state-of-the-art conservation center for injured and orphaned wildlife.

---