Page 42 of Spindrift

Angieturned her eyes onto Emilia. “Someone said you have a sailboat?”

“Itwas my dad’s.”

“Willyou take us out sometime?”

Emiliathought Angie looked smaller, somehow, without Stevie beside her, as if she’dshrunk in on herself.

“Ihaven’t sailed in years and it’s a pretty small boat, but sure.”

“Youshould take someone with you the first few times you go out.” Morgan’s voicewas serious, and Emilia tensed, remembering the boating safety comment. Even ifshe knew Morgan well enough by now to guess she hadn’t meant the comment as aninsult, the idea of being in the boat with anyone other than her fatherstiffened her spine.

“I’ll. . . I’ll think about it.”

“TakeMorgan. She knows the water,” Angie suggested.

“Idon’t know much about sailboats,” said Morgan.

“Butyou know the currents.”

“Emiliamight have other friends,” Lillian said to Angie. “Or family in the area.”

Stormybegan singing happy birthday at that moment, sparing Emilia the need to thinkup an excuse. She stood with the rest of the group to enter the house.

Ahand on her elbow stopped her.

“Hey.”Morgan searched her eyes. “I know I’m being an ass about this, but I’m serious.The currents are dangerous. The river’s full of ledges, and the harbor isn’tmuch better.”

“I’maware.”

“Areyou?”

“Yes,actually.” Anger heated her cheeks. “And while I appreciate your concern, I amquite capable of taking care of myself.” So many people had questioned herdecisions of late—herself included—and she couldn’t handle Morgan adding to thelist. She needed to believe she knew what she was doing.

“Iget that. But you said yourself that you haven’t been out in that boat in howmany years?”

“IfI want a lecture, I’ll take that boating safety course.”

“Myengine died on me once. I hadn’t told anyone where I was going, and I’d left myradio in my locker. It was one of the scariest moments of my life. If alobsterman hadn’t seen me drifting I could have been seriously fucked.”

“Ihave sails and an engine. If one dies, I’ll use the other.”

Morganraked a hand through her short hair. “Just tell someone when you go out, okay?I don’t need your dad haunting me.”

Emiliasucked in a breath of cool night air and dug her nails into her palms, althoughwhether to keep from striking Morgan or from showing just how much the wordshad knocked the wind from her, she didn’t know.

“Emilia.”Morgan started to reach for her, then dropped her hand. “Fuck. I’m so sorry.”

Sheshouldn’t have come. She missed the steady presence of her dog and the quiet ofher father’s porch. “I think I should go.”

“Emilia,please.”

Stopsaying my name.“What, Morgan?”

“I. . .” Morgan glanced around the empty yard, then back to Emilia. “I’mprotective of the people I care about. I overstepped. It’s your boat, and I’msure you know what you’re doing. Will you stay for cake at least?”

“Willyou try and tell me how I should eat it?” Hearing Morgan group her among thepeople she cared about wasn’t enough to overshadow the warning that wordraised.

“Iwon’t even judge you for taking a piece with extra frosting.” Despite Morgan’swords, her tone remained solemn.

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