Page 19 of Too Far To Sea
“I love the sea. After the Navy, security was a natural progression. Definitely not a boring desk job.”
“I’m sure you have some stories.”
“A few. Though probably nothing compared to whatever you’re not telling me about your work.”
“Officer Worth...”
“McKay, most people call me McKay. Or Mac.”
Her eyes softened. “McKay. Thank you for the escort.”
The elevator reached the deck where the theater was located. McKay walked her to the door of the theater closest to the VIP seating. “Enjoy the show, Miss Knight.”
“Dana,” she offered with a small smile. “Since we’re exchanging names.”
“Good evening, Dana.”
McKay walked around the deck before slipping into an employee corridor and back to the security office.
Alvaro was exiting as he arrived. “I’m up to the casino to deal with a problem. Did you get Miss Knight to the theater?”
“Yes. Why did you have me escort her? And don’t tell me about crutches. If we had to escort every person with a cane on board, we would never do another thing.”
His friend smiled. “Honestly? I was worried her family might be waiting to pounce on her and I don’t think she deserves it.”
“Oh, I thought—” McKay shook his head. There was no reason to disclose his feelings. “Never mind.”
Alvaro nodded and continued on his way. McKay shook his head again. What had he been thinking? There was no way the chief security officer would have tried to set him up with a passenger and break policies they were both paid to enforce.
McKay took the chair in the back of the room that oversaw all the other security personnel watching the monitors.
From his control chair, he checked the cameras the security crew had flagged for monitoring. A table in the casino, a table in the top side bar, a man and a woman in a secluded area of the ship. Only shadows moved on screen as there was a two-yard-long blind spot there. The largest one in the passenger areas. Few people knew where the blind spots were in the CCTV coverage, so any time people lingered in one, it was concerning.
McKay sent a message to the closest security member to take a walkthrough of the corridor in question. A moment later, a couple emerged from the shadows. McKay zoomed in on them. Wasn’t that Miss Knight’s future brother-in-law? The red head was not the bride-to-be.
The security crew messaged back that the area was clear and the couple had moved on. No evidence of assault. Which had been the original concern. Nothing illegal, not his problem.
Three hours later, alone in his cabin, the incident with the fiancé still bothered him. It wasn’t uncommon to see evidence of unfaithfulness onboard. Maybe it was the fact that the groom knew or guessed a spot where the CCTV coverage had a small break, or maybe it was his relationship with Dana.
The nightly call with Gracie and Jen interrupted his thoughts. Gracie showed him her countdown calendar for going to Robyn’s Place. She’d added a big red heart for next Wednesday.
“Do you know what this is?” Gracie pointed to the heart.
“No.”
“It’s the day you come home!”
On her calendar, it seemed so close. “Actually, that is the day the cruise ends. I have to go sign some papers and things. I’ll likely be home on Friday.”
“Do you know your flight yet?” asked Jen.
“I’m sure I have an email about it.” The cruise line would book his flight, so he had thought little of it.
Jen rolled her eyes. “I don’t get how you can be so responsible most of the time and other times not seem to care.”
“I do care. My flight isn’t one of those things I need to worry about today. Someone else is making the reservations. I’m having a harder time packing up all my stuff. I’m going to have an extra suitcase as it is.”
“Mom was talking about one of those rings you can get in Ireland again today. I assume you’ll have room for one?”
