Page 55 of Too Far To Sea
“After 2020, I say it’s the best way.”
The older woman whispered conspiratorially, “Don’t let her tell you it worked. She isn’t talkative at all. However, I got her to blush when I asked her if she had a beau and she won’t tell me who it is.”
Dana’s instant blush was impossible to miss. She turned away and sent her backpack through the machine.
“Aha, see, just like—” the woman looked from Dana to McKay. “In fact, sir, you’re blushing a bit too.”
Dana hurried on and the woman looked at them both again, a large smile grew on her face.
McKay nodded and greeted the next person. The last thing he needed was for a passenger to think that there was something going on and report it. Because of the removal of Ian from the ship, they were down two crew members as Alberto left the ship to accompany Ian back to headquarters, leaving McKay and the other junior officers with extra duties.
An hour later another officer relieved him and McKay went to the security office where all the paperwork that Alvaro usually filed waited for him. Paperwork was, of course, a misnomer, as everything was filed electronically. He signed and dated the last form. In less than 24 hours, he’d be on land again.
With the few hours he had remaining on board, he was unlikely to find more than a few minutes to say hello to Dana. He desperately wanted to discover the meaning behind that blush and gain her permission to contact her once they were both home. He stared at the computer. He could access her cell phone number. His fingers hovered for a moment over thekeys before he pushed the thought aside. Not only was there an ethics question involved, but he preferred that women gave him their phone numbers willingly. The company would deactivate his ship app access during his leave, causing him to lose that contact.
Maybe if he were very lucky, he could find her one more time before they reached Southampton.
Dana spent most of the afternoon in her cabin trying to read between all of the visitors knocking on her door. Cheyanne came by to escape her former bridesmaids, who were smothering her with attention. Minutes after her arrival, Sheila knocked. Dana barely opened the door before Cheyanne was at her side.
“Mom. I told you I don’t want to see you for the rest of the day. I’m trying to process that you knew about this and didn’t tell me. Can you go find a very short plank, please?”
“A plank? You know I can’t do that exercise.”
Dana couldn’t hold back the laugh, earning her a glare from her mother.
Sheila tried to push her way in.
Dana blocked the way.
Cheyanne ducked between Dana and the door. “I didn’t say to go exercise. I told you to find a plank as in ‘walk the plank.’ I’ve asked you politely to leave me alone, and it hasn’t worked. I am tired of being polite.”
Their mother took a step back, and Dana closed the door. Immediately, her mother started pounding.
Dana nodded to the balcony. “We can go out there and ignore her.”
“I should have stood up to her years ago. I don’t think I ever would’ve gotten engaged to him if it hadn’t been for her and Daddy. I didn’t see they wanted the connection so much. Daddy isn’t nearly as pushy as Mom.” Cheyanne sat down. “Daddy was the one who introduced me. I think he believes he could expand his company to England with such connections. Although Chandler said he couldn’t. Daddy knew too.”
“I haven’t seen your father since Dublin. How is he?”
“He is drowning in sorrows, one bar to the next. At least he isn’t yelling at me. It feels weird to call him Daddy after knowing he didn’t watch out for me.”
“For years I called Sheila my Momster, it helped.”
“Momster? Really?” Chey laughed so hard she had to sit on the lounge chair.
“Since your engagement, I’ve taken to calling her Motherzilla.”
Chey clutched her middle. “Stop. You are killing me.”
After a few minutes Chey calmed. “How could a mom do that?”
“I don’t know.”
Cheyanne stood and leaned against the railing. “I thought she would get it. With everything in her past. But she is so upset about the wedding.”
“Have you decided on your next steps?”
“My in-laws no, they’re not my in-laws anymore, have all my stuff that I shipped over. I called them last night. They asked me to stay at their house for the week. Apparently, Chandler hasn’t contacted them. But INTERPOL has. Lord Fairfax is furious and more than a little sympathetic to my plight. As weird as it sounds, I think I’m taking their offer. I need to be away from my own parents for a bit.”
