Page 65 of Love Overboard
“Don’t mention it, cutie. How ’bout you?” She waved the box at Lacey.
“Um … sure. Thank you.” Lacey grabbed a single piece of popcorn and raised it to her lips.
The elevator dinged again, and Jon and Lacey got off on the promenade deck. He pointed at a trash can as the door closed behind them.
“What?” she asked.
“You can throw it away now. I know you didn’t eat the popcorn.”
“You must think you’ve got me figured out.” Lacey hid her arms behind her.
“Ah-ah.” Jon grabbed at her hand. “Don’t try and get rid of the evidence.”
She spun around, but he enveloped her body and grabbed her fist. They feinted and dodged, and the weight of their earlier conversation dissipated. Teasing was easy. Family problems were hard. Better to put them off until later.
The Shippers watched with glee as their favorite couple bickered good-naturedly. Jon grabbed Lacey in a headlock. He received an elbow to the gut as they made their way out of sight.
Emily gave a thumbs-up to her crew. “This looks promising.”
“Good ol’ roughhousing.” Althea chuckled. “Definitely an improvement.”
Gerry agreed. “Their mood is friendlier.”
“My second husband and I were friendly like that a lot.” Althea nudged Daisy as the Shippers started down the hall. “That’s why we had six kids.”
“Althea, please.” Daisy’s cheeks colored, and she fiddled with the brooch at the neckline of her black lace blouse.
“Nothing wrong with a little horseplay. Keeps the relationship spicy.”
The ladies walked to a side lounge at the end of the deck and settled at an empty table.
“I agree with Althea.” Gerry slid her laptop out of her tote bag and opened it. “Every good romance novel throws in the PC when things start to heat up.”
Daisy’s smooth brow wrinkled. “Politically correct?”
Gerry locked her fingers together and whispered, “Physical contact.”
Emily laid her hand on the table near the computer. “It’s about time we saw forward movement. Gerry, make a note of this in the log. We’ll observe them for the next few days and see if this flirtatious atmosphere continues.”
“I wonder what changed.” Gerry typed away. “Did anyone notice a catalyst? We might be able to use the same tactic in future cases.”
Emily tapped the spot between her eyebrows with a finger. “He played the rescuing knight on Nevis when we were stuck in that gymnasium. But Lacey appeared colder than ever on the ride to the ship the next morning. I doubt she said two words to him.”
“I can’t figure our girl out.” Althea fluffed the hair around her ears. “If a man did that for me, I’d melt at his feet in a puddle of goo.”
“When you love deep and hurt deeper, it’s hard to let people in.” Emily pulled her fuzzy knit cardigan tight as the air-conditioning kicked on. “That’s why our help is so crucial.”
“She appears to be thawing,” Althea said. “I hope it lasts.”
“What if it doesn’t?” Daisy asked. “Suppose they have a falling-out again?”
Emily leaned back on her chair. “Then we’ll find another closet to lock them in.”
Daisy cringed.
Althea laughed.
And Gerry took out her book.
