Page 78 of A Girl and HER Prince
He watched her like he was trying to reassure her. “We’re almost off this island,” he said. “It’ll be okay.”
“It’ll be okay?” she repeated. That’s what he always said! The guy was so afraid of letting reality touch him with its negativity.Everything was going to be okay! All the time. Every time!This was not going to be okay… and that was why they had to get out of here—and now.
Livvy nodded and helped him get the bandages back on. She felt his warm breaths on her neck. She met his eyes. They were still on hers, though the confidence in them was starting to slip the more worried she got. She’d never been a good actress. Reaching up, she ran soothing fingers down his arm. “Let’s get off this island.”
That’s what he wanted to hear, and he smiled in return, the kind of gritty cowboy smile that meant that they were going to do this or die.
She was scared to pieces. Her heart skipped and started as she helped him finish up their bridge over the pothole and get the donkeys strapped back up and moving. The wooden trailer screeched and groaned over the bumpy surface, but so far, the bridge held. They’d almost cleared it when the boat teetered sidewise.
Immediately, Venice slowed and waited for it to right itself before trying again. The boat gave a convulsive shake and then cleared the obstruction the next time around. Livvy let out a breath of relief. They were almost to the water’s edge.
Venice made the signal to stop. He got out of the forklift. “We’ll need to make a one-eighty here, so we can back the vessel into the water.”
She gulped. The ancients must’ve done that last part by using another vessel to tug in the boat. They needed a truck, a hitch, a modern trailer. And they were stuck with a forklift! Would the brakes be enough to stop gravity from taking Venice into the water with it? If they couldn’t get the trailer detached in time, the extra weight would be enough to sink the warship.
This was impossible.
The memory of Venice’s infected stomach made her nod again. They had to keep going! Turning the vessel around, they unhooked the donkeys’ harnesses while he attached the forklift to the trailer.
It was time for the controlled descent. At least he seemed to know what he was doing, though after his stunt with his infected wounds, she wasn’t sure if he was acting more confident than he felt.
She turned to Venice. “How are the brakes? You think the forklift can do the trick?”
He took a steadying breath. “This hill isn’t so bad. We just have to get the boat to float even and then unhook it from the trailer, but… I’ll need you to get in the boat and control the rudder, and put down the anchor so it doesn’t try to sail off without us.”
Livvy let out a breath. She knew the basics, but she’d need a crash course of steering an ancient galley. If anything went wrong, she could always jump ship and swim, but she didn’t want to be the reason they failed.
Steve nuzzled her back with his long nose. “Oh!” She let out a sound of reluctance. “I wish you could come with us.”
Her eyes went to BamBam and Ronnie wandering freely along the banks. Fortunately, they knew where their home was and would be dining on fresh straw tonight after their hard day of work, but she was actually sorry to part ways with the tenderhearted donkeys. Venice’s uncle didn’t deserve them.
“You’re the one thing I’ll miss about this island,” she said.
Venice’s hand joined hers on Steve’s back and he patted down his soft tuft of fur. “We’ll have to get donkeys of our own someday.”
Our own?That definitely sounded like “future” talk. She hadn’t been sure what awaited them after this, but making plans gave her a reason to want to leave this place.
Kissing Steve’s sweet head, she clambered aboard the warship while Venice showed her the basics of the rudder, and it reallywasbasic, a stick that she pushed the direction they should go. The anchor was literally a heavy stone. His uncle was sure a bear for detail and authenticity, no hidden motor anywhere… to her disappointment.
Venice climbed into the forklift and disappeared. “You ready for this?” he shouted up at her.
“Yes!” Her voice didn’t sound as confident as she’d hoped it would, but at least she gotthatpast her frozen lips.
The engine growled back to life and the vessel slowly moved down the ramp and began its creeping descent that turned faster and faster. The brakes screeched. The forklift slid sideways then corrected until the galley was in the water.
The forklift went with it and the bow of the galley dipped forward.
She screamed. “Venice!” He’d gone in the water with the forklift! She peered over the side, not able to see him. “Venice!”
His head came out of the water. “Livvy! Listen to me! I’m going to detach the trailer from the boat or it’s all going down. Put down the anchor!”
He dove into the water before she could tell him to stop. How could he ever survive that? He’d be crushed by the heavy machinery or trapped below the trailer if he managed to get it free.
Shouting out in panic, Livvy’s hands fumbled over the rock placed near the port at the railing. Using her shoulder, she shoved the heavy mass into the water. It made a huge splash. The attached rope flew through the air until it was taut.
The bow still rocked forward while the whole stern of the galley rose out of the water behind her like she was on a ride at an amusement park. The warship groaned as it reached its breaking point. She screamed seconds before the vessel bounced back up over the water. That had to mean it was free from the trailer.
All of her worst fears connected in her mind and exploded into a thousand worries. Was he stuck down there? “Venice? Venice!” she shrieked. She should’ve tried harder to stop him—she should’ve told him that they’d go across the sea on the wheelbarrow, not this floating coffin. “Aeneas?” It came out a sob.
