Page 15 of Adrift in Iceland
At least she was still speaking to him.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said.
She gave a small nod. Was that an acceptance?
‘Really. I’m sorry. I don’t know whether Jonas told you much about my situation?’
She shook her head. He had to hand it to Jonas. He’d been very discreet about the whole thing. There weren’t many people who would keep quiet about doing such a big favour for someone.
‘I didn’t want to stop fishing. I had to. I lost the family business, and the only thing I have left is my fishing boat. Jonas agreed to go into business with me. It means I can keep the boat, but it’s hard to hand over control to someone else. And hard to let other people call the shots about what happens on my boat.’
Astrid shifted around so that she was facing him. ‘Thank you for apologising,’ she said with a small smile.
She was unsure of him, and it made him a little sad to know that it was down to him she was guarded. It might take some time to get back to the easy conversation they’d had yesterday.
‘I thought we got on okay yesterday,’ she said, echoing his thoughts. ‘And then today it was like your grumpy identical twin had turned up.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Leifur said again. ‘I wasn’t expecting you to be Astrid. I guess I was already in a bad mood.’
‘Because?’
He sighed. ‘Because I’ve always been captain of my boat. And it doesn’t feel as if that’s the case anymore.’
‘Jonas is a good guy. He’s not going to do anything toundermine your being the captain of the boat. It’s not his style.’
‘I know.’ He took a deep breath. ‘I think I’m scared thatBrimfaxiwon’t feel like she’s mine anymore.’ And she was all he had left of the legacy his father had left him.
‘Brimfaxiis your boat?’
He nodded. ‘And was my father’s before me. I don’t know if I have made the right choice.’
‘Look,’ said Astrid, her expression softening. ‘I have a feeling that after we’ve been on this tour, you’ll feel much better about everything. It’s the unknown that’s sometimes the scariest part of anything new.’ She shifted across the bench, gesturing for him to sit next to her. Then she leant towards him and said in a lower voice, ‘And we don’t have to do it like this. We might think of better ways. But let’s be in it together.’
Her face was so hopeful when she looked at him, her eyes shining, making him feel better in a way he didn’t deserve after the way he’d treated her earlier.
‘I’d like that,’ he said. ‘If you’re sure it’s alright.’
‘Of course it’s alright,’ she said, catching her hair in her hand as it blew across her face. They were underway, and the wind had picked up. ‘Let’s just have a good time. I understand that you will have concerns about how things are going to operate, but I think I know Jonas well enough to know that anything is up for discussion. He’s very fair.’
That made Leifur feel even worse. He was so grateful to Jonas, yet that wouldn’t be apparent to Astrid by the way he’d behaved.
‘I know I’m coming off as ungrateful and like I want to call the shots instead of Jonas, but that’s not it. God, I’d love to start this morning over again.’
She laughed. ‘Everyone has a bad day once in a while, Leifur. You’re allowed.’
‘Thank you.’ He paused, the silence between them easy. ‘So, do you think we will see some whales?’
‘I’ve got a good feeling about this,’ Astrid said, grinning at him as she pulled a hand-knitted beanie hat out of her pocket and pulled it on, stuffing her hair inside.
Over the course of the next three hours, they were lucky enough to see a handful of humpback whales and some minkes. Each time they spotted something, Astrid was so excited, she grabbed his arm, and every time, he found himself on edge, waiting for the next time because it felt so… It was wonderful, that’s what it was. This woman was smart, forgiving, enthusiastic, and he was already sorry that he’d have to say goodbye to her after the trip. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and he had to hand it to Jonas for recognising that she would be an enormous asset on a trip like this. As well as being upbeat, despite the rocky start to their day, she was a mine of information about the whales, whispering snippets of information into his ear periodically. They were doing their best to blend in and be part of the tour and Astrid had said to him she was worried the other customers would wonder why she was on the tour when she knew so much about the whales already, when he’d asked her why she was whispering.
‘You must have seen a lot of whales,’ she said as the boat headed back to the harbour.
Leifur nodded. ‘I have. And it’s hard to say without some equipment to check, but I think we would have seen more on the other side of the bay.’
Astrid tipped her head from side to side. ‘It is hard to know. They must have tried and tested areas. I guess they’ve been doing it for years.’
‘But what if they’re happy to see those couple of humpback whales? They might know they’re a sure thing and not be putting much effort into actually looking.’
