Page 27 of Adrift in Iceland
‘Shall we take a last look at the puffins before we head back?’
They tidied the galley in companionable silence and then got their coats and hats on and headed up to the deck. It was drizzling, and the wind had picked up, making the odd larger drop of rain feel like a sting on their faces as it hit. The puffins were being buffeted by the gusts but carried on with their fishing regardless.
‘I think we should head back in case this weather gets any worse,’ said Leifur.
‘That’s fine. It’s not as much fun now anyway.’ Astrid tucked the binoculars back in the case and followed Leifur into the wheelhouse. It was snug in there with two people, more so when he closed the door against the elements, and it didn’t take long for the heater to warm them through again.
The drizzle had reduced the visibility, and the sea was greyer and choppier than it had been on the way.
‘I’m sorry, I did check the forecast but you know how changeable it can be,’ Leifur said, looking worried.
‘It’s fine.’ She put a hand on his arm to steady herself. ‘I’ve been at sea in worse than this.’
He manoeuvred the boat around so that they were headingback the way they’d come. Astrid grabbed onto him again as the boat tipped forcefully from side to side while he made the turn, figuring that he was the sturdiest thing in the small wheelhouse to hang onto. His feet were in a wide stance that seemed to root him to the floor of the boat so that he was at one with it. It probably helped that he was steering and had a feel for what to expect, but Astrid was struck by how reassuring it was to hold onto him.
‘Sorry,’ she said, banging into his side when a particularly fierce wave tipped them.
‘No worries.’ He looked down and smiled at her, then took her hand that was gripping his forearm and tucked it around the crook of his elbow.
‘This would be awful weather to be out whale watching,’ she said, trying not to think about the fact that she had her arm linked with his and how nice that felt.
‘We probably should have turned back earlier. If we were on a tour, we wouldn’t both be down in the galley then we’d have seen what was going on.’
‘It’s not so bad.’ She wouldn’t have wanted to miss their galley picnic. It was the first time they’d had a chance to sit down together and chat, just the two of them. It was going to take quite a few chats before she really found out what it was to know Leifur. She had a feeling that there were some depths to be discovered and that she had barely scratched the surface.
Once they were on a straight heading, she relaxed a little and started to overthink the fact that she still had her hand tucked into Leifur’s elbow. Feeling his muscles tense as he adjusted the wheel to keep the boat from drifting off course was… well, it was making her feel things for Leifur that were making her blush. She slipped her hand out. He glanced briefly at her and she looked out of the window, not wanting him to see any sign of what she’d been thinking on her face.
‘When do you think we’ll start the tours?’
‘Jonas wants to start in a couple of weeks. We’ll need to do a dry run before then, perhaps with friends and family as guinea pigs. I think they’ve already started selling tickets on the website.’
‘Really? That’s scary.’
Leifur laughed. ‘You’re scared! I am terrified.’
‘At least we’re in it together.’
He nodded, his gaze fixed firmly on the horizon. ‘I am grateful for that. For you.’
‘It must be strange doing this on your own when you’ve always worked with your family.’ Astrid had worked out that he must have worked with his father and his brother at some point.
‘Yes, but there’s no choice. I told Jonas I could do this alone and he was right when he said I couldn’t. But I never thought he’d find someone like you. You don’t feel like a stranger, Astrid. You fit on this boat as if you’ve always been here with me.’
He didn’t look at her at all when he said this, yet it was the most heartfelt thing anyone had ever said to her. She put her hand on top of his hand that was closest to her as he gripped the wheel, his knuckles white, betraying the emotion he was battling to keep inside. His grip relaxed under her touch, and he removed his hand and placed it on top of hers, linking his fingers between hers and guiding their hands back onto the wheel. Then, a moment later, he released his hold and gently brought her in front of him so that she had her back to his chest and his arms were on either side of her, his hands still on the wheel.
Astrid gulped. She was so aware of him standing behind her. She thought she could feel his heat radiating into her back, even though that was impossible since they both had all their layers on. At first, she tried to stand close enough to thewheel so that she wasn’t touching him, but gradually she leaned into him, enveloped in his embrace, all thoughts of whether or not it was a good idea wiped clean from her head.
‘Is this okay?’ he murmured into her ear.
She nodded. His breath was warm, and his beard tickled her cheek, telling her he was as close as she imagined. Her heart was pounding, and she was sure he would feel it against his chest since it felt as though her whole body was vibrating. Feeling brave, she placed her hands on the wheel, lacing her fingers between his. His skin was much more tanned than hers, and his fingers were thicker and rougher, telling of the years of manual labour they’d seen. She traced her fingers to the tips of his.
‘What happened to your finger?’ she asked, running her finger over the relatively smooth skin.
‘It got caught in the net when we were hauling in. I was young and cocky. I should have had gloves on so it was my own fault.’
‘How young?’
‘Sixteen.’
