Page 49 of Loved to Death

“Sounds like half the town is at the party,” Thomas commented.

Shen nodded. “I’ve known the captain for over twenty years and I’mstillamazed by his ability to make strategically beneficial friends everywhere he goes.”

Thomas chuckled. “He does have a knack for it. He would have made a good politician.”

“He may still.”

“The captain is sixty-one,” Thomas protested.

“And still in perfect health and full of ambition.”

“Ambition?” Thomas laughed. “He’s had this house built so he can live out the rest of his days in comfort.”

“He’s retiring from life at sea, not from life in general.”

“I suppose,” Thomas agreed. Shen was usually right when it came to predicting what path people would take in life, and Thomas had learned the hard way that vehemently disagreeing would leave him looking like a fool a few years down the line.

When they arrived at the house, Thomas noted that the party had spilled out into the street. People enjoyed the cool night air while they visited, meandering in and out of the two-story house with drinks in hand.

They greeted a couple of fellow crew members on their way into the house to find the captain. They found him in the foyer chatting with several people.

Thomas caught the captain’s eye, and the man excused himself from the crowd before stepping over to greet them.

“Come,” the captain said jovially, “let me show you the house.”

Thomas had to push aside his envy to find happiness for his captain during the tour. A beautiful house full of windows was a thing Thomas could never have. Once they’d seen the whole house, Captain Martinez took them into his office and closed the door behind them.

“Before we go back out to the party, I want to make you an offer.”

“An offer?” Thomas asked, brow furrowing.

“The people who need our services have changed over the years, but there’s been no lack of work. When I started building this house, my plan had been to make Mr. Johansen captain of my ship.”

The captain was silent for a moment.

“I wish I could have been there that day,” Thomas said.

Captain Martinez put a hand on Thomas’ shoulder. “I know you do, lad. But I’m not sure it would have made a difference.” He released Thomas’ shoulder and turned to look out the window at the night sky.

The memory of his friend’s lifeless body being carried aboard with a bullet wound in his forehead still made Thomas shudder.

“Mr. Johansen knew the risks involved in bedding a married woman,” the captain said. “Especially bedding the same woman repeatedly.”

“He was in love,” Shen said softly. “The risk didn’t matter to him.”

After a loud sigh, the captain made eye contact with Thomas again and said, “Enough of that. The point is, I have a ship, I need a captain, and I’m offering you the job.”

“Me?” Thomas asked.

“Don’t look so surprised, lad. You’ve proven yourself time and time again over the years. You’re a natural leader, and there aren’t many members of my original crew left. Certainly not anyone I’d trust with my ship. You’d keep the crew to sail her, decide which jobs to take, and send me a small cut of the profits each month.”

Shen’s unhappiness immediately flooded Thomas’ consciousness, but he couldn’t detect a hint of that emotion in Shen’s stoic expression. Turning back to the captain, he said, “I’ll need to think it over. Can I give you my answer tomorrow?”

“Yes, of course.” The captain waved a hand toward the office door. “Let’s join in the merriment.”

Thomas and Shen followed the captain back to the party, accepted glasses of wine that they carried around instead of drinking, and visited with various people for the next couple of hours. But Thomas found it difficult to enjoy the party with Shen’s internal mood dipping further and further downward toward despair.

Thomas decided he’d had enough when he sensed a hint of self-recrimination from Shen. He excused himself from the woman he’d been talking to and walked across the room to interrupt Shen’s conversation with their current quartermaster, Mr. Paulson.

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