Page 13 of Shiver Me Timbers

Is it my imagination, or does the wailing drop in volume? I blink up at the stars, taken by surprise.

“Uh, okay. You’re really listening? Wow.”

Should’ve prepared a speech before I marched out here with nothing more than a life jacket to protect me. You know in the movies, when the main character pulls an amazing speech out of thin air, and saves the day with their eloquence? This won’t be like that. I always sucked in English class.

“I, um. I’ve heard about you.” I’m not yelling—barely raising my voice—but the wailing fades even quieter. “I know that you loved a man you couldn’t have. I know he was older and forbidden, and you spent your whole life apart, longing for your true love. And I just want to say… man, that sucks.”

TheEllie Maygroans as it rocks in the surf, but the swell is gentler now. The wind plays with my hair rather than yanks on it, and the waves have stopped crashing over the rail.

“I can’t imagine it. Or Ican, actually, because that was nearly me. And it still might be me, actually, if you give my guy too much time to overthink things.”

Can Duncan hear me saying all this? I’m out in the middle of the deck, but the wailing is a background noise now, and the storm’s dying away with each passing second.

Huh. Did the ghost only want to be acknowledged? Has she spent her whole afterlife wailing because no one would freaking listen?

How relatable.

“That’s him.” My thumb jabs over my shoulder, and a pocket of silence behind me says the captain is definitely listening. “Duncan Matlock. He was my dad’s best friend, and now we’re business partners. I rent a room in his house, and I’ve loved him for years. Not gonna lie, it’s pretty messy.”

The stars pulse and glitter overhead, so huge and mysterious and eternal. The wind swirls all around, like it’s listening. Likeshe’slistening.

And here I am, so tiny and unimportant to the universe at large, so irrelevant in the grand scheme of things—yet so important to the gruff man behind me.

As long as I’m important to him, I can bear being a temporary bundle of atoms. I can bear anything.

“He loves me too,” I tell her. “He has for a long time, but he’s been a chicken about it.”

Duncan lets out an irritated grunt, but I ignore him.

“And tonight, we finally tip-toed over that line, finally admitted there’s something between us… when you showed up.” I shrug at the moon, smiling weakly. “So you can see why there might have been some name calling. I’m sorry about that.”

The wailing has gone away, replaced by a gentle, harmonic hum. The crashing waves are now barely more than ripples, and the air is so still. Like the Wailing Woman is enthralled.

“The thing is…” I wet my lips and taste salt. From waves or tears? “I’m so close.We’reso close. And if we fumble it now… if we ruin this chance to work things out… I’m afraid you won’t be wailing alone in the afterlife. I’ll be right there with you when my time comes, belting out a harmony.”

My fingers twist in my soaked sweatshirt sleeves. Duncan huffs out a quiet laugh, and I bite my lip against a smile before I go on.

“So we’re not trying to be rude, I swear. We’re not trying to ignore the awfulness of your plight, and believe me, I wish things had been different for you, and you got your happy ending. Everyone deserves that. But tonight…”

I take a deep breath.

“Tonight, we’d really, really like to get home and screw each other’s brains out. Life is short, right? I’m sure you understand.”

There’s a spluttering noise behind me. Beaming up at the stars, I feel lighter than air, even soaked through with seawater and with a lingering queasiness in my belly. The breeze is warm.

“What do you say?” I ask the stars. “Will you do a girl a favor?”

The hum holds for one final, melodic note… then fades away.

Six

Duncan

“You are a miracle.” In the middle of the deck, Ellie whoops and punches the air as I watch from the doorway. Her clothes are soaked, clinging to her curves, and her wet curls are wild. “Ellie? Get over here.”

She turns and skips to me, bright-eyed and beaming. The green tinge has gone from her skin, and she’s flushed. Healthy.

Gorgeous. Always so gorgeous.

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