by L L Shelton
Lily Ann cut her off. “Tell me where she is, and I’ll take you.”
Across the marina, Avery placed the last of the linens in a box, closed the lid and hung her head. The words played over in her head. You’re just like Brittney, always wanting something from me. Why did she fall so hard for this woman? It didn’t matter; time will erase her. At least that was what she kept telling herself over the last few days. She felt bad about bailing on Charlie. He gave her a job and a place to live, but he understood when she told him the whole story. He even attempted to talk her into taking a few days off to see how things worked out, but that didn’t feel right. Miami was waiting and would be busy enough to keep her mind off Carly.
Her hands were full of boxes as she sang to the song blasting through the earphones. Her feet halted in the gravel at the first sight of Carly. She stood beside the open trunk of the car, and Avery thought about how good she looked. She placed the boxes in the back of the vehicle and pulled the piece from her ear. “Tony opened his mouth,” she said as she slammed the trunk closed.
“I forced it out of him. Don’t blame him. Avery, I am so sorry. I was hurting, and I took it out on you.”
Avery eyed the beautiful blonde in front of her. Visions of their lovemaking flashed like a silent movie in her mind. She knew the words were in anger. That didn’t make them any easier to swallow. “You think? Go home, Carly.”
Carly heard the turn of her feet on the driveway. The woman she loved was walking away. She reached out, trying to stop her, but her hands found nothing but air as her feet slipped and she fell to the ground.
“Carly!” Avery screamed as she ran around the car to find Carly sitting up with her arms hanging over her knees and her face hidden in them. Small pebbles peppered her elbows and arms. She was crying. Avery sat on the driveway in front of her. She rubbed her arms, cleaning off the tiny rocks. “Are you okay?”
Carly never lifted her head, but shook it in a yes motion, then back and forth in a no motion. “I didn’t mean those words. I don’t think you’re like Brittney. Please. I like you, and I know there is a lot of baggage that comes with me. I was mad at her, and the headache was so bad. Why did I say that stuff? I fucked it all up.”
Avery stroked her fingers through the blonde strands. Her heart hurt. Avery was falling in love with this woman, and no distance would erase her from her thoughts. Why would she run away from the best thing that had ever happen to her? “We need to get you a haircut.”
“Huh?” Carly said with a lift of her head. She sniffled.
“We need to take you to get a haircut.” Avery leaned over and laid her lips on hers. “I forgive you.”
“We? We’re a ‘we?’” Carly asked.
“Yes, Carly Hutch. We are a ‘we.’ Except, I must find a job and a place to live because I am homeless. Charlie hired a new girl to start Monday.”
“Your commute to your new job would be easier if you stayed with me.” Carly pulled Avery between her legs, wrapping her arms around her.
“I have a job?” Avery snuggled into her.
“We. We have a new business, getting Feeling Desire back to fishing.”
“Carly, are you sure? I shouldn’t have pressured you to do that.”
“Yes. I’m glad you did. You bring out the best in me. You’re the air that I needed to breathe. I need you.”
“I need you, too.” Avery leaned in and kissed the soft lips of her girlfriend.
23
“Bobby John, if you don’t get in gear so we can get going . . . We need to be on time for your brother’s fight!” Lily Ann screamed down the hallway. She was nervous. On top of worrying about David, she was meeting Jewel again.
“Calm down,” Suzy said as she walked from the kitchen. “He takes forever to get dressed.” Bobby jumped into the hallway dressed as a superhero. He had his sister’s oversize stockings on, which bunched in wrinkles around his tiny ankles, rubber rain boots, a towel as a cape, and a mask from Halloween. He stood with both feet planted, hands on his hips, and his head turned with chin lifted. Suzy broke out laughing. She placed her hand on Lily Ann’s shoulder. “I got this. Sit and drink a cup of coffee. We have an hour before the match starts.”
Lily Ann fell into the kitchen chair. “God, give me strength,” she muttered.
Forty-five minutes later, they pulled up in front of the gym, and Lily Ann saw Jewel standing outside, waiting for her arrival. Their eyes met, and each passed a smile to the other. When the car stopped, Bobby stuck his head between the two front seats. “Does someone want to tell me why my teacher is here?”
“I invited her,” Lily Ann admitted. Her eyes held the woman’s gaze who waited for her to exit the car.
“Please tell me you’re not dating Ms. Roberts?” Bobby said.
“Bobby, we’ve become friends. That’s all.” Lily Ann didn’t give him a chance to respond. She jumped out of the car and greeted Jewel. They smiled and giggled at each other while Bobby sat and watched the two.
“You need to behave,” Suzy said as she unbuckled her seat belt. She twisted her body to face Bobby eye to eye. “Listen, Lily Ann has never brought a woman around to meet us. Never.” Bobby opened his mouth, but Suzy cut his words off. “Regardless if they are friends, or if Ms. Roberts is a girlfriend, you need to watch what you say. Promise me you will behave?” There was silence. “Bobby, I’m not playing. This means a lot to our sister. Promise.”
He twisted his mouth up. “Fine. Fine. I promise. But, for the record, this is jacked up. Of all the people, it had to be Ms. Roberts. I’m hanging with you inside.”
“Great. We can share some popcorn,” Suzy said before she rubbed his head. “Let’s go.”
Carmen sat in the front row, saving seats for everyone. She remained reserved as she gave a greeting. David walked over to talk to his family. His eyes caught glances of Carmen, and he sneaked in a smile. “Well, I have to warm-up,” he announced. Without warning, Carmen gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, and he blushed. When she told him to be careful, he smiled so big his eyes wrinkled.
“Ew! Girl cooties!” Bobby yelled out.
Suzy grabbed his hand and pulled him off to the concession stand.
As the matches continued, Lily Ann and Jewel watched and chatted about the skills of the boxers. When one kid got knocked down with a punch, Lily Ann flinched and grabbed Jewel’s hand. Their hands remained as one until it was time to clap for David. Suzy giggled when Bobby rolled his eyes at the sight of the two women. He came close to saying something, but the dagger stare given by his sister kept his lips together.
David entered the ring, his nervousness apparent as he jumped up and down and shook his arms out. A subtle smile emerged from his lips. Bruce, David’s trainer, smiled at Lily Ann, giving her the thumbs up. He worked with David to get a handle on his anger management over the loss of his parents. She owed him so much. Since David started boxing lessons, he was kind, more like the old David. The first two rounds were even in score. David and his opponent took on head and stomach shots. When David got hit with a low blow, Lily Ann jumped to her feet as he fell to one knee, but it was Jewel who pulled her back to reassure her. The other boy got a warning, and the second round ended. Once the third and last round started, all of David’s punches landed. He was on fire. Carmen jumped up and down in cheer, along with the entire first row, when the final bell rang. The scores tallied, and David’s hand rose in victory. The smile on his face was priceless. A proud Lily Ann released a breath she had held for the entire match.
“He did amazing. You can relax now!” Jewel yelled over the crowd.
“Could you tell that I was nervous?” Lily Ann asked. Jewel answered with two fingers held inches apart. “Would you like to go out to get pizza with us?” Lily Ann blurted out. Just then, Bobby ran over, landing between Lily Ann’s legs. He laid his head on her chest as she wrapped him up in a hug. His eyes locked on Jewel.
“Did you enjoy watching all the boxers?” Lily Ann asked him.
&nb
sp; He lifted his eyes. “It was okay. Superheroes fight better.”
Jewel leaned over. “I agree, especially Captain America.”
Bobby’s eyes got wide. “You know about Captain America? I thought you were too old, Ms. Roberts.” Bobby stood straight up and put both his hands on his hips. He cocked to one side. “Are you my sister’s girlfriend? There should be a law about being my teacher and her girlfriend at the same time.” There it was. Suzy did well, mostly, keeping his words under control, but it was like wrapping a rope around water.
“Bobby!” Lily Ann exclaimed in embarrassment.
Jewel laughed. “I’m not her girlfriend at the moment, but as soon as that happens, you will be the first that I tell. I got invited for pizza, and I’m starving. How about you?” She smiled at the little guy.
“Yay, pizza!” Bobby jumped up and down. He ran back over to Suzy, bouncing into her arms.
“Thank you. Bobby can be a little robust. I hope he didn’t make you feel uncomfortable,” Lily Ann said.
“Not at all.” Jewel took Lily Ann’s hand back into hers. “Thank you for inviting me here. I had an amazing time.”
“It was fun,” Lily Ann confessed.
“Then, we need to do this again,” Jewel said with a smile.
Lily Ann nodded. What am I doing? she asked herself.
Avery passed the steaming cup of coffee to Carly before she slipped in beside her on the couch. It was a beautiful day, and a bobcat was picking up the massive net off the deck of the boat. Carly finished the job early in the morning and was glad to get rid of the monster. It made it difficult for her to walk around. Carly sat back and took a sip of the black liquid. Avery’s coffee was much better than hers. She felt the weight of Avery’s legs come across her.
“Cheddar hasn’t been around. I’m afraid the stuff that happened with Brittney scared the poor little guy,” Carly voiced her worry.
Avery pulled her legs away and sat up. “Carly, I’m sorry. Cheddar got hurt in the fight. Sully was attacking, and Cheddar jumped in to help. He ran up Brittney’s arm, and she flicked him into the wall. He fell to the floor and didn’t move. Sully scooped him up in his mouth before taking off. With all that happened, I forgot to tell you.”
Carly sat there with tears in her eyes. “He died trying to help me,” she mustered the words out.
“He loved you,” Avery added.
Carly’s head lowered. “Brittney took so much from me. Now Cheddar.”
“She’s gone for good. She won’t be taking anything else from you.” Avery rubbed the back of her neck.
“Hello, ladies!” Tony stepped onto the boat. Carly wiped her eyes and greeted the young man. Tony received a phone call from Avery, and she offered him a job to help Carly’s fishing business get started. He jumped at the opportunity. He will graduate in two months and wanted to take off time before he started college. Carly’s offer was perfect. He would work after school and on the weekends, then full time as soon as school was over.
The first meeting of the Feeling Desire crew began. “This’ll be a lot of work. I’d like to fire the engine today. If it seems safe, I want to take her out. We won’t go far. She’s not been at sea for over three years. Tony, have you ever steered a boat?”
“Yes. I help the other fishermen in the harbor when they have a large haul.” Tony looked around at the vessel. “There is one boat similar to yours that I’ve steered.”
“Good,” Carly responded. “Do you see any other of the fishermen around?”
Tony walked to the dock and looked around for another boat owner. “Smucker and Flatline are here.”
Smucker fished here for about fifteen years, and Flatline was the newest fisher at the marina. They called him Flatline because he was pulling in an enormous fish when it hit him dead in the heart, causing him to flatline. They both were professionals and good men.
Carly walked over and screamed out for them. “Hey, Smucker. Flatline. Can you come over?”
Two gigantic men showed up within seconds. “What’s up, Hutch?”
“We’re taking the boat out. We’ll stay within the harbor’s eyesight. Would you keep an eye on us? She hasn’t seen her sea legs for a long time.”
The men smiled crooked smiles with a few missing teeth. Every man in the marina heard the Carly story, which meant they knew how much the water meant to her. Both men shook Tony and Avery’s hand. Words unspoken but understood. They were thanking them.
“Hey, Hutch, is it okay if I go out with you? I’d love to take a gander at your engine. Tomorrow, I’ll come over and tune it with you. You’ll need to replace some parts and change the oil.” The request came from Flatline. Carly nodded in agreement and held her arm out. Just as Avery saw the gesture before, they slapped forearms.
“Thank you. I appreciate that,” Carly said to Flatline before she addressed Smucker. “Hey Smucker, does Pops still sit at the end of the pier in the mornings?”
Pops was the oldest fisherman in the area. Nearly eighty-five, he sat at the end of the pier, a rod dangling in the water, cigar in the mouth at five in the morning. “Like clockwork. Never misses a day,” Smucker answered.
“I need to ask him if he can teach Tony and Avery about the water.” Carly’s words received a head turn from both students.
“I thought you would teach us?” Avery chimed in.
“Pops will teach you so much more. I’ll do hands-on training. He’ll teach you lingo. I need for you to communicate to me if we see trouble.” They both agreed with her. “Let’s see if this girl will fire up.” Carly clapped her hands together as excitement rang out in her voice. Her nerves and senses tingled as the hair stood up on her arms. A moment that Carly thought was long lost.
The engine stalled a few times before it fired, but it purred once the kinks got knocked out. Flatline helped Tony steer the boat out of the marina, but once they were in open waters, he found his way down to the engine. The vessel lifted and fell in rhythm with the water. Carly stood beside the wheel until she felt the touch of Avery, who guided her to the helm. Tony stepped away, joining Flatline downstairs.
Avery supported her with a hand to the lower back. “We’re in open water.” Avery reached down, guiding Carly’s hand to the wheel of the ship. Carly gasped when her fingers wrapped around the wood, trembles coursing through her body. She buckled at the knees, but powerful arms held her steady. “I’m here. You are okay,” Avery whispered. Carly’s second hand came up and wrapped around the timber handle. The wood quivered under her touch. Feeling Desire danced over the water, and Carly led her. The wind in her face, the smell of the salt, and Avery’s arms wrapped around her from behind; in that moment, Carly’s heart began to beat. She was alive. Tears rolled down her cheeks as her chin lifted with strength and pride. She was back at sea. She was home.
24
A call from Lily Ann surprised Carly. Three weeks had slipped by since she saw her last. Getting the boat back to seaworthy condition occupied Carly’s days, and Avery filled her nights. Days turned into nights and nights into days. They worked hard on the boat, and two days ago, they caught their first hundred pound of shrimp. It wasn’t a huge haul, but it fired the desire and brought hope. The boat’s name took on a new meaning as the vessel was reborn.
Lily Ann called to ask a favor from Carly, and she was glad to help. Lily Ann helped her so much, she cherished the thought of repaying her. The request was small. For the first time in the boat’s life, Feeling Desire would have a child on board.
“Calm down. Why are you so nervous about a child being on the boat?” Avery stopped her from pacing like a caged tiger. She fixed the collar on her shirt before kissing her with lips that lingered. “You’re too cute. You are one strong butch, but the thought of being around a child weakens your knees. What are you going to do if we ever have children?”
Carly choked on her spit. “Children? Do you want kids? Like, over one?”
Avery laughed. Her girlfriend was unraveling, and beads of sweat form
ed on her forehead. “One day. Yes, I love kids.” The sound of Sully as he swooped down and announced Jewel’s arrival paused the conversation. “Calm down, sexy. It’s not like I want them tomorrow.”
“Ahoy, ladies,” Jewel yelled as she boarded the boat. “Why are you so pale, Carly? You okay?”
Avery laughed. “She has kid-flu. Scared of having a child on the boat. She’ll live.” Avery walked over, planting a kiss on Jewel’s cheek. “You look amazing. That outfit is too cute. Did you get all dolled up for Lily Ann?”
“Bet your ass.” Jewel did a spin, and Sully did a funny whistle in his throat. “Thank you, Sully.”
Tony popped up from down below. “I agree with Sully. Those shorty shorts are wow.” He whistled and gave a wink before he went toward the front of the boat. “Carly, can you examine this rope for me? I think it’s coming apart. I noticed it yesterday while we were out on the water.”
Carly bowed to the two ladies and headed over to Tony. Avery watched her walk away. “You’re good for her. Thank you. You’re her redemption. I never thought that I would have my friend back,” Jewel said as she grabbed Avery’s attention back.
“She makes me feel like I belong. I’m falling for her,” Avery admitted.
“She likes you, too. Let’s get a drink. Got any beer?” Jewel interlocked their arms and guided them over to the cooler.
“Does Carly ever not have alcohol within an arm’s distance?” Avery joked.
The SUV pulled up in the parking spot of the marina. Carmen sat in the back with David and Bobby, Carmen’s hands covering Bobby’s eyes. She waited for Lily Ann and Suzy to turn around and give her the nod to release. He looked at everyone in the car before his eyes focused on the water and all the beautiful boats.
“We’re going on a boat ride!” He jumped up and down in his seat.
“Yes. Happy birthday,” Lily Ann said as she got a lap full of a little brother when he jumped over the seats.