Beyond the Tide

by Noelle Marchand

  Did he even want to build new relationships while everything was so up in the air, so dire with the Holdens? Not now. Not anytime soon. Especially not with Ava. After all, the world was watching. That included Swim For Safety, Emily, and her family.

  He owed it to all of them to avoid even the possibility of a romantic entanglement, which he had to admit, seemed to be the only place his mind led him when it came to Ava. As for the other friendships he might make on board the ship… Maybe it was best to keep his distance when it came to those too. At least for a while, until he’d had some time to heal. How long that might take? Well, it was anyone’s guess.

  R

  Ian was right. There were cameras everywhere. They hadn’t been hard to spot once she started looking for them. Her cabin was camera-free, thank the Lord, but there was one in the passageway outside her door. Any visitors to her cabin would be recorded, which was undoubtedly the point. If they thought they’d catch one of the guys spending the night with her, they were destined to be disappointed. However, right now, cameras were the least of her worries.

  Ava stole a quick glance aloft and literally started shaking in her boots. Retraining her gaze on the ropes in front of her, she did her best to gather her courage. She could do this. No problem.

  She reached for the ratlines.

  “Hands on the shrouds,” Henry Palmer reminded her sternly.

  “Oh, right.” The thin horizontal ropes laced between the shrouds were more likely to break, sending her plummeting to her death. Well, hopefully, the harness she wore would keep her from falling far enough to hurt herself. Even so, she was more than happy to clutch onto the thicker lateral ropes that stretched from the hull into the sails above.

  “Remember to move one foot or hand at a time.”

  She nodded. Three points of contact on the ropes at all times. Otherwise, she could slip… and plummet to her death. There was a theme here. One she wasn’t particularly fond of.

  “Brian will show you what to do once you’re aloft.” Henry paused. Seagulls screamed overhead. The pirates assigned to swabbing the deck joked quietly amongst themselves as they went about their tasks. “Emerson?”

  “Yes, sir?” She met his gaze, wondering if he could tell how terrified she was. In a way, he reminded her of her father with his gray hair, light blue eyes, and commanding personality. However, where her dad might have shown sympathy, Captain Palmer was pure steel. He lifted a commanding brow. “Go.”

  “Right. Go. Ok.” She slowly began her ascent, keeping three points of contact on the ropes at all times as the wind whipped across her face. Three days. Somehow, she’d managed to avoid climbing aloft for the almost seventy-two hours she’d been on the Intrepid. She’d been in training most of that time. Now, she’d finally been assigned to a real job, and here she was—tasked with loosing the sails.

  Everyone would take a turn at loosing and furling, eventually. Releasing or “loosing” the sails seemed like it should be easier than furling. As far as she could tell, furling meant rolling and tying the huge sails into compact burritos so they would no longer catch the wind.

  It was an important skill to have in case a sudden squall or gale came upon the ship. As hard as this was for her now, Ava couldn’t imagine attempting it while wind and rain raged around her. The very idea made her shake her head and mumble, “I did not sign up for this.”

  “What did you say?”

  She looked up to see Brian waiting only a few feet above her. He was perched comfortably to the right of where the mast and the yard intersected. A cameraman stood in the ratlines to his left. She sighed. “Nothing.”

  “Come on up. I’ll slide over, and you can take the spot nearest the mast.”

  “Ok.” The next few minutes passed in a blur. She did her best to follow his instructions while ignoring the tossing sea below. It took all of her self-control not to collapse in relief when she finally made it back to the deck. A simple “well done” from Captain Palmer was all the thanks she received for what felt like a heroic feat. Then, he said two horrible words. “Finish up.”

  In other words, there were two more masts to climb. It felt like forever before she found herself in the crow’s nest next to Brian where they served as lookouts for other ships. This wasn’t as bad as climbing the ratlines or scooting around on the footlines. Still, she wasn’t much of a lookout since she could barely force herself to look at anything more than six inches from her face.

  Is that why she’d been teamed up with Brian? He seemed totally in his element. His arm gently nudged hers. “Look at that sky. What a view, huh?”

  She pulled in a steeling breath and managed to glance out at sea. Above an indigo ocean, dawn streaked the sky with orange, gold, pink, periwinkle, and blue. “Gorgeous.”

  Her gaze slid toward the deck below without her permission. She was so high up! Her fingers clenched, making her tired muscles protest. Before she could look away, her gaze caught on Ian as he hauled lines to adjust the sails. He was contributing safely on the deck. Maybe he’d trade jobs with her. Would Captain Palmer allow it?

  Brian chuckled beside her. She glanced up to find him watching her with a knowing look in his eyes. A blush raced across her cheeks. “I was talking about the scenery!”

  “I bet.” He winked twice.

  “Oh, stop it.” She rolled her eyes as he laughed. “You are ridiculous.”

  “Ridiculous? Why? You two seemed close that first day or so. Not to mention, he’s always in a better mood when you’re around. I thought maybe y’all were into each other or something.”

  Her thoughts stuttered to a stop. She somehow refrained from shooting a panicked look at the cameraman sitting across from them. The production crew was probably eating this up. “What are you talking about? We’re just friends. And what do you mean he’s always in a better mood around me?”

  “I mean he seems pretty down sometimes. I’ve asked him about it. He says it’s nothing, but it sure seems like something.” He shrugged and took off his kerchief to mop his brow. “Maybe it’s because he didn’t bring a Bible with him. He says he didn’t realize it would be allowed due to the historical restrictions.”

  She frowned. “The King James Version was completed in 1611.”

  “I know. I researched it before I agreed to the show. I couldn’t imagine being out here for forty days without it. Ian got his casting call late, though. He didn’t have time to do anything but pack an overnight bag and fly out. I’ve offered to let him borrow my Bible, but he hasn’t taken me up on it.”

  “Hmm.” That was odd for a guy who’d made such a big deal about being a Christian the first time she’d met him.

  “Maybe he’d talk to you.”

  She gave him a doubtful look. “Because he’s into me?”

  Brian shrugged his broad shoulders. “I can’t speak for him on that, but you two are friends. It wouldn’t hurt to ask how he’s doing, would it?”

  “Of course not.” She pushed away her hesitation. “I’ll see what I can do. For the record, I’m not looking for a shipboard romance.”

  “I didn’t say you were. Of course, I wasn’t looking for romance, either. It found me.” He smiled, staring out to sea as if his fiancé waited just beyond the horizon. “Now I’m about to marry the love of my life.”

  She softened. “I’m very happy for you.”

  “But you don’t want it for yourself?”

  “Eventually, I do. But, it has to be at the right time.” This was most certainly not the right time. Besides, Ian hadn’t been anything more than friendly to her since he’d stolen her from the merchantman. She refused to read more into their relationship based on someone else’s idle speculation.

  The ratlines began to shudder, signaling someone’s approach and providing a welcome interruption. A moment later, Noah West climbed into the crow’s nest. “What’s up, homies?

  “Hey, Noah.” She scooted over to make room for him. It was hard not to like th
e guy since he was the closest thing they had to a radio. His next words made him even more likeable. “Sorry, Ava. Captain Palmer sent me up here to replace you as lookout.”

  Thank you, Jesus. Hallelujah. Amen. She restrained her smiled as best she could. “No problem. Excuse me, gentlemen.”

  Relief filled her the second she set her feet on the solid, swaying deck again. She was sent to the galley to help Caleb and Jeff clean shrimp and anchovies for the salmagundi. The smells and sights of raw fish combined with the guys’ body odor in an enclosed space made her stomach revolt a little more with each breath. Pots swayed and clanked, exaggerating the pitch and yaw of the ship until it seemed more fevered than ever.

  If Caleb and Jeff would stop bickering for a moment, maybe she could concentrate on controlling her rising nausea. The noise grated on her already frayed nerves until the beginnings of a headache pricked her forehead. She set her knife down and pinned them with a stare. “Y’all do realize the more y’all argue, the more they’re going to pair y’all up, right?”

  The pair fell silent as realization stole over their faces. Jeff grimaced. Caleb clamped his lips together. She swallowed hard against the bile rising in her throat. “Excuse me. I need some air.”

  She quickly washed her hands, then rushed from the room. Making it to the main deck, she grasped the rail and stared out at the ocean. Fresh, briny air filled her lungs… until Dash moved closer to swab the deck. He eyed her closely. “Seasick?”

  A brief nod sent him scurrying away. She buried her face in her hands. Ian’s voice sounded over the breeze. “Keep your eyes on the horizon.”

  She lowered her hands to the railing, holding her breath just in case. He caught hold of her wrist. “Press the acupressure point here. It might help.”

  She nodded and did as he said all the while willing him to leave. The last thing she wanted was for him to have a front-row seat if she lost control of her stomach. Also, she needed to breathe. Relief filled her as he stepped away. Henry Palmer took his place a few seconds later. “Seas are choppy today.”

  No kidding. She tentatively pulled in a breath, then greedily inhaled a deeper one. This was a man with access to deodorant. She wasn’t exactly fresh herself, but she had the benefit of perfume. The guys obviously had nothing. It wasn’t fair. They didn’t want to smell bad. Surely, something could be done. If so Captain Palmer was the man most likely to help. There had to be a way to get him on the pirates’ side.

  With a tired sigh, she confided, “The ocean doesn’t bother me as much as the smell.”

  He frowned. “The smell?”

  “Eau de raw fish and body odor.” She offered a wan smile. “It was quite the combination.”

  “I’d imagine so.”

  Might as well go in for the kill. “It’s awfully rank on deck these days. Haven’t you noticed?”

  He rubbed his nose. “Of course, I’ve noticed.”

  “Isn’t there anything you can do to help these poor pirates?”

  He stared out at the ocean, considering the request. “I’ll see what I can do, but don’t get your hopes up. They want you guys to suffer. We’ll arrive at port tomorrow. You might find some relief there. In the meantime, you need to stay busy if you want to ward off seasickness. Report to the helmsman.”

  By nightfall, her brush with seasickness was all but forgotten due to the never-ending assignments Captain Palmer had given her. Never again would she even mention the word seasick. All she wanted to do was fall into her bunk and go to sleep.

  Before she could do anything more than unbuckle her boots, a knock sounded on her door. She blew out a frustrated breath. “Who is it?”

  “It’s Ian.” He waited until she opened the door to continue, “Brian said you wanted to give me something?”

  “Give you something? Oh. Yeah.” She hesitated. She could simply give him the Bible or she could do as Brian suggested and talk to Ian. Her gaze drifted across the hall toward the hidden camera. “Will you come inside for a second? I’ll leave the door open.”

  His eyebrows lifted in surprise, but he stepped inside her cabin. Mindful of the camera peering into their little haven of privacy, she settled on her pristinely made up bunk and clutched a pillow in her lap. “I already turned in my microphone for the night. Did you?”

  “Yes.”

  “As long as we talk quietly no one should be able to hear us.”

  “Ok.” Ian pulled her trunk over so he could sit across from her, then matched her volume. “What’s up?”

  “Your advice about being myself helped me so much, Ian. I’m more comfortable around the cameras now. Sometimes, if I’m intent on what I’m doing, I’ll forget they’re even there. I don’t feel nearly as stressed about it.” She offered a shrug and a smile. “I wanted to say thanks and to let you know I took your words to heart.”

  A smile lit his face. “Ava, that’s great. I’m glad I could help.”

  “You did.” She leaned forward. “I also want you to know I’m here for you too. So… if you want to talk about anything that might be bothering you, this would be a good opportunity.”

  He stilled, then his eyes narrowed. “Brian talked to you, didn’t he?”

  “Brian cares about you,” she corrected with a pointed look. “So do I.”

  Doubt filled his voice. “Y’all barely know me.”

  “That didn’t stop you from helping me out when I needed it. C’mon, Ian.” She reached out to touch his arm. “Iron sharpens iron. We can’t do this alone. Spill it.”

  He glanced down at her hand on his arm. She didn’t remove it. Instead, she let it relax, hoping it would send him the message she wasn’t going anywhere. She was here for him, and she wanted to help. He washed his hands over his face. “Fine. I’ll talk.”

  “Good.” She released his arm, but scooted closer. “I’m ready to listen.”

  Chapter Seven

  This was a bad idea. He shouldn’t be in Ava’s cabin. Door open or not, he didn’t need the world to see him getting so close to a new woman. Not that there was anything romantic going on. There wasn’t. Still, he’d already turned his microphone off once, another off-the-record conversation with Ava wouldn’t endear either of them to the production crew. Yet, one look into Ava’s entreating eyes, and his defenses crumbled. “I don’t know where to start.”

  She searched his gaze for a moment before offering her hands. He took them in his. She bowed her head. “Lord, Ian and I come to you today bringing his heavy heart to lay at your feet. You know how concerned Brian is and how much I’d like to be here for Ian. Be a comfort to him now. Help him say what’s in his heart. In Jesus’s name, Amen.”

  “Amen,” he said hoarsely, then swallowed hard against the emotion gripping his throat. He gave her hands a gentle squeeze of thanks. His grip loosened on hers. She didn’t take the opportunity to let go, so he held on too.

  “What’s weighing on you the most right now?” she asked gently.

  He forced himself to be honest. “Emily.”

  “Emily?”

  The confusion furrowing her brow reminded Ian that, while Ava’s father may have watched Treasure Hunters, she had never claimed to be a fan. “Yes. Emily is my…”

  At his hesitation, Ava froze. She glanced down at their hands, then released his. “Girlfriend?”

  “Ex-girlfriend.”

  “Oh.” She offered a sympathetic smile. “Are you regretting the break up?”

  “No. Yes. I mean, in a way. It’s complicated.”

  Her eyebrows lifted, but she didn’t ask. She waited for him to explain as much or as little as he wanted. The words came tumbling out before he could stop them. “I never wanted to be with her. Not in that way. We grew up together as best friends. She was like a sister to me. No, in a way, she was more. She was my salvation.”

  Ava frowned. “Your salvation? What do you mean? How did she save you?”

  “My home life wasn’t good. My mom died when I wa
s six. My dad didn’t have any use for me. Emily’s family became my family. Her dad is my boss. Pretty much my entire life hinges on her and her family’s approval.”

  She hesitated, then asked, “What happened?”

  He wanted more than anything to skip over this part, but the concern in his voice prompted him to continue. “Emily and I went out dancing with a group of friends. Emily had been acting kind of strange leading up to that night—argumentative, clingy. I couldn’t figure out what her deal was. We argued about it. She kissed me. I was stunned, but I guess she could tell I wasn’t into it. She got upset and drove off—right into the path of a truck.”

  “Oh, no.”

  “I should have reacted differently, said something, done something to stop her from leaving in that state. She’s paralyzed now. Her doctors aren’t sure if she’ll ever walk again.”

  A gasp rent from Ava’s lips. Her comforting hand landed on his arm. “Oh, Ian.”

  “When we were waiting for the ambulance, she told me she loved me. I said it back, not realizing she meant…” He shook his head. “Later, I didn’t know how to tell her the truth, so I went along with everything and started a relationship with her. She found out the truth and… Now, I may not have a family to go back to when this is over.”

  Tears suddenly blurred his vision. He ducked his head to hide them, burying his hands in his hair. Ava shifted on the bunk. The door clicked shut. His eyes widened. Knowing how much she prized her reputation, and how careful they both needed to be, he warned, “Ava—”

  She shushed his protest. Before he could even look up, she sat forward until her knees pressed against his. Her hand on his shoulder urged him forward, and he buried his face in the curve of her neck. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d cried. Now, he couldn’t hold it back. It was embarrassing.

  He struggled to get himself together. Forcing his arms to release her waist, he straightened away from her. “I’m sorry. This is why I didn’t want to talk.”

  “You needed to.” She tugged her satchel over and dug through it to find a handkerchief. She offered it to him with a tiny smile and a shrug. “Facial tissues haven’t been invented yet.”