“It’s nothing to worry about. I’m just giving a passenger a little personal attention. I’ve done it before, and you’ve never said anything.”
“Sure you have. But not like this time.”
Gareth ended the call before his friend could say something else. He was just doing a favor for a friend. That’s all, wasn’t it?
Three
At 5 a.m., the phone rang with the wake-up call for Chelle. Of course she didn’t hear it, so Charlotte hurried across the carpet to answer. Then she shook her daughter until Chelle finally groaned and opened her eyes.
“You were the one who wanted to go on this excursion that leaves at six.” Charlotte dropped a quick kiss on Chelle’s forehead. Opportunities to kiss her teenager were few and far between. Better get one now, while she was so groggy.
Chelle made her way to the shower, carrying shampoo and conditioner. Charlotte went back to bed and turned over, trying to go to sleep. Even though she dozed, she heard every sound her daughter made as she showered, dried her hair, put on her makeup, and tried on at least three outfits before she was ready. When the door clicked shut behind the teenager, Charlotte hoped sleep would come.
After tossing and turning for almost half an hour, she got up and dressed. Today she would try breakfast in the dining room. Since seating wasn’t assigned except at dinner, she decided to try another section of the beautiful space. As she walked toward an empty table, the tall German woman she met in the elevator the day before waved to her.
“Come sit here.”
At least she didn’t have to eat alone. After the waiter pushed in her chair and put the napkin in her lap, Charlotte held out her hand to her breakfast companion. “I am Charlotte Halloran.”
The woman gave Charlotte’s hand a vigorous shake. “Gertrud Bergmann.” She wore her short blond hair swept back on the sides but with curls on top.
“Have you already ordered, Gertrud?” Charlotte glanced over the menu, trying to make up her mind.
“I’m about ready. So many things to choose from.”
The waiter hovered a short distance from the table, probably waiting for them to let him know they needed him. Charlotte glanced his way, and he came over.
“Has Madame decided what to eat?”
❧
When Charlotte bought the ticket for Chelle, she bought herself one for the Cozumel Highlights tour. Several crew-members herded the group out the doorway onto the dock almost half an hour before the bus was scheduled to leave. After leaving the ship, each passenger or group of passengers had to stop behind a Cozumel sign so one of the ship’s photographers could take a picture. Charlotte stood there alone, wondering if she would even be interested in this one. She and Chelle had looked at the pictures taken on the first day of the cruise, but she wanted to wait and choose only the best ones to buy. The problem was, every one of the pictures flattered both of them.
By the time the group finally boarded the bus, they were about ten minutes behind schedule. Charlotte hoped that wasn’t how the day would progress. She settled back against the seat, which felt much narrower than any bus she had been on back home. Maybe all that good food had already started changing the shape of her body. She glanced back toward the ship. It looked beautiful tied up beside a long wooden dock with the turquoise Caribbean Sea behind it framing the stark white of the exterior. She wondered how they kept it so clean. And the color of the water here was so different from the gulf water they crossed yesterday. Her gaze was drawn toward the bridge one last time. A man stood outside the doorway. From this distance, she couldn’t tell who it was. Gareth, perhaps.
❧
Gareth stood on the tiny balcony beside the bridge, watching the passengers leave. Doug told him at breakfast that Charlotte had bought a ticket on the island tour. How long had it been since he went ashore in Cozumel? His last ship visited there only every other week, so it had to be a year or more, but he remembered everything about the island. The tall palm trees, the areas of jungle, snow-white beaches against the vivid blue waters, older homes, resorts, the sleepy fishing villages that had evolved into shopping meccas. Why did he feel a yearning to see it all again?
The next group of passengers disembarked with Charlotte in the midst. Today her hair was pulled up into a short ponytail, and a red sun visor hid her eyes from his view. Gareth could have put himself on the schedule to be away from the ship today. Why hadn’t he?
Because he wasn’t going to get really involved with any woman. Especially one who tugged at his heart the way Charlotte did. He watched her stop for the picture. . .alone. Most of the people on the tour at least had a partner or friend with them. Gareth imagined himself standing beside her and having their picture taken. He would have gone in civilian clothes, not the uniform of a ship captain. For one day, he could be just a friend.
As Charlotte walked down the dock then up the paved path toward the buses, he studied her. At least she had the good sense to wear enough clothing that she wouldn’t get burned. The sun beat stronger this close to the equator. It would be a shame for her soft skin to be damaged.
She was the picture of every Christian man’s ideal woman. Okay, maybe not every man’s, but she looked ideal to him.
Gareth knew he must have lost his mind. What was he doing watching her? All it did was cause him to want things. Things that would never be part of his life again. Things that brought an ache to his heart. But, he didn’t draw his gaze away until the bus pulled out of the parking lot and headed down the street that ran along beside the island’s seawall.
The ship wasn’t going anywhere. Maybe Gareth should go to his apartment and. . .do what? What was he going to do all day while she toured the island? He picked up the schedule to see where it would end.
❧
Around one o’clock, the bus stopped in a parking lot about a block from the street that ran between the shops and the beaches. Charlotte waited until everyone else had crowded into the aisle and most of them had left the bus. She picked up her tote bag and headed toward the front of the vehicle. When she started down the steps, a masculine hand stretched toward her. As she grasped it, she was poised on the last long step to the stones that covered the parking lot. A tingle shot up her arm, and she turned her eyes toward the man’s face. A familiar smile touched her heart, but she wouldn’t have recognized him if he hadn’t taken her hand. She had thought the uniform was dashing, but without it, he was even more devastatingly handsome. Her heart skipped a beat.
“Hello, Charlotte, did you enjoy the tour?”
“Gareth, what are you doing here? And where is your uniform?” She knew that was a dumb question, but she had to scramble to collect her scattered wits. Thankfully, the other passengers hurried away from the area.
“Let’s just say I’m taking some time off from being captain of the ship.” He pulled her hand through his arm, and they strolled down the shaded street. “What did you plan to do the rest of the day?”
She tore her gaze from his and looked around. They were headed away from where the stores lined the street. “I thought I might do some shopping.”
Gareth wheeled them around and started to walk in the other direction. “Have you had lunch?”
“No, and I’m hungry.” A breeze off the water blew down the canyon created by the buildings, bringing welcome coolness. However, she felt hotter than she had in the unair-conditioned bus.
He turned down the sidewalk in front of the shops and moved to the side nearer the street. “I know just the place. They serve excellent seafood and Mexican specialties.”
Charlotte felt protected by his chivalry. She smiled up at him. “Is it safe to eat there?”
“I wouldn’t take you anywhere that wasn’t completely safe.” His eyes twinkled. “We can even drink the water. The proprietor is proud of the fact that he uses Culligan water in his establishment.”
Over lunch, Charlotte began to relax. With his tropical shirt and khaki walking shorts, Gareth lost his authoritative air. He was ju
st a man. . .a friend. . .sharing a meal with her.
“Did you like the show last night?” Gareth had finished eating a rather large steak and now leaned back in his chair.
The show last night? For a moment, Charlotte had to think about that. “Yes, it was refreshing to have a comedian who was so funny and yet I didn’t have to worry about what my daughter heard. Were you there?”
Gareth leaned closer. “No. I heard him last week.” The room was noisy. Maybe he had a hard time hearing her. “Our line will only book acts that keep it clean. We cater to families as well as adults.”
❧
Now why did I say that? I sounded like a travel brochure. Gareth could easily lose himself in her eyes. Today, for a while, the pain was absent. Charlotte had relaxed enough to have fun.
“Didn’t you say you want to do some shopping?” He pushed back his chair and stood up, reaching to pull out hers. “What did you have in mind?”
She searched in the large bag she carried and extracted several pieces of paper. They were some of the ones the shopper’s guide on the ship handed out. “I’d like to go to Del Sol and see about some of the things that change color in the sun. I also like Mexican clothing. Maybe look at a leather purse.”
They headed toward the door. “Don’t you want to look at the jewelry?”
“Isn’t the jewelry shopping better on Grand Cayman?” The expression on her face as she looked up hit him in the solar plexus.
He casually slipped his arm around her shoulders. At least he hoped the move felt casual to her. “The jewelry on Grand Cayman is fine jewelry. Here you get a selection of fun kinds, too. Let me show you.”
Gareth guided her toward his favorite store. Almost like a department store in the United States, this one contained many kinds of merchandise. They wandered through the aisles. Near the front door, jewelry cases lined one side of the tienda. Charlotte walked along, looking at the sparkling merchandise, and Gareth looked at her.
She stopped where the jeweler had fashioned gold into seashells and mounted pearls in the shells. Necklaces and earring sets, as well as individual items, spread from side to side in this glass case. Charlotte had the merchant bring out several pieces, one at a time. She kept going back to one pair of earrings but finally shook her head and walked on. The older Mexican man started to say something, but Gareth signaled him to stop. The man moved on to the next customer.
Following Charlotte as she found the clothing, Gareth stayed close enough to help her if she needed it, but far enough away not to bother her. She picked out several things she wanted to try on.
“Take your time.” Gareth chuckled. “I’ll just wander around until you’re through. I might find something I want.”
“Thank you.” With a saucy smile, she entered the dressing area curtained off in the back corner of the room.
Gareth hastened back to the jewelry counter. The other customer had moved on. He called the proprietor over and bought the earrings Charlotte kept going back to earlier. After slipping the box into his pocket, he did what he told her he would do and wandered around the store, keeping one eye on the doorway to the dressing room.
When Charlotte came out, she kept most of the things she took in. He would have quite a few packages to carry back to the ship for her. She continued around the store, picking out a couple of Cozumel T-shirts and two leather purses.
After she paid for her purchases, Gareth gathered the packages and held out his other arm. “Did you want to do any more shopping?”
She clutched his elbow. “Actually, I’m pretty tired. With the humidity, it seems hotter than it really is. When does the bus go back to the ship?”
“Your chariot awaits.”
They walked to the street corner closest to them. Gareth signaled to the man who was in charge of the taxis lined up on the other side of the street from the shops. At the first break in the traffic, he escorted Charlotte across the cobblestones. A taxi waited with its motor running. He helped Charlotte into the backseat. After giving her all her packages, he started toward the other side.
When he went around the front of the car, Gareth leaned toward the driver’s open window and whispered. “There’s an extra ten for you if you’ll turn the air-conditioning on high and roll up the windows.” By the time Gareth got in and closed his door, colder air blew into the compact car.
❧
When they reached the dock, the taxi let them out at a different place from where she had boarded the bus. This area had lots of shops.
“Where’s the ship?” Charlotte asked after they gathered everything out of the taxi.
“On the other side of these shops.” This time, Gareth reached for her hand and didn’t let go.
How could she have forgotten how good it felt? Warm, gentle pressure engulfed her hand, making her feel safe and protected. That’s how she’d felt with Gareth the entire time they were in town. On the tour, she had felt lonely, but not now.
“I think taxis stop here so passengers will be enticed to buy something else before they board the ship.” Gareth’s expression questioned her. “Do you want to go into any of the shops?”
She glanced around. Even though the establishment held many interesting items, she wasn’t tempted. “No, let’s just go onboard. I feel hot and tired.” She followed him as he led the way through the vendors vying for their attention. “But at least the taxi ride started cooling me off.”
They quickly navigated toward the dock. The interior of the vessel seemed dim when they came in out of the bright sunlight. The crewman who manned the security point glanced from her to Gareth before he asked for her room key. Charlotte wished she had been looking at Gareth to see his reaction, but he didn’t let her hand go until she had to dig in her bag to retrieve the card. She had to step up to the machine, and it scanned her face.
“Okay, welcome aboard, Mrs. Halloran.”
The young man smiled at her and motioned her to step to the next station. There all the packages had to go on a conveyor belt and through an X-ray machine, much like the ones at the airport.
Gareth leaned closer. “Before nine-eleven, we didn’t have to do all this. You go on past the machine, and I’ll put the bags on the belt. You can watch them come through.”
Charlotte did as he said. When they boarded the elevator, no one joined them.
“I don’t usually go to passengers’ cabins. Will you be all right with these packages?”
“Of course.” She started taking them from him, wedging them under her arms. “It will feel good to clean up and change clothes.”
The car stopped, but Gareth pushed the button that kept the door closed. “There are elevators closer to the front of the ship. Please meet me at those on deck seven in an hour.”
Something in his tone touched Charlotte. “Okay. I’ll be there.”
❧
Gareth paced from his apartment to the elevator and back. Through the open door to Homer’s quarters, which shared a wall with his, Gareth saw his first mate look up from the newspaper he was reading.
“Are you nervous?” His friend’s voice called.
Before he could formulate an answer, the bell on the elevator down the hall dinged. He turned and hurried toward it, reaching the small lobby as the doors slid open.
Charlotte stepped out and looked around. Her eyes lit up when she saw him. “There you are.” She came toward him, wearing another of those soft cloudy dresses that swirled around her trim figure. “Where are we going?”
He ushered her down the corridor in front of him. “To the captain’s quarters. I thought you might like to see them.”
She stopped just before she reached the two side-by-side open doors. She slowly turned and looked stricken. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
The whispered words cut to Gareth’s heart. What did she think he wanted?
“This must be the lovely Mrs. Halloran.” Homer leaned against his doorjamb, and Charlotte glanced toward him. “I’m sure the captain was planning
to introduce us, but I couldn’t wait.” He took one of Charlotte’s hands. “Homer Wilson, first mate, at your service, ma’am.” He gave a slight bow.
Gareth moved around them in the narrow hallway. “I wanted you to see where we live the three months we are on the ship.”
Charlotte pulled her hand from Homer’s, and none too soon, Gareth thought.
“Three months?”
Gareth took her elbow and pulled her toward the living room in his suite. “Yes, the first mate and I spend three months on the ship, then three months at home.”
A tall woman with straight brown hair came to the door of Homer’s cabin, drying her hands on a towel. “This time Homer is staying six months, so I came to be with him for a while.” She dropped the towel on a chair near the door and stuck out her hand. “I’m Marilyn Wilson, and I’ve wanted to meet you ever since Homer told me about you.”
Gareth cringed. He hoped that didn’t scare Charlotte off. “Come in. I want to give her a tour.” After looking out the windows of the living room, which spread across half the front of the ship and down the side, he led the group into his office.
“What are all those charts on the wall?” Charlotte walked over and squinted as if she were trying to read the tiny print. “Do you use them for navigation?”
Gareth moved closer behind her. “Most of that is done using computers and satellites, but I still like to have the charts to look at. On some of the ships I’ve captained, they have kept us out of a few jams.”
Marilyn stood at the door. “I’ve made us some refreshments, if you have time to visit.” They went next door where a tray of desserts and coffee sat on the table in front of the couch.
After they had eaten and chatted for a few minutes, Charlotte asked, “Do you get many foreign passengers on the cruises? I had breakfast this morning with a woman from Germany.”
“Yes, cruises are popular with people from all around the world.” Gareth turned toward Homer. “Do you remember how many countries are represented this time?”
Never Say Never Page 4