Destination Romance

by Barbara McMahon

  Lexy nodded, already rummaging around for a pair of old jeans. She thrust them on, stuffing her nightshirt in. She felt around for her sneakers, pulling them on without to-do, lacing them tightly. Her fingers felt numb and were slow to respond. Grimly she forced them on; blinking again, shaking her head again and again to keep the clouds of sleep at bay, the boat's wild gyrating making her uncoordinated movements that much more difficult. Finally she was ready.

  She staggered out to the main cabin, her own stumbling hindered by the tossing of the sloop. Twice she fell to her knees, finally guiding herself along with her hand on the bulkhead, the sink, the table. She snatched a serviceable yellow slicker and donned it, pushing on the cabin door.

  The severe corkscrewing of the vessel should have prepared her, but her drug-dulled mind had not taken in the magnitude of the storm. The door was grabbed from her hands and flung back against the cabin wall by the wind. There was water everywhere, waves splashing over the edge of the deck, the heavens opened with a deluge. Wrestling with the door, Lexy managed to get it shut and latched. It was like being in a pit, a dark, wet, lurching pit.

  'Dominic?' she called, afraid he wouldn't hear her above the howl of the wind. Gone was the placid, blue lagoon, surrounded by a solitary beach and magnificent palms. They were in a raging tempest, the sea a boiling, frothing caldron. Carefully she stepped around to the side, holding firmly on to the handrail, the cabin between her and the wind, affording an illusion of safety. The deck, coated with water, was slippery and treacherous. She had no desire for a swim that night. Rounding the corner, she peered into the inky blackness. The only light came from the anchor light and the soft pools spilling out from the cabin lights she had left on.

  'Dominic?'

  'Yes, come on and hold this line.' When she reached him, he thrust the nylon rope into her fumbling hand. 'Hold it and when I get on the other side, play it out until the boom's centered. Then tie it to the cleat.'

  She nodded dumbly, awed by the power of the storm. If it were this bad in the semi-sheltered lagoon, what must it be like on the open sea? Her hair was wet already and a small trickle of water ran down her back beneath the slicker. Her shoes and lower trouser legs were already soaked. She shivered a little, becoming more awake.

  'Okay.' Dominic's voice seemed to come from a great distance, the wind snatching it and tossing it away. Slowly she played out the line till she could make out the boom and its position. The boat shuddered and sank in a deep trough, turned now, taking the waves broadside. Wallowing sluggishly, she climbed the next wave. Lexy looked around. The boom was set, she fastened her line, her fingers fumbling a little, but responding to her will in the end.

  Another dip. She clutched the handrail, feeling her stomach drop again. Slowly she made her way aft, cautiously treading on the wet deck. The waves were high. She looked to where she thought the shore was, but could see nothing in the inky darkness. Dully, beyond the opposite side of the boat, she heard a dull roar. Looking over she could make out a white line of frothy phosphorescence. Breakers! The waves were large enough in the lagoon now to give surf at the beach. She looked again. They were closer! Wildly Lexy looked around, another trough, the Marybeth fell in it heeling over to port, returning toward starboard as she rose on the next wave.

  A touch of fear coursed through Lexy, the anchor had slipped. They were drifting free, and directly towards the beach!

  'Dominic!' she screamed. 'Dominic!'

  He appeared at once, passing her and going to the wheel. She caught up with him. 'The anchor's not holding,' she yelled above the cacophony of the storm. 'We're drifting.'

  'I know, I realized it when we turned to broadside, at anchor we would have stayed bow into the wind.' He seemed remarkably calm about the situation, Lexy thought with a touch of hysteria. She looked to the surf again, it was definitely closer. She drew a deep breath; all thoughts of sleep finally dispelled, fear under control.

  'What do you want me to do?' she yelled.

  'I'll start the engine and turn her about, stand by to haul in the anchor, I don't want the line fouling the propeller.'

  'The dinghy?'

  'I cut that line.' He went to the cabin. 'I'll get the key.' Minutes later Dominic turned the ignition on the engine.

  Nothing happened. He switched it off, pumped the intake clear and tried again. A soft whirring, then nothing. Lexy licked her lips, judging the distance to the shore now. They were close, very close. How steeply did it shelve off? She tried to remember. The deep keel of the sailboat made it dangerous to get too close. If the keel hit, held the boat to the mercies of the pounding waves, it could destroy the Marybeth. Idly she wondered how long it might be before another pleasure boat found the lagoon and found the survivors of a capsized sloop.

  'Damn battery is low.' Dominic straightened. 'Turn off the cabin lights and the anchor light, then reel in the anchor.

  Lexy whirled to do his bidding. With the lights gone, it was a nightmare. The sea gives off little light at night. Lexy felt her way forward, her heart pounding, her mind achingly aware of the precious seconds ticking away while the sea carried the Marybeth closer and closer to destruction. Please let the engine start she prayed. How much more so must Dominic want it to start, the Marybeth was his home. She found the winch for the anchor by stumbling into it. She wedged herself as best she could on the deck and began cranking. It didn't take her long, the anchor dragged freely along the coral bed of the lagoon. She almost cried with relief, with thanksgiving, when she felt the comforting throb of the engine beneath her feet. Slowly the bow came around, the wild dipping stopped. They were headed into the wind, leaving the shore behind.

  The winch refused to wind further. She ventured to the edge, holding on tightly against the rise and dip of the bow, and peered out. Was that black splotch the anchor nesting against the side of the ship? She wiggled back. She hoped it was, impossible to tell without more light, but she hoped it was.

  The walk back to the helm would have done credit to any amusement park specializing in thrill rides. The boat continued its see-saw action, now dipping beneath the crest of a wave, water cascading along the deck, sweeping ahead of Lexy, then receding, only to come again one or two waves later. Her hands ached from grasping the safety rail, but twice her feet slipped and only that rail saved her from an untimely swim.

  When Lexy reached the edge of the cabin she timed the rise and fall of the sloop, moving towards the helm on a bow rise and cannoning into Dominic to stop her headlong rush.

  'Whee,' she said gaily, giddy with relief. 'Nice evening you drummed up. What was wrong with peaceful stillness?'

  He smiled, his teeth flashing in the night. 'Variety is the spice of life, my girl. Anchor secure?'

  'Yes.' She stumbled against the seesaw action.

  Dominic reached over for her, pulling her before him, between his outstretched arms. His hands firm on the wheel, his arms and body caging her, holding her against the ravages of the ship.

  Lexy put her hands on the wheel, to help keep her balance, help her resist falling back against his strong chest. She felt safe at last.

  'I think we're all right now,' he rumbled in her ear.

  'Will you take her out of the lagoon?' she called back, comforted and feeling secure.

  'Are you crazy? If the lagoon's like this, think of the open sea. No, I just want enough power to keep her bow into the wind, and a few good yards between us and the beach.'

  'Is it a hurricane?' she asked after a while. She really didn't care, as long as she could stay sheltered in his arms for a little while longer, could pretend he cared for her, was protecting her.

  'No, wrong season. Just a nice little tropical storm. Should blow out by morning.'

  So it proved. By the time the first gray streaks appeared in the sky, the wind was lessening. Dawn came dully, heavy clouds blocking the sun, lumbering across the sky. The light was a welcomed change, the stronger it grew, the less tempestuous the sea. By eight o'clock, the wind was only a s
oft breeze, the lagoon again a sheltered stretch of water, the large swells the only sign of the violence of the night.

  'I'll try the anchor again,' Dominic said, rousing at last. 'Hold us on course, then when I drop it, cut the engine to idle. If she doesn't hold, I'll signal you.'

  'Okay.' Lexy felt oddly bereft when he stepped away. For hours they had stood as one in the storm. Not talking, just sharing the tempest quietly, riding it out together. She had felt protected, almost cosseted. Now it was over. Back to pistols at dawn, she muttered, watching for his signal, cutting back the engine.

  'We're set,' Dominic called.

  She shut off the engine completely and slowly headed for the cabin. She could use a strong cup of tea, and knew Dominic could, too. She stopped short when opening the door, appalled by the devastation that met her eyes.

  'Oh, no!'

  'What now?' Dominic looked over her shoulder. Every paper, every note, every pencil and pen had flown from the table during the tossing storm and was scattered hither and thither on the cabin floor. In the middle of the mess was the laptop, upside down on the floor.

  He pushed passed her and went carefully down the steep stairs, picking up papers as he went. 'Could be worse, could have gotten water on them.'

  'That's true,' she agreed, starting to help. Very little actual harm was done, after all. Only a few hours' work, and the stacks would be sorted again. She picked up a handful of the printed pages, turning them so they were all right side up, putting them in numerical order.

  'Damn!'

  She looked up. Dominic had placed the laptop on the table and was now tapping the keys.

  'Broken?' she hazarded.

  'Yes.'

  'Can you fix it?'

  'No, I can't.'

  Compassionately she averted her eyes. What a disappointment. They would have to go somewhere to have it repaired and it would delay him a few days, if not longer. Still, after the terrible storm, to have the only damage be to the laptop was a lucky stroke. She glanced up under her lashes, to see that Dominic was soberly picking up the papers, roughly sorting them, his face shuttered.

  They ate a quiet breakfast, tired from the night's exertions, dispirited with the turn of events. Lexy found her eyes on Dominic more and more, wanting to offer encouragement, afraid of his rebuff. Finally she gathered her courage.

  'I'm sorry for the delay, Dominic. I know it must be frustrating for you.'

  He looked at her, eyes glinting. 'It's not all that bad. You'll have a little civilization, parties and all. It’ll take a few days to have new laptop flown in. I printed out everything, but don’t know if I can retrieve the data from the hard drive. Time will tell, I suppose.'

  She dropped her eyes. 'I don't go to parties,' she said evenly, sipping her tea.

  'No need to avoid them now, Lexy. I know all the damning details, or at least all I want to know. You needn't worry someone will drop a clanger now.'

  She looked up swiftly at this. 'Is that why you think I didn't stay on at Robin's and Sarah's?' At his nod, she resumed her tea. 'Maybe you're right,' she conceded. 'I don't go because I want to avoid men who get the erroneous idea of what I am and what I will agree to.' She paused, maybe he would listen to her now. 'I really didn't do everything Joey said,' she began.

  He raised a stern face, 'No talking about the past, Lexy, we agreed to that.'

  She frowned. She didn't remember any agreement, just his dictatorial laying down rules for her keeping the job. She sighed softly. 'Will we be returning to Bridgetown?'

  'No. My aunt lives a little south of us on the Island of Santa Theresa. The island’s a decent size enough to have a town. I’ll use her computer until a new one can be ordered and flow in from Barbados. We'll be there a few days at least. It’ll take one day's sail there and one back. I could be delayed a week or two by going to Bridgetown.' He smiled sardonically, 'No escape yet, my lovely Lexy.'

  Dominic used the engine to leave the lagoon. The picture prettiness of the setting dimmed by the gray overcast sky, the torn palm fronds and seaweed-covered beach. Dominic had braved the still rough water to swim to the half submerged dinghy, pulling it up on shore to await their return. With it secured, they headed south. Once clear of the lagoon, they hoisted both sails, tacking back and forth to use the wind.

  'Take the wheel, Lex,' Dominic said. 'I have to pull the charts and plot our course. Just keep heading south, keep track of how long on each leg.'

  She nodded and took over. The wind was gusty, coming from the south, southeast. She steadied the wheel, keeping watch on the billowing sails, white against the gray sky. The seas were heavy now, iron-gray with whitecaps like frothy foam scattered as far as the eye could see.

  'Right, I'll take it.' He returned a short time later.

  She relinquished the wheel, reporting her directions and times, then casually, 'I'll go below and straighten things. Give a shout if you need me.'

  She was anxious not to waste a minute, here was a perfect opportunity to read the new pages of his book. She had put the typewritten stack in order while Dominic was seeing to the dinghy; tempted to read some then, she had been unable to do so in the short time she had. She was impatient to see how the book had been developing over the last two weeks, but Dominic's almost constant working had made that impossible.

  She gathered the precious papers, stealing into her cabin and locking the door. Gleefully she sank on the bunk, turning to where she had left off, resuming her surreptitious reading. Soon caught up in the plot, Lexy forgot all time, forgot her surroundings, her still damp jeans. She was laboring in the hot South American jungle, taking the blows of the hero, trying to see a way clear. With great reluctance she reached the last page. How could Dominic stop there? She wished he’d been able to get more done. Who knew when she’d have another chance to read again? She tidied the stack. Maybe two or three pages were still mixed in with his notes. She took the stack of papers and returned them to the table, placing them beside the broken laptop. Rummaging through the yellow foolscap and small scraps of notes, she searched in vain for more typed copy. He had not written anymore.

  She straightened his notes, cleaned and wiped down the galley and remade the sofa. According to Dominic they would reach Santa Theresa Island before night and would not need to use the boat for sleeping while they were there.

  It was after dark before the lights denoting the small port town were sighted. The day had remained dreary, with a scattered shower or two keeping them wet and cold. The wind against them slowed down their travel, as they had to go twice the distance, tacking back and forth as necessary.

  Dominic skimmed past the cluster of lights, which was the town and sailed around a promontory. A small group of lights glowed in the dark. Starting the engines, dropping their sails and several toots on the horn prepared them for docking. All at once a string of lights went on, illuminating a private pier, extending into the sea.

  'Almost there,' Dominic said, maneuvering the sloop towards the light.

  'Dominic,' a thought just occurred to Lexy. 'This aunt of yours isn't Joey's mother, is she?' Please, not that.

  'No, Aunt Patience is my father's sister, his eldest sister. She's never married. You'll see her soon, if I know her. She'll be on the dock awaiting us.' He glanced around at Lexy, his face softening slightly. 'You'll like her, she's forthright, but kind.'

  Lexy almost shouted her relief. She gave Dominic a shy smile, her heart swelling with the almost kind look he was giving her.

  'I'll get my stuff for tonight,' she mumbled, turning towards the cabin. If there was a reception committee on the dock, now would be the best time to get the precious sleeping pills, it might be impossible later, and Lexy didn't want to chance lying awake this night or the next because of her thoughts.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Patience Frazer was awaiting their arrival on her dock; a tall woman, thin, with short iron-gray hair and the blue eyes Dominic's father had passed on to him. She greeted her nephew with open arms, booming
his welcome from the top of her lungs.

  'Lord love us, Dom, it's been an age. Glad you've come my boy, glad to see you again.'

  He swept her up into a big hug as soon as she dropped on board. Lexy was touched at his overt display of affection. The tall woman was flushed and beaming when he set her on her feet again.

  'Well, let me look at you. You've lost a little weight. You need a wife to watch out for you. You work too hard on those danged books.'

  Dominic chuckled. 'Those danged books give me food to eat and a place to lay my head.'

  'No need for this fancy boat to lay your head, you are always welcomed to a bedroom in my place.'

  'To be plagued by everybody who drops by your house. You are the most popular person on the island—I'd never get anything done!'

  'Why are you here, then?' she boomed again.

  'We ran into a storm, rather one ran into us. Broke my computer. I need to get another before I can head out again. And see if Simon can get the data off my hard drive.’

  'Humph,' she sniffed. 'Who's this with you. Not Robin, if I know Sarah.'

  Dominic laughed again, an almost boyish look to him. 'You're right. I hired on a crewman to take Robin's place. Lexy?' He spotted her standing quietly by the cabin door, silent and still. 'Come and meet Aunt Patience.'

  Lexy stepped forward and offered her hand. 'How do you do?' she said softly.

  Patience Frazer stared at her, dumbfounded. Finding her wits at last she took the younger woman's hand pumping it up and down.

  'Howdy do? Well, aren't you a pretty sight. This is your crewman, Dominic?' She stared in disbelief first at Lexy, then Dominic.

  'Yes,' Dominic replied curtly. 'Alexis Kent, my aunt Patience Frazer, but don't let the name fool you, she should have been called Impatience.'

  'That's enough out of you, young man. Alexis Kent, Lexy, he called you?'

  'That's my nickname.'

  'Well, welcome to Land's End, not too original, but I like it,' Patience boomed out, a broad grin covering her face. 'Welcome, welcome.' She turned to Dominic, her eyes twinkling, 'Come away in, it's getting late.'