"Good morning," she said softly.
Cadie shook her head slowly back and forth, and Jo could see the early light catching tears that were close to brimming over blonde lashes. "Not really, no," Cadie replied shakily.
"I know," Jo said. She swallowed back a large chunk of ache and cleared her throat. "You should get to the airport in plenty of time. The folks from the hotel are going to meet the water taxi with your extra luggage and then drive you to the terminal." She knew she was just filling air, and she knew Cadie knew it too, as the blonde nodded her silent response.
Cadie gazed up at the woman she loved, taking in Jo's mussed hair and the dark circles under hooded blue eyes. She hasn't slept a wink either. I can only imagine what this feels like for her. She took a step closer to Jo, wanting desperately to say so much more than just goodbye.
"I'm sorry, Jossandra," she said. "I know how much this hurts."
"Ssshhh," Jo said, putting her finger against her own lips. "Don't. Please. Just don't forget me."
A sob threatened to escape Cadie's lips and she put her own hand to her mouth in an effort to contain her emotion. Jo saw anguish close the beautiful eyes she adored and her own heart ached.
"Never," Cadie whispered. "I will be back, Jo-Jo."
Jo shook her head slowly. "No promises, Arcadia," she said quietly. "Just do what you need to do for you. I'll be here."
Cadie nodded, but further communication was pre-empted by the arrival of the water taxi. Jo pushed herself up, but stayed put, knowing Jenny and Paul could handle things. The two crew tossed lines to the bobbing launch, pulling it closer till it was alongside the Seawolf's transom. They then started passing luggage to the two men onboard the taxi.
"Skipper!" It was Jason, and Jo smiled as the blond man bounded across the deck and threw himself at her in a huge bear hug. She chuckled as she returned the embrace.
"I wanted to thank you," Jason said, stepping back and clasping Jo's hand. "Regardless of all the bullshit with Naomi, Toby and I have had a fantastic time. We want to come back again on our own schedule and spend some more time with you guys." He grinned.
"It's been a pleasure having you both aboard, mate," Jo replied graciously. "And you're both welcome, any time. Good sailors will always find a berth on the Seawolf." She grinned back at him.
"I'm sorry she's been so difficult," Jason said quietly, nodding his head to where the senator continued to pace.
"Forget it," Jo shook it off. "Not your fault for start, and I've had more difficult than her to contend with," She smiled again at the shorter man. "Good luck on the way home, though."
Jason rolled his eyes. "God, I think we're going to need it," he laughed. "Anyway..." He let go of Jo's hand and started backing away towards the stern. "Thanks again, Jo, and take care."
"You too, Jason."
She looked over and waved to Toby who gave her a thumbs-up as he clambered into the water taxi. Therese and Sarah, too, turned and waved to the skipper, calling out their thanks as they followed the two men. Larissa and Kelli barely looked back. Big surprise, thought Jo, grateful to see the back ends of the two women. The senator followed, casting one last malevolent look at the tall skipper who just raised an eyebrow in response.
Cadie was the last one to leave. She turned away from Jo to say goodbye to Paul and Jenny. She gave the hostess a quick hug and got a warm smile in return. "I hope the wedding is everything you want it to be, Jen," she said, trying her best to smile back.
"I'll show you the pictures next time you're here," Jenny said with a knowing smile, catching the blonde by surprise.
"Um...yes, yes please do that. I'd love to see them." A genuine grin touched Cadie's eyes at the crewmember's confidence. "Thanks, Jen. For everything."
Then she turned to Paul. The big crewman scooped her up in a hug, and Cadie giggled as she felt her feet leave the deck. "You take care of yourself, sailor, you hear me?" he said gruffly as he put her down.
"I will, Paulie," she replied. She looked intently up into the tall blond's brown eyes. "Do me a favor?" she asked.
"If I can, you know I will," he responded, half-knowing what she was wanting.
Cadie glanced briefly towards Jo, who was standing in place, looking down at her feet miserably. "Look after her for me? She's hurting." The big man nodded silently and Cadie kissed his cheek. "Thank you." She turned to disembark, but was halted by a hand on her shoulder, spinning her back around. She looked up into wide blue eyes that sparkled with unshed tears.
I didn't even hear her coming, Cadie thought as she felt long arms sliding around her. How does she do that? All further thought was driven from her mind as Jo dipped her head and claimed Cadie's mouth in a long and searing kiss that drew the blonde up and closer. She slid her hands up to cup Jo's face and poured her whole heart into her response.
Jo's knees buckled and she felt one of Cadie's arms quickly drop and wrap around her waist to support her. They were vaguely aware of a disturbance on the water taxi behind them, but nothing broke the sanctity of the kiss, until finally, breathless, they pulled gently, slowly apart.
"I'm sorry," Jo murmured. "I couldn't let you go without..."
Cadie's fingers silenced her and Jo lost herself in the warm safety of the fair-haired woman's gaze. "I know. I'm glad you did," Cadie replied softly, gently unraveling herself from Jo's embrace, sliding her hands into the skipper's and taking a reluctant step back. "I love you, Jo-Jo."
"And I you." Just their fingers were touching as Cadie backed towards the transom and the waiting water taxi. Over Cadie's shoulder Jo could see the infuriated senator being held back by Jason and Toby. I just made things a lot harder for her, the skipper knew, acknowledging at the same time that nothing could have stopped her kissing the blonde.
Finally their fingertips brushed, then slid apart, and Cadie silently gave Jo a small wave, which the skipper returned with a crooked smile. Then the blonde took Paul's offered hand and stepped up into the motor launch. Once aboard she dodged around Naomi and quickly made her way to the stern as the engines fired up and the boat turned away from the Seawolf.
Jo watched the blonde take up her position. She gently raised her fingers to her lips again and blew Cadie a kiss, stretching out her arm towards the departing launch. Cadie replied in kind and Jo caught the kiss, pulled it to her heart, and held it there.
Cadie looked back at the skipper silhouetted against the rising sun, her hand over her heart. Tears slid down the blonde's cheeks as she held her own arm outstretched. Look at her. My goddess.
There goes half my heart, Jo thought, watching the love of her life slipping away to the horizon. Finally the ache in her throat took over and tears welled up and overflowed. For a few long minutes all she could do was stand there, one hand over her heart, eyes fixed on the rapidly shrinking motor launch, until finally it disappeared. She closed her eyes and let the tears flow unchecked. Vaguely aware of Paul and Jen moving quietly around the boat, giving her plenty of space, she slumped down onto the deck, head in hands. This hurts so much. I didn't know it would hurt this much.
Suddenly her phone rang, startling her as it pierced the early morning silence.
"Jesus," she exhaled, reaching for the device. "Who the hell is calling this early?" she muttered, fumbling for the right key. "The day can't get any worse from here, can It?" Finally she pushed the right button. "Madison."
"Jo, it's Doris." It was just as well the Cheswick office manager identified herself because her voice was almost unrecognizable, hoarse and ragged with what sounded like panic.
"Doris? What's wrong?" Jo asked immediately.
"It's Ron, Jo. He's had a heart attack. Come back in as soon as you can. Please. It's bad."
Jo closed her eyes again, squeezing back the thumping headache, which had sprung into life at Doris' words. Wrong again, Madison. Wrong again.
"We're on our way," she muttered, scrambling to her feet.
Chapter Twelve
Even after the Sea wolf disappear
ed over the horizon, Cadie remained at the stern of the water taxi, gazing out to the east, blinking against the glare of the rising sun. If she closed her eyes she could still see the vision of her love—dark hair whipping around her head, golden circle of the sun blazing behind her, a hand clasped over her heart. It was a lovely picture, but Cadie felt only pain as she committed the details to memory.
A million thoughts and emotions churned through Cadie's mind. Sorrow, love, indecision, anger, and frustration all warred for their place in her consciousness. Chief among them was an overwhelming sense that she was doing the wrong thing by leaving.
But how can that be? No matter how screwed up Naomi and I may be right now, we had something good once. Didn't we? Cadie covered her face with her hands, momentarily swamped by indecision. That's why I'm here, isn't it? Because of our history. Because of all the loose ends. Because she needs me to help her get through this. Doesn't she?
Behind Cadie, Jason and Toby had managed to wrestle the infuriated senator into the cabin of the water taxi. She sat between the two men, anger and jealousy radiating off her in malevolent waves. Naomi muttered and squirmed in her seat, shaking off Jason and Toby's hands which had circled her upper arms.
"Goddamn it, Naomi, you have got to get a grip on yourself," said Toby earnestly, barely resisting the urge to shake some sense into the woman. "Don't you realize that she's crucial to how things work out for you in the next few days?" He gestured towards the blonde leaning against the stern rail.
That caught Naomi's attention and she tore furious eyes away from Cadie and fixed the PR man with a grim stare. "Explain," she growled.
"Well, Jesus, it's not brain surgery," a frustrated Jason said from her other side. "You're about to walk into a firestorm. The press think you were not only wasted on God knows what illegal substances, but that you were with a woman other than your partner at the time. The Australian media may not understand the significance of that, but once we hit US soil, Naomi, there's gonna be hell to pay. You're the first openly lesbian Republican senator, for Christ's sake. Part of why you were elected at all was the stability of your relationship with Cadie. You know that."
His partner took up the argument.
"Naomi, if you can walk off that plane in Chicago with Cadie at least looking calm and happy by your side, it will go a long way to helping this whole nightmare blow over. Turn up alone or looking like you both do right now, and things will get degrees worse, very quickly," Toby said.
Naomi glared from one to the other. "That slut," she hissed, "is the reason this 'whole nightmare' happened in the first place. If she'd just stayed away from that bitch and..." She was silenced when Toby roughly grabbed her arm and covered her mouth with his hand.
"Shut up, Naomi," he said fiercely. "For once, just shut up, and listen to the advice we're giving you. That is what you pay us for, after all." He waited until the senator finally nodded and he lowered his hand. "I'll be honest with you, Nay, I don't give a good goddamn who's to blame for what anymore. I don't even care what you and Cadie do in the long term. But I'm telling you that if you want to salvage this situation with any degree of dignity and more importantly, credibility intact, you'll march off that plane with her on your arm. And look like you want her there."
The stocky woman slumped back in her chair, all the fight seemingly drained out of her.
"Think about it," Jason said quietly. "The last 10 years of your career—and the next 10, for that matter—rest on what happens to you in the next few days. Don't waste my time, Toby's time, or any of your other supporters' time. At least mend enough fences to convince Cadie to play along until we can get you both out of the media spotlight for a few days."
Both men stood and turned away from the senator. They walked back out into the sunlight and sat down next to Therese and Sarah, starting a quiet conversation with the two attorneys. No one went near Cadie.
She needs me, right? Cadie thought to herself. I mean that's why I'm doing this, isn't it? Twelve years of history and I care about her, right? She looked back out to sea and her heart fled back over the horizon towards a tall, dark-haired skipper with shining blue eyes. Finally, she turned to face the other people on the boat. Immediately her attention was caught by the ferociously angry glare coming from the shadows inside the taxi's cabin.
Cadie firmed her jaw and stared back.
And I want her to understand that when I leave, it's because she and I don't work together any more, not because I met someone else. She has to know this is about her, not Jo.
Memories of that overheard conversation came back to haunt Cadie and again doubts welled up in her. She's gonna kick me out anyway, she thought in frustration. God, why am I bothering?
A little voice piped up, persistent as ever. Because it's the right thing to do, Arcadia. It might be hard to define and it might feel like crap, but it's the right thing to do. She sighed, knowing that going against her gut instincts was a short path to an ulcer, if not insanity.
God, Jo, I miss you already. I'd give anything to feel your arms around me right now. Cadie hugged herself instinctively, and looked around at the scenery as the taxi flew across the water. Colors are so bright here, she reflected, taking in the brilliant aquas and greens of the sea and islands. She took a deep breath and turned her face to the sun, closing her eyes and savoring the warmth and rushing salt-wind. I hope the universe brings me back here. Soon.
Cadie stayed that way for the rest of the journey back to Hamilton Island, moving only when she felt the boat decelerate as it entered the shelter of the marina. She looked over and saw two dark-windowed limousines waiting at the dock. Toby was talking to the water taxi's skipper, and it wasn't long before the PR man came back to talk to the group.
"The hotel's already loaded the rest of our luggage into the limos," he said. "So we can go straight to the airport. The press still doesn't know what we're up to, but it's a fair bet they'll have someone waiting at the airport. It's time for the game face, people. Let's try and look like we're all one big, happy family, okay?" He looked up at the dock, where two chauffeurs and a number of hotel staff were waiting to assist them. "Because the children are already watching," he emphasized. "It's only a matter of time before the press tracks us down."
Naomi emerged from the cabin looking like a new woman. There was no hint of anger or unhappiness on her face and she had made an effort to smarten up her appearance.
Every inch the politician, Cadie thought wryly, standing up straight as Naomi approached her. Just as always, when it counts. The blonde had a brief flash of the goodbye kiss she and Jo had shared and was suddenly filled with apprehension about the senator's possible reaction. But for now, at least, she had nothing to worry about.
"All right, people, let's go," the senator said, brushing past Cadie with barely a glance. Quietly the others followed the politician off the launch and up the stone steps of the dock to the two cars. Toby gently nudged Cadie in the same direction as Naomi, but he needn't have bothered.
I know how to play this game, the blonde thought resignedly as she climbed into the spacious limousine and slid across the leather seats until she was next to Naomi. The senator turned away and stared out of the tinted window. And that suits me just fine. Cadie breathed a sigh of relief as it appeared she was to be left alone.
Jo was frustrated beyond belief. It seemed to her that almost from the moment Cadie had disappeared over the horizon, everything had started to go horribly wrong. In their haste to get back to Cheswick's base at Shute Harbor, Jo and the two crewmembers had rigged the boat as tightly as they could and picked the most direct route. But Mother Nature wasn't playing fair. The wind had died to almost nothing and the Seawolf was crawling along on a glassy sea.
"God damn it" Jo thumped the wheel with the heel of her hand in frustration. "Where the fuck did the wind go, Paulie?" She raised her binoculars to her eyes again, casting about for any signs on the water's surface of an approaching wind gust.
"Beats me Skipper,
" the crewman said quietly. He was trying to keep a lid on his own emotions. He was just as anxious to get back to Ron as Jo was, but he was becoming concerned about the levels of stress radiating off the tall woman. Jo was restless and angry and Paul knew it had just as much to do with Cadie's departure as with Ron's illness. "Time to fire up the engine, Jo-Jo?"
The skipper growled with exasperation. "Fuck it. Yes. Crank it up, mate."
Paul jumped down into the cockpit and scrabbled around, lifting the engine cover. Within a couple of minutes the boat was under power and Jo watched as Jen and Paul pulled down the useless sails and stowed them away.
Jesus, she thought. Today of all days. Perfect weather for the whole trip and the one day I really want to get somewhere fast— nothing. She threw her cap into the companionway in sheer frustration and slumped onto one of the benches. I wish Doris would call back and tell us what's happening.
She knew Ron had a history of heart problems. Running the business doesn't help with the stress levels either, damn it.
She ran her hand through her hair anxiously. Her feelings about the big Cheswick boss were pretty black and white. He'd given her a job when she'd needed one badly. He'd accepted her without asking too many questions, and he'd taught her everything he knew about sailing and looking after tourists. Ron Cheswick had left no stone unturned in helping Jo get her life back on the straight and narrow. He had been a father figure when she had needed one most. The thought of him being in pain—in trouble—somewhere wasn't something the tall skipper could stomach very easily. Especially when there's not a goddamn thing I can do to get back there any faster.
Heart's Passage Page 33