A few of the passengers emerged from below—the more adventurous or agile ones. The upper, main, and lower decks were serviced by an elevator and a wide staircase, but only a ladder was available to reach the sun deck. The passengers stood near the railings, mostly to the port side, and some walked by the bridge, but the prow was cordoned off.
Matias maneuvered the familiar waterway, a sense of calm and assurance filling his chest. His heartbeat slowed, and his breathing evened out at the feel of the brass wheel on the skin of his palms, warm and solid and comforting. It was here, on the water and behind the wheel, that he most felt at home, where he found his center and his purpose. Here, the river commanded everything, and Matias was as one with the ship in bringing the passengers safely through the verdant waters.
After a while, Miguel took over at the wheel. Matias retrieved the itinerary and skimmed it, confirming what he already knew about the daily schedule. The passenger list was attached, a grid of names by cabin number in neat, even rows.
Something was off. He stopped and read the list again. “It’s not even,” he said.
“What’s not even?” Miguel looked over his shoulder.
Matias tapped the paper with his pen. “The number of passengers is not even.”
The numbers were always the same: one eighty-meter long ship with 2 engines; 65 cabins, 130 passengers, and 40 crew members. Same numbers, same routine.
But not this time.
“That’s right.” Miguel kept his eyes straight ahead. “Cabin two has only one passenger, instead of the usual couple.”
Miss Clark was the single occupant in cabin number two, and, as a result, there were only 129 passengers aboard on this trip. Matias dropped the papers on the surface of the wooden counter and stood, rubbing the back of his neck. How had he missed that?
Miguel shook his head. “You’re not hung up on that silly numbers thing again, are you?”
Matias gathered the papers and placed them back where they belonged inside the folder. “Maybe. Maybe not.”
Miguel teased him about it, and other crew members talked behind his back. To them, it was a childish superstition. To him, it was a portent of bad luck.
And that was the last thing he needed on this trip.
*
Vanessa took her time arriving at the sun deck. She’d been the last one at lunch and the captain hadn’t seemed too happy to find her there. Why did he want to see her at the bridge anyway? She was not looking forward to this meeting.
She’d left her sun hat behind in her cabin and didn’t want to go back for it. After the early fog and colder temperatures this morning, the weather had turned out warm and sunny and perfect for a late summer day. The captain had pulled the ship away from the dock fifteen minutes before, and Vanessa had watched the city go by from the observation balcony just off the lounge on the upper deck. Other passengers had the same idea, and the small space quickly became crowded. Once on the sun deck, she found a place in the shade by the railing alongside a few passengers who were already there.
The view was better from the sun deck, and the differences surprised her. The contrast between Porto by night and Porto by day, Porto from downtown and Porto from a moving ship. In the past few weeks since her arrival, she’d grown to appreciate the city. Grandfather would be thrilled to know her opinion had changed some, but Vanessa didn’t have any plans to tell him. Let him think she still hated everything about Porto. He didn’t deserve more.
She’d never traveled so far before. A few trips to Texas during high school didn’t count; not compared to Europe, where everything was so different and there was so much to learn every day. How could this all be part of her heritage when she’d grown up without any knowledge of it? She didn’t feel half-Portuguese.
The crushing sense of being overwhelmed had abated some, but it was still hard to understand the scope of what it all meant for her future. Dad hadn’t said much other than confirming that she indeed had a Portuguese grandfather with a fortune. Dad owed her a lot of explanations when she returned from this trip.
Soon the urban landscape of tightly packed buildings and old façades gave way to a more rural view of rolling hills and scarce village houses interspersed with pines and eucalyptus trees. The world-famous wine country of tiered parcels with neatly arranged grapevines was still up ahead on the trip.
One of the young deckhands approached her. Vanessa had seen him work with the captain before and knew he must be one of his assistants.
“Miss Clark, Captain Romano will see you now. This way, please.” He gestured toward the bridge.
Several passengers paused to watch them. Vanessa didn’t pay any attention to them and followed the deckhand.
When she arrived at the bridge, the Captain stood by a tall desk. Another crewman maneuvered the helm, the one she’d seen the day before. He looked at her with a friendly expression and nodded in acknowledgment.
“Thanks for coming, Miss Clark. This is my second-in-command, Miguel Freitas.”
Vanessa smiled and nodded back.
Why had the captain asked her to come? She waited for him to say something more. Her nerves rose with each passing minute, and the awkward pause only added to her sense of discomfort. After Captain Romano checked the wall clock for a second time, Vanessa gathered her courage to ask him.
The phone rang and she jumped.
Captain Romano turned away from her and answered it. “Yes, sir,” he said. He repeated the same line three more times before turning in her direction. He pushed a button and set the receiver down on the desk surface. “You’re now on speaker, sir.”
“Vanessa, this is your grandfather speaking.”
Her eyes widened and she gasped. “Grandfather?”
“I had hoped it didn’t have to come to this, but after your little display this morning, you leave me no choice.” His voice sounded firm yet a bit weary, as if he scolded a disobedient child.
Vanessa recovered from her shock. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
The captain had the decency of looking guilty and uncomfortable while his crewman pretended not to notice anything else than the wheel of the ship and the expanse of river ahead.
Grandfather spoke again. “I know you probably don’t understand, but your safety is of the utmost importance to me.” He paused, and Vanessa shook her head, disbelieving the situation. What did Grandfather want and why did he have to do it in front of the captain?
He went on. “I’ve made lots of enemies in my career and some of them would like nothing better than to know I have brought on a grandchild to take over in a few years.”
No, she hadn’t agreed to that yet. “Grandfather—”
He interrupted her. “Vanessa, please listen. I only have a few minutes before my next appointment. I’ve had a security detail on you since you arrived in the country. I thought with you being on this cruise, I could relax a little. In fact, you were the one who insisted you didn’t need a bodyguard while on the ship.”
Vanessa shook her head and looked at the captain.
“At the next port, I’ll have the security detail join the cruise to keep an eye on you,” Grandfather said.
“For heaven’s sake, what are you talking about?” Vanessa raised her voice, unable to hold back the frustration from her tone.
Captain Romano rubbed his neck behind his ear. “Sir, wait a minute there—”
Grandfather let out a long breath. “Vanessa, where were you this morning? You went ashore with the excursion group but you didn’t return with them. Captain Romano doesn’t think I know, but I do.”
The captain stilled and raised his head to look at the phone and then at Vanessa.
“Well, where were you?” Grandfather asked.
This couldn’t be happening. He was treating her like a child, and he believed he had the right to do it.
“I— I left the group to visit a part of town I hadn’t seen yet and then I took a cab back to the dock.”
“Vanes
sa, that’s the kind of thing you can’t do,” Grandfather said. “That’s why I wanted a security detail with you at all times.”
Vanessa’s shoulders slumped. Would he listen to her if she asked him not to send anyone to follow her around?
For a moment, only silence filled the small room. Vanessa folded her arms and took a deep breath, Grandfather’s words running through her mind. He’d had a security detail following her for her protection since the first day, he’d said, not just for the trip as he’d suggested. As if she were an investment. Was this how the rich and powerful lived their lives?
Grandfather cleared his throat. “Captain Romano, my granddaughter’s safety is at stake here. I know she doesn’t want a bodyguard. Given the circumstances, I’m going to ask you to accompany her when she goes ashore. I think that’s the best solution for the time being.”
Vanessa slid to a bar-height chair and faced the captain who’d walked closer to the phone. His forehead wrinkled and he scrubbed a spot on his temple. “Yes, sir,” he said.
He clearly did not want the job.
“Excuse me, what did you say?” Grandfather asked, his voice laced with impatience. “Speak louder, Captain,” he barked.
“I said I will watch your granddaughter, sir.” Captain Romano enunciated his words, the resolution unequivocal. His shoulders set straight and his jaw squared as if he’d just offered up his life in sacrifice to protect a royal princess. But she wasn’t a princess; just a girl from Kansas. And she had to put a stop to this nonsense.
“Wait a minute.” Vanessa jumped from her chair and stood next to the captain. “I don’t need—”
“Vanessa, it’s not a question of what you don’t need,” Grandfather interrupted. “Captain Romano, are you serious with your acceptance? Do you know what it fully means?”
“I’ll accompany her when she goes ashore, and I’ll keep an eye on her while on the ship,” Captain Romano said. “And if you’re worried about my availability, I can delegate some of my other duties.” He glanced at the other guy, who raised a thumbs-up, still piloting the ship and still looking ahead.
“Grandfather, this is not—.”
“Please, Vanessa,” Grandfather interrupted again. “Let me and Captain Romano take care of everything.”
The dread that had been building in her since she’d passed through the door soured her stomach, and she touched the spot. It was useless. They didn’t care what she thought. Neither one of them did.
While the captain and Grandfather discussed the particulars of their arrangement, Vanessa slipped out of the bridge.
The next morning, Vanessa climbed the stairs to the sun deck. The first rays hadn’t peeked yet but the sky was clear and the air smelled a little brisk. She stood to the right, facing the river and the bank on the other side. Behind her, to the left of the ship, the small town of Entre-Os-Rios still lay dormant and somewhat mysterious in the early morning. A church bell counted the hours in snappy, short clangs and a dog not too far away howled in reply.
Dinner had been awkward between her and Captain Romano the night before, but fortunately sitting with six other people had effectively prevented any chance for a private conversation. Afterward, Vanessa had sought the company of the English ladies and had sat with them in the lounge. Twice the captain had approached the group to greet them and twice Vanessa had avoided eye contact with him.
He’d wanted to talk to her; she knew that. But her feelings about the phone call from Grandfather still burned too hot, and she needed space and time to let them simmer down and wane. In the end, she’d slept even worse than the previous night, and here she was on deck earlier than the second morning, hoping Captain Romano would initiate contact. How long could she hold on to her pride and stubbornness and expect everything to resolve itself?
The ship had docked at their first stop yesterday evening after a leisurely pace through the first leg of the trip. They’d passed the first three dams in the afternoon, and Vanessa had watched from the balcony at the prow of the upper deck. She’d spent some time reading on the balcony in her cabin and being distracted by the view on the port side of the ship. The landscape was different, so different from what she knew. As trite as it sounded, the same thought came to her. Everywhere she looked, the novelty of sights and sounds and textures called out to her, even from her spot on the ship.
Vanessa chanced a look at the bridge. The captain and his firstmate stood hunched over the desk and talked animatedly. As if sensing her, Captain Romano raised his head and locked his eyes on her. Vanessa turned back to the view and took her phone out of her pocket to keep her hands busy. Her cheeks heated, and she swallowed down a curse. Why wasn’t she over the silly blushing by now? It wasn’t reasonable to feel this way over a guy she’d just barely met and who probably didn’t even like her. She gave herself a mental shake.
Her phone vibrated in her hands, and a text from Dad popped up on the screen.
How are things going, Vanessa?
Was it wrong to hope Dad hadn’t heard about the previous day’s fiasco? He and Grandfather weren’t on the best of terms so Vanessa counted on that. She typed a quick reply.
Everything’s great.
No sense in telling him. Dad would only overreact like Grandfather and the captain had, then worry that he was far away and couldn’t do anything to help.
Anything fun on the schedule today? Dad asked.
Going ashore later. It was supposed to be fun, but having the captain with her would probably ruin that.
Have a good day.
She replied with a smile emoji.
The door to the bridge creaked open. Vanessa returned her phone to her front pocket and resisted the urge to turn around.
“Vanessa,” the captain called in a low voice.
He needn’t worry about anyone overhearing them since there was no one else around.
She took a quick breath. He was using her name. Her first name.
“Miss Clark,” he said louder and with more insistence.
This time, Vanessa turned to him, and he gestured for her to come inside the bridge. His hair, perfectly styled every other time she’d seen him, appeared slightly mussed, as if he might have run a hand through it in frustration. And the knot of his tie hung a bit off center, maybe from being tugged a few times.
“What’s going on?” she asked after he closed the door behind her.
He exchanged a glance with the other guy, who sat in front of a console with a keyboard and computer-like screen. “Just an inconvenience. Hopefully we’ll figure it out soon.”
Vanessa peeked at the console. “What kind of inconvenience?”
Captain Romano handed Vanessa a cup. “I was hoping you’d come out on the prow this morning.” He paused while she took the cup in her hands. “I think we need to talk about your grandfather’s phone call yesterday.”
“I know you want to talk, but I’d rather not.” She took a sip and was surprised by the bold flavor. “Hot chocolate?”
The captain’s voice softened. “Do you like it? It’s a special blend of dark chocolate with a shot of espresso.” He held up a plate with croissants. “I had planned a better breakfast on the prow, but with this”—he gestured toward the console—“uh, problem, I’m afraid I’m not as available as I thought I’d be.”
Was that an apology? His expression didn’t give her any clues to how he felt and she could only make assumptions about the meaning behind his words. But, in her experience, assumptions rarely yielded good results.
Vanessa put down the cup and croissant and stepped closer to the console. “What kind of problem is it?”
Captain Romano passed a hand through his hair, which he’d apparently already been doing. “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”
Vanessa approached the captain’s crewman. “Can you remind me of your name, please?”
“Just call me Miguel.” His mouth turned up in a small smile, and his brown eyes twinkled in a boyish expression.
“No
rank or title?” She asked.
“I’m not the captain; he is.” He tipped his chin in the captain’s direction.
She smiled back. “Okay, Miguel. What’s going on with the computer?”
Captain Romano cleared his throat. “Miss Clark, we’ll take care of it. We called the IT guy at the main office, but he’s checking something more pressing at the lower deck.”
She glanced from the console to him. “Will you let me take a look?”
His forehead wrinkled. “Are you a computer expert?”
“You could say that.” Vanessa waved a hand. “Why don’t you tell me what’s going on? I’ll be able to see if I can help in five minutes or less, and it won’t cost you anything.”
Captain Romano hesitated. “It’s not normal to ask passengers for help with the computer system.”
“And what has been normal about this trip so far?” Miguel said in a tone that left no doubts to how he felt about the situation. What was not normal?
The captain looked at him, and Vanessa followed the silent exchange. Captain Romano was swayed but didn’t want to admit it so quickly. Was it because of her or because of the rules?
At last, he gestured toward the chair. “We don’t know what to make of it. Every time we type anything, it comes out all gibberish.”
Vanessa sat down, and Miguel scooted back, allowing her more room at the console.
“Has this happened before?” She poised herself at the keyboard and typed a sentence.
“No, this was the first time,” replied Miguel. Captain Romano nodded.
She typed again and turned to them. “I know what the problem is and it’s an easy fix.”
They both visibly relaxed. “What is it?” The captain asked.
“Something very simple.” Vanessa typed a few more times as she restored the right settings. “But it’s obvious that someone played a prank on you.” She stood and turned the keyboard in Captain Romano’s direction.
He sat down and typed a few words. “How did you fix it so quickly? We’ve been at it for a couple of hours and couldn’t figure it out.”
Meet Me At Sunrise (Destined for Love: Europe) Page 4