It was easy to think she knew her choice regarding her future and her family ties to Portugal. But the truth was much different when her final decision carried so much weight.
Matias seemed pensive for a moment. “Have you tried talking to your grandfather?”
Vanessa covered her eyes and shook her head. The memory of that disaster was still very clear. “It didn’t go so well last time.”
The sound of a series of dings interrupted them and Matias grabbed this phone from his pocket and looked at his screen. “Excuse me. I have to take this.”
She nodded and took a step back to give him some privacy. That had been a timely interruption, just as the conversation between them had taken a more intimate turn. Why did she always talk so much about herself to Matias? He only had to ask the right questions and she spilled all her secrets. Was she so starved for male attention, or was Matias so easy to talk to? Or maybe it was both.
When she peeked back at him, he was still looking attentively at the screen, his forehead wrinkled with concern.
“I’m sorry. I’m needed on the lower deck,” he said when he noticed her.
“Is everything alright?” She raised a hand to her collar bone. “It’s not about Mrs. Grantham, is it?” Had the poor lady taken a turn for the worse?
His expression relaxed. “No, nothing like that. Just some maintenance issues that popped up.” He opened the sliding doors back to the hallway. “I’ll escort you back to the sun deck.”
Vanessa passed, and he closed the doors behind them. This time he didn’t touch her lower back, and she missed the small gesture. “I think I’m turning in. It’s been a long day.” She stopped in front of the door to her cabin and Matias stood a few steps ahead.
Was he trying to put more distance between them? Had she said something he didn’t like? She reached for her key card and slid it in the electronic lock, then crossed her arms, rubbing her left elbow, the one she’d hit against the side of the lounge chair when she’d helped Mrs. Grantham. She’d been so busy earlier she’d hardly noticed the dull pain.
He slipped his hands in his pockets and looked down the hallway in the direction of the main stairs. “Thanks again for your help today.”
“You’re welcome.”
He waited until she entered her cabin. Vanessa closed the door and leaned against it for a moment.
She closed her eyes and shook her head. That couldn’t have been any more awkward.
Why did the possibility of a new relationship always feel so strained? Was there even a chance?
Matias scrubbed his chin and yawned. Another long day drew to a close. He exited the bridge and walked around to the prow. The small town of Barca d’Alva was the port of call tonight, and he faced the river and the reflected lights, twinkling in the flow of the water.
After breakfast, he’d turned the ship around for the trip back while half the passengers had left on a bus for the tour to Salamanca, Spain. Miss Rialto had accompanied them ashore, as she usually did, and one of her assistants had stayed behind to lead the remaining passengers in some deck games.
Throughout the day, he’d had glimpses of Vanessa here and there. The Granthams had returned from the hospital before breakfast, and Vanessa had spent some time with Mrs. Grantham in the lounge. She’d caught his eye and smiled back at him but Matias had been occupied with charts, reports, and passengers, and only waved from afar.
“You’ve been busy today, Captain,” Vanessa said from behind him.
He’d been so distracted thinking about her, he didn’t even notice her approaching. Matias stepped away from the railing, and his mouth curled in a smile. The urge to come closer and hug her took him by surprise. He’d missed seeing her, in more ways than one, but the feeling was stronger than he’d anticipated. After knowing her for only a few days, she filled his mind and heart too much already.
“Good evening, Miss Clark,” he said, grinning like a fool. Not knowing what to do with his hands, he slipped them into his pants pockets to prevent himself from touching her.
She wore a floral dress of some gauzy, flowy material—one of those dresses that flattered without clinging. It had Matias itching to hold her in his arms and dance with her all night. The Captain’s Banquet was tomorrow, and they always held a dance afterward. If he played it right, he might get his wish. Maybe he couldn’t have all the dances, but he’d try hard for at least one.
“Are you sorry you missed the trip to Salamanca?” he asked.
She cocked her head. “I thought of going, but between Dad and Grandfather and you, the paranoia about my safety is too much and I’d rather not deal with it.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t go ashore today. The trip to Salamanca is over a hundred and twenty kilometers, I couldn’t be away from the ship for such a long time.” He’d been putting out fires instead. A long day of keeping up with more problems than they usually had aboard.
She took a step closer and rested her arms on the top railing. “You’re fine, don’t apologize. It felt good to have a slower day to catch up with everything and everyone.”
“Did you talk to your father then?”
She grimaced. “I did. The mandatory proof that I haven’t been kidnapped.” She turned sideways and looked at him. “And you, what kept you busy all day?”
Matias reined in another grin at the way they were sharing the little mundane details of their lives with each other while they’d been apart. “We had a large share of minor problems.”
“Nothing too serious, I hope.”
“No, mostly inconvenient and annoying.” He shrugged.
“Those are some strong words,” she said with a smile. “What could have been so annoying that you’re still thinking about it now?”
“The case of the missing pants, for one,” he said.
Vanessa chuckled, then covered her mouth. “I’m sorry, but that’s too funny. Who’s the poor person who’s going around without pants?”
“That would be me, and no, I’m not going around without pants, as you can well see.” He stepped back and gestured at himself.
Vanessa gave him a long once-over and then quickly looked elsewhere when she caught him watching her.
He couldn’t resist the chance to tease her. “Were you checking me out, Vanessa?”
She brought her hands to her cheeks. “No, I’m not checking you out. I’m just looking at your pants. Why are they missing?”
If he’d had enough light to see better, he’d most likely find her blushing.
“Nobody knows. I’m down to only this pair,” he said. “Sometimes I send uniform pants and shirts ashore to the nearest hotel’s laundry service. This time I didn’t send any, and they went missing anyways. And the extra pair I keep in my closet has a busted seam.” Something else that had gone wrong on this trip.
Vanessa cocked her head. “Where is the busted seam? And how much of it is busted?”
Maybe he shouldn’t have brought it up. “The material is intact, but the thread is gone in several places like it was pulled out.” He waved a hand. “I’m not a sewing expert, so I can’t really say what happened.”
“And where exactly is this seam? On the inside or outside of the pant leg?”
“It’s fine, Vanessa. Don’t worry about it. I’m sure the rest of the pants will show up.” Hopefully he could wear his dress uniform tomorrow for the formal dinner, but he still needed his everyday uniform pants for the rest of the trip.
“I’m pretty sure I can help, Matias,” she said. “You may not be a sewing expert but I know a bit about sewing.”
He looked back to her. “You can sew?”
She nodded. “I can sew, I can cook, and I can do flower arrangements. Not to an expert level, but I can get by. Thanks to my dad who wanted me to have all the feminine skills even if I didn’t have a mother to raise me.”
She leaned forward and tapped him on the arm. “Come on, let me see your pants.”
Matias chuckled. “Good thing there’s no one else a
round. What would they say if they heard you asking for my pants?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She frowned, a little smile at the corner of her lips indicating her teasing tone. “It’s just another ordinary day aboard the Princess Catarina.”
There was nothing ordinary. Not about this trip and not about Vanessa.
*
Matias brought Vanessa to the fitness room in the lower deck where the light was bright and there was no one else around at that time of night. After retrieving his uniform pants from his cabin, he located a small sewing kit in the sundries room for her to work with.
Vanessa finished up the last stitch, knotted the remaining black thread, and snipped it. She turned the pants right out and gave them a good shake. “There, all done. It’s not a perfect job but most people won’t be able to see the difference.” She paused, then covered a grin behind her fingers. “Unless they’re looking right at your—”
Matias held a hand up. “Yes, I know. Let’s not mention it again.” Of all the places to have a busted seam, the seat of his pants was not the most convenient one.
She held the pants by the belt loops and inspected the stitches she’d done. “I think the new seam will hold up until you can get it done by a professional with a sewing machine.” She handed them over to Matias.
He held the pants as she did. “It looks perfect to me. Thank you.”
She nodded. “By the way, you’re right about the thread being pulled.”
Matias neatly folded the pants in half and draped them over the nearest chair. “What do you mean?”
“I mean it was done on purpose. Someone took a seam ripper and cut the stitches every few inches along the seam.”
He frowned. “That doesn’t make any sense. Why would somebody do that?”
She paused for a moment. “You might have to ask yourself if there’s anyone on board with an interest in humiliating you. And how did they gain access to your uniforms?”
“I usually send my uniforms to the laundry room on this deck, but one of the problems we had last night was a broken washing machine. The linens and passengers take precedence, and the crew knows that.” He frowned. “But why? What could they gain from it?”
“I don’t know. From what I’ve seen, your passengers love you and your crew respects and likes you.”
“Well, some of the crew might not like me as much as others, but it comes with the position.” Being liked by all his crew members wasn’t a reasonable expectation. He’d learned that quickly with his first ship and crew.
Vanessa went on. “What’s the worst thing that could happen if you don’t have any more pants to wear?”
“This is ludicrous.” Matias shook his head. “Sure, it would be humiliating to be caught with my pants splitting up in front of the passengers, but other than delay the trip, I don’t see how someone could benefit from making my uniform pants disappear.”
He stood for a moment and walked to the end of the room and back. Moving around always helped him think better.
Vanessa busied herself putting the needle back inside the sewing kit and rolling the black thread onto the spool, as if giving him time to sort through what they had just discussed. She tucked the small scissors inside the box and closed the lid. Matias watched her, his mind going through all the possibilities. Why would anyone want to delay the trip?
Even if it didn’t make any sense, he couldn’t put aside the coincidence of so many difficulties on this trip. The ship had failsafe protocols, and the crew ran tests and procedures frequently with the end goal of avoiding or dealing swiftly with any kind of problems, so this was unprecedented.
Vanessa stood from the bench against the wall. “I better return to my cabin.”
“I’m sorry to keep you waiting. I got distracted.” He grabbed his pants from the back of the chair and walked to the door. “I really appreciate you sewing my pants, Vanessa.” She’d come to his rescue once again.
“You’re welcome. We wouldn’t want to embarrass you in front of the passengers,” she added in a teasing voice.
Matias opened the door to the hallway. “I’m not so sure about that. Your tone suggests you’d like to see me split my pants in public.”
At his words, she didn’t try to hide her amusement. “You have to admit it would be funny to watch.”
“Depends on who watched it.” He looked squarely at her with a raised eyebrow.
Vanessa stepped onto the sun deck just as the first rays of sun peeked over the farthest hill. Now that the ship was on its return trip to Porto, its right side, instead of its left, was docked at the small port. She walked to the prow and stood there. The view was reversed from what she’d gotten used to at the beginning of the trip, and even though they stopped at the same towns, the changes offered a different perspective.
Her own perception had changed in the few short days since she’d boarded. In a way, Grandfather was right, as hard as that was for her to admit, even to herself. How could she have thought to remain unchanged after traveling on these waters, after witnessing the people on the terraced lands and their way of life?
Giving in had not been in her plan. Neither was falling in love with her Portuguese heritage and the cruises on the River Douro. But it wasn’t too late to walk away, walk away and pretend her stubborn heart hadn’t been softened in the company of a river cruise captain. How could she find the strength to resist him when he was as easily excited from the deck of his ship as one of his first-time passengers was?
She turned at the sound of firm steps behind her.
“Are we meeting for another sunrise?” Matias said as he approached.
“I won’t have many more chances aboard.” The trip would come to a close in two more days. Watching sunrises from somewhere else would never be the same.
“Admit it, time flies when you’re having fun.” Matias stopped a few feet away from her.
His hands hovered over the railing, then he slipped them in his pockets as he did more and more of late. Was it something she’d said? He’d been putting more distance between them, as if he couldn’t bear to be near her.
Vanessa took a quick breath and wiped her sweaty palms against the side of her jeans. If she didn’t ask him now, she’d be left wondering about his behavior. She stepped up to him, and Matias moved back.
“What’s going on, Matias?”
He frowned. “What do you mean?”
When she moved closer, he drew his hands out of his pockets.
“You’re trying to keep your distance from me.” She held her position, her eyes locked on his. “You almost flinched just now when I got closer to you. I noticed it last night too.” She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Did I do something you don’t like?”
“I’m keeping my distance from you?” He repeated it as a question, his eyes growing darker and wider, as if trying to understand it himself.
For a long moment, he only gazed at her, wordless and unmoving.
Then something passed in his expression: a determination and transparency of emotion that left her wondering.
Was that attraction she saw in his eyes? No, it couldn’t be.
“Maybe—” His voice pitched lower and he cleared his throat. “If I weren’t under certain obligations and responsibilities, I’d close some of that distance.”
Her heart pounded in her chest and her lips parted, her mouth dry and thick. More than his words, the intensity of his gaze burned through her, and the skin on her arms broke into gooseflesh. Her whole body was attuned to him, the warmth between them, and his scent mingled with the breeze from the river.
Vanessa’s ability to articulate any words fled her, and her good sense teetered on the edge of temporary insanity. What if she leaned toward him just now? What if she had the courage to find out what would come of a kiss between them?
When a bird squawked overhead, Matias turned to watch it fly to shore. Vanessa took a deep breath and leaned back against the railing, arms crossed on her
chest. She shivered at the letdown of the moment with Matias.
“I had thought of having breakfast here with you, but I don’t even have time for a cup of coffee,” Matias said. “I’m sorry.”
“I’ll have breakfast with Agnes Grantham and her friends.” She kept her eyes on the river, unable to face Matias.
He turned to leave but then stopped. “Vanessa, slight change of plans for today. I’m sending you ashore with Miguel.”
“Why? What’s there to do?” She’d forgotten to check the itinerary for today.
“We’re leaving after breakfast to the next port, and there’s a short visit to a wine-producing farm followed by a wine tasting.”
One of these days Vanessa would tell everyone how much she disliked the wine tastings. “I can stay aboard.”
“I think you’ll like the farm. And I trust Miguel,” he added. “You’ll be in good hands.”
Someone else’s hands, not Matias’s. “What’s going on this evening that’s keeping you so busy?”
He shuffled a foot on the deck and a small smile curved his lips. “Well, there is a Captain’s Banquet scheduled for tonight, and I am the captain.”
“Ah, the fancy dinner sponsored by the captain.” She’d heard some of the other passengers talk about it.
“Don’t forget about the dance after the fancy dinner,” Matias said over his shoulder as he left around the bridge.
A dance.
Vanessa placed a hand over her stomach, as if it could settle the nerves. Excitement and dread sat on a very fine line today.
“Don’t let the banquet intimidate you,” a man’s voice said from the other side.
Vanessa turned to find Miguel approaching her. She dropped her hands to her side. “I wasn’t. I mean, I’m not intimidated.” She lied, but more to herself than Miguel.
He smiled lightly. “Good. I hope you’ll get on the dance floor.”
“Does the captain dance?”
“He does and he likes it too.” Miguel leaned forward and crossed his arms on the railing. “Captain Romano is more involved with the social activities than he tries to make it look.”
Meet Me At Sunrise (Destined for Love: Europe) Page 9