Then one Friday afternoon his boss, Mr. Warner, came to him and said it was time to cast off and set a course for the Virgin Islands. His kids all had to go back to school for finals and when completed they would catch up to them and begin their sailings lessons as well as surf lessons. Tanner would now have a new job teaching surfing to the children as well as sailing. Sounded good to Tanner. They were to leave on Sunday.
That Saturday evening Tanner found himself with nothing to do, just waiting for the next day, when they would cast off and begin their trip to Virgin Gorda at the bottom of the chain of islands in the British Virgin Islands atoll, but then the winds, which had been absent all day, picked up and Tanner made for the Hobie and one last sail up the coast of Miami.
With his thoughts on nothing but the setting sun, the beauty of the clear seawater on that particular evening, and seeing just how close he could bring the Hobie up on one pontoon without pitch-poling, Tanner made his way out from the channel and the jetties and into the ocean.
He turned north up the coast and worked his way close to shore. The winds kept increasing in speed and he found himself standing out on the trapeze and ripping through the backs of the waves as he made his way up the beach. There weren’t many people on the beach and he was able to see them quite clearly. There were a few pretty girls but most were with a boyfriend or husband and Tanner found no reason to pull to shore; besides, the winds were perfect and he was in the zone – working the fine line between making the boat feel as if it would almost lift right out of the water he was sailing so fast and pitch-poling, where he capsized the boat end over end into the back of the waves.
He had made a long and good run to the north and with the sun now low in the sky he came about and began to work his way back to port. He knew it would be his last time to sail for a few days so he slowed down and let the moments come to him.
He was soaked through, his hair tangled and wet, his skin almost cold from the water and the breeze. His hands were tired from holding the lines so he pulled them into the cleats and dropped back into the boat from standing out in the trapeze. He wanted a beer in the worst of ways and so he pulled in close to the shore and hoped that this time that he’d see people his age that he’d feel comfortable coming ashore and meeting. Maybe they’d offer him a beer if they had any – if not beer, then water would be great as well. Tanner was thirsty.
He was passing the Delano hotel when he saw a man, he was an older man, and a young woman making their way from the hotel to the beach. She was carrying her shoes in her hand and he was talking to her as she looked up the beach away from where Tanner was sailing in the water. She looked beautiful he thought and he instinctively turned the rudder to bring the boat closer to shore.
Her hair was blowing long and straight in the wind and looked to be dancing it was so animated by the breeze. She was wearing a beautiful white evening dress that was at once both revealing and tantalizing in the way it hugged her long curves while hiding the treasured parts of her body. Tanner wasn’t close enough to see her face but he saw enough to have a powerful vibration run the length of his spine in anticipation of what she might look like. He had to see her and he had to speak to her. Tanner also found himself wanting to show-off, not his typical modus operandi, but show-off he did, pulling the lines tight and stepping quickly out into the trapeze. He made a course for the girl and her friend (He prayed it was just her friend or maybe her father, that was fine as well, but what he was worried about was that it was her sugar-daddy. There seemed to be a lot of sugar-daddies in South Beach, Tanner had noticed over the last several weeks and that wouldn’t be a good thing.) and he pulled tighter on the lines and tilted the boat as high as he dared as he made for the shoreline.
As he came closer he noticed the man step away from the girl, a smile on his face, and begin making his way back across the beach toward the hotel. That could only be a good thing, Tanner figured. He was riding the back of a wave into shore and it would be only moments before he’d have to say something. Never nervous or at a loss for words around girls, Tanner found his tongue hiding in the back of his throat as he hit the shore and dropped the raised pontoon on which he was leaning out from down to the sandy beach. His heart pounding, Tanner pushed his tongue back to the front of his mouth, adjusted the boat on the shoreline so that it wouldn’t drift back into the waves, and stepped toward the girl. He was right – she was drop dead gorgeous and he just might be in big trouble. He’d never felt so high and he liked it, loved the feeling, but he was almost afraid as well.
He extended his hand to her and smiled. When she put her hand out to his, Tanner, on a whim and by instinct, pulled it to his lips and kissed it. She tasted of a feminine salt to his lips and smelled of perfume and raspberries to his nose – like the bouquet of a fine wine – an incredibly fine red wine. It was a taste and a scent he’d never forget for all of his days. Then, when she met his gaze, he was simply overwhelmed and he realized that he might just finally know what falling in love was all about – and waiting twenty three years, as hard as it had been, was worth it.
“My name is Tanner and I’ve been waiting a lifetime to meet you. What took you so long to come into my life?” he asked.
Finally, she smiled at him, and Tanner knew that he was indeed a blessed man.
7
A Night not Forgotten
Kinsey let go of herself, and, her hand in his, allowed Tanner to lead her back up the beach to the Delano Hotel. With the sun now setting behind the hotel and going down in a last blaze of orange, red and golden light, Kinsey felt like she’d been transported back in time to the balcony of Ms. Lester’s home and the sunset over the city of Charleston. She’d given herself to that sunset, exposed herself to the moment and then spent the next three years painting it. She’d finally gotten it right, completed the painting this very morning, and Kinsey somehow knew in her heart that this man who’d just sailed up the beach and into her life was the reason for its existence and Kinsey knew that wherever the evening took them she would make sure that it ended with her showing her painting to him, and, if he wanted it, even gifting it to him and signing the painting as complete and finished. The painting revealed who she was and she wanted this man to have it.
This man who’d shined in the sun, lighted in its rays as they reflected off the white tops of the waves, the green bottoms of the swells and the deep blues of the twilit sky, had gently arrived in her life and then exploded her every belief of what constituted a good looking man – he simply looked better than any man she’d ever seen – like he was shaped only for her. His strong and sexy hand enveloping hers made her knees weak, the angle of his triceps, sharp and cut, was a longed for opposite to her own feminine curves, the angle of his jaw, set like granite, shaped and cut like an eagles wings made her lips hurt and her heart pound she wanted so bad to rub her face against those stubbled masculine angles that needed a shave a least two days prior to now. Then when he’d look at her, like a fifth grade school boy with a crush on her, just sneaking a peak at her across the classroom, she’d feel her insides melting in a strange and delicious warmth. It was too much, a complete sensory overload, but he was like the finest drug and though it had just began, Kinsey knew her addiction to this man was complete and hopeless and wonderful. If they were ever to be separated she knew the withdrawal might kill her, but that was okay, she’d just make sure it never ever happened.
They came through the back gate and made their way poolside to where the party was now in full swing with music, full of soft sensuous Latin rhythms, playing from one of the poolside bungalows and voices, loud, inebriated and happy, sounding out over the music and the evening.
They stepped into the midst of the party, Kinsey in evening dress and Tanner in nothing but board-shorts and wet salty hair, and Kinsey noticed that Tanner showed no sign of feeling out of place, in fact, the party came to them and no one said a word to them about any kind of dress code. He was beautiful, kind looking and welcomed by all and Kinsey rea
lized that his was a world of warm smiles and kind affections with both constantly being bestowed upon him. People felt good standing by Tanner and talking to him and being seen with him. Life must be so easy for him Kinsey thought to herself as Mr. Barksley approached them.
“So I leave you on the beach for a few minutes, Darling, and you come back to the party with a fine looking man. I guess you’re going to tell me he just sailed into your life.” Mr. Bark had a big, knowing grin on his face and Kinsey heard herself laughing. She introduced Mr. Bark to Tanner and as Tanner spoke, saying his full name, Kinsey listened so as to know what her new last name might one day be but as he said his name to Mr. Bark and shook his hand there was an eruption of laughter from a group of people behind her and Kinsey never heard it. She made a mental note to ask him later. She’d tell him her last name and all about herself to him as well; they had a lifetime to do it she figured.
Mr. Bark motioned to a waitress passing by with a tray full of poured champagne glasses and took three of the glasses from her, handing one each to Tanner and Kinsey and keeping one for himself.
“Can I propose a toast?” he asked and Tanner nodded, “To the evening sun, to ships that don’t pass in the night, but instead, come to port together, to the magic in the eyes of both of you,” Mr. Bark gave Kinsey a wink as he said this and continued, “to days together, to lives together, to living in the blessings of our good Lord, and to many, many tomorrows for the both of you.”
They clinked glasses and Kinsey watched as both Mr. Bark and Tanner threw back their glasses and emptied them in one large swallow.
“I like that toast Mr. Bark…”
“Call me John. You too Kinsey, as I now consider you a peer and not the little girl that I watched grow-up.”
Tanner nodded and continued, “You seem a romantic at heart, John. I’d say I’m following in your footsteps, I think when God made the world he revealed himself also to be a romantic. I find clues to it everywhere I look.”
“I agree.” Mr. Barksley said, “In fact, I’ve never seen Kinsey lit up with it…”
Kinsey laughed, “Lit up with what, Mr. Bar…, rather, John?”
“I’d say the glow of wonderful color. Kinsey is lit up like a springtime painting by Renoir himself…”
“And what about Tanner? You can’t leave him out.” Kinsey asked, putting her hand to Tanner’s arm.
“No indeed, he actually might be lit up like he is now all the time but I’d think he’d one day just explode if that were to be true so I’d say he also is lit up with color, like a Thomas Kinkade painted at Easter.”
As the three of them laughed, Kinsey said to Tanner, “Mr. Bark is always comparing life to art and art to life. It’s what he does, you’ll have to get use to that. We’re all artists at heart around here.”
“Sounds good to me.” Tanner said as Kinsey pulled him toward the hotel.
“I think we shall step out for a bit and get to know one another,” she said, and Mr. Bark smiled, nodded and with a wave of his hand said he’d talk to them later.
He stepped away and Kinsey leaned into Tanner, smelled the salt on his body, and asked, “Is that okay with you. Would you like to take a walk? Go find a quiet place and just be together?”
“It sounds fantastic. Can I ask a favor? I didn’t take my phone sailing with me. I have to call the ship and get one of the deckhands to come bring me some clothes and take the Hobie back to the ship. Could I borrow your phone?”
Those were some big mysterious nuggets of information. Ship? What ship? Did Tanner live on a ship? Kinsey reached into her purse, pulled out her phone, typed her passcode into it and handed it to Tanner as they stepped away from the party. He dialed a number and in a moment he was talking with his finger to his other ear as he tried to hear above the sound of the music and the party. He stepped away, behind a large pillar, trying to hear, and Kinsey gave him his space.
I minute later he returned to her and handed her back her phone. “Let’s make our way into the hotel. Sheff is going to get a cab ride to the hotel and meet me inside. He said he’d bring clothes, my phone and that he’d sail the Hobie back to the ship. He’s a great guy, owes me anyway. I’ve had to bail him out of jail a couple of times. He likes to see how much he can drink when we get to port. Finds himself in bar arguments; the only way they seem to get resolved, as far as I can tell, is by fighting.”
Tanner began laughing at the thought of Sheff fighting and Kinsey asked, “You live on a ship, like a merchant ship or an ocean liner?”
Tanner shook his head, “No, a yacht, a huge yacht. I live on the water. Have for several years. Right now I work as a crewmember on this billionaire’s yacht. I love water. Can’t seem to get away from it.”
They made their way into the lobby and Kinsey saw the small, soft lighted bar that she had said to herself she’d wanted to step into for a drink earlier. “After we meet Sheff, can I take you into that bar for a drink?” Kinsey asked, pointing to it as they walked past.
“Wow, that’s a cozy spot. I’d love to. Only I’m buying.” Tanner said, then he asked stepping closer to Kinsey. “How about I put my arm around you. This lobby is cold, I need heat.”
Kinsey immediately leaned against him and when his arm went around her it felt like she’d waited her entire life for the comfort that it offered her. That she was keeping him warm as well only made it so much the better.
They say on a bench outside the hotel and before they could fall deep into one another Sheff pulled up in a cab. He was a large man with white teeth and short, wavy, blond and gray hair. To Kinsey he looked like he was about forty and had spent 38 of those years on the high seas. He was a tough, grizzled, salty man and Kinsey wanted to paint him.
“Well there you are, just sitting on a bench waiting for me.” Sheff’s said, then his eyes found Kinsey and lit up, “Wow! That’s the best looking girl I’ve ever seen you with, Tanner. If I was you I’d hang on to her for dear life. I’d say you’ve finally found a woman better looking than you even.”
Sheff let out a booming laugh and Kinsey found herself smiling and laughing. Tanner had a nice red shade to his cheeks and Kinsey wondered if he was blushing. Sheff noticed too and said, “Tanner, I’ve known you for three years and this is the first time I’ve ever seen you blush. What is it? I must be right; you’re in love man. In love is what you are. I never thought I’d see the day.” Sheff slapped his knee and stepped toward Kinsey. “Here girl, give me a hug. You’ve done well for yourself. Tanner is a good man. I’d even let my daughter date him if I had one…”
Tanner didn’t let him finish, “I bet you have daughters all over this big world, sons too if I had to guess. How many women have you loved in all the ports you call home? Huh, big man?”
As Sheff engulfed Kinsey in a giant hug she heard Tanner say, “Easy big man, don’t snap her in two.”
Sheff let her go, asking Tanner, “So where is the Hobie? You and I are even now by the way, Tanner; I can’t believe you have me sailing this boat back through the jetties at night. That’s no easy sail, I might get crushed by a freighter.”
“I think you can handle it.” Tanner said.
They stepped into the lobby. Sheff handed Tanner a bag and Tanner stepped into the bathroom to change while Kinsey showed Sheff the rear door to the lobby and pointed toward the gate and the beach beyond. “Straight out that gate and make for the water. The boat is straight ahead.” She told Sheff.
Sheff started out the door, paused, then he turned back to Kinsey, “What did you do to my friend? Tanner is a hopeless romantic. He could be married to one of a thousand girls by now. They all love him, but he’s always waited, he said he was waiting for the girl that God intended him to meet and then he’d blow her world. I’ve never seen him like he is with you. He’s not the bad-boy type either.”
“What do you mean?” Kinsey didn’t know what else to say.
“Well, Tanner has been running the last few months. Left a girl at the altar. Well almost, I t
hink she was picking a wedding cake when he did it, but he left her and he felt so bad about it and so he set her up with his best friend. Then he ran from it all. He just wants that one special girl for his whole life and he’ll be content in all his days. I’ve seen a thousand girls look at him like you are tonight…”
He stopped talking and swallowed, his eyes looked into Kinsey’s.
“And…?” Kinsey asked back, not letting him leave her hanging like this.
“And this is the first time I’ve ever seen him look back at a girl the way that they always look at him – with something like love in his eyes.”
Kinsey didn’t know what to say. If Sheff had known her, she thought, he could have said the exact same thing about her. She’d said no to the hand and the love of more men than she could count as well. She was glad to hear his words but it only meant they were the same in one respect. They had so far to go she realized. God, she found herself almost praying right then, please don’t let me mess this up.
Sheff reached out and took her hand, “He’s a good man. Don’t under estimate what that means. If you’re the woman of his dreams he’ll do anything to win you, to win your love and affections.” Sheff peeked over her head, “Here comes Tanner, boy, I wish I was in his shoes. You’ve got him all lit up; I bet he feels good.” He gave her hand a squeeze. “Bye,” he said, then turned and left, not looking back.
Kinsey watched Sheff walk through the party. He grabbed a beer from a waiter’s tray has he made his way to the gate and drank it in one long swallow. He placed the empty bottle on a poolside table as he pushed open the gate and then he was gone into the night.
Kinsey felt a hand touch the small of her back and she turned and found herself looking up into the eyes of a transformed man. “Boy, you clean up well,” was all she could think to say. Tanner stood before her in Khaki shorts and a white shirt, with the top button open. He was untucked and wearing a nice pair of tan loafers. His hair was combed and there was something different about his face and she heard herself asking, “Did you shave?”
Lights on the Far Horizon Trilogy Page 5