by Annie Seaton
A tall man stood at the large steering wheel on the left-hand side of the boat towards the back. Portside, Liv corrected herself. And stern.
One summer when she’d been in her teens, Mum had insisted on sailing lessons on Windermere Dam near Mudgee, not far from Gran’s farm. Liv smiled; Mum had tried so hard to get her interested in a hobby. Sailing, horse riding lessons, gymnastics, the suggestions had been endless, but Liv had preferred to spend her time out on the farm with Gran, or doing her school work.
‘Leave the girl alone, Rhoda. Let her enjoy her time out here with me.’ Gran had always stood up for Liv. Since she’d been working in Sydney, visits to Gran’s farm had been rare. A rushed weekend here and there had been all she’d managed to fit in over the past couple of years. Her grandmother’s hatred of her ex-son-in-law didn’t help and after a while, it became easier to stay in touch with Gran by phone rather than visiting. She promised herself to make time to go to the farm after this project was finalised.
She turned her attention to her surroundings. There was no point dwelling on personal issues while she was out here on this beautiful old sailing boat. In front of the steering wheel was an undercover sunken lounge area, and three of the older couples had settled themselves there out of the sun. Another young woman in the blue shirt embroidered with Lady May came up from below and made her way to the front of the boat. As the motor started, she, Sonia and the deckhand leaned over and lifted the fenders protecting the side of the yacht from the concrete wharf. As the boat backed out from the wharf, Liv tilted her head back, leaned against the bolster behind them and closed her eyes. The autumn sunshine was warm on her face and the serenity was relaxing her limbs already.
‘Very nice,’ Inga murmured quietly beside her.
Liv opened her eyes and sat up. ‘What’s nice?’ she asked.
There was a clunk and the motor idled quietly as the boat stopped moving away from the wharf. A man in a blue shirt wheeled around the corner on a bicycle. Longish curls obscured his face as he jumped off and quickly chained the handlebars to a post on the wharf.
Oh, no, surely not?
‘Now that is going to make our day even better,’ Inga said. ‘What do you think?’
Liv narrowed her eyes and leaned forward but the man disappeared below the front of the hull. It couldn’t be. Of all the boats she had to choose from, her luck wouldn’t be that bad?
A moment later, a couple of ropes were thrown over the side and the deckhand at the front of the boat secured them to a bollard.
‘Sorry, guys. James had to go on the other charter, so I’m filling in for him,’ the latecomer called to the crew. He ran past the bow to the end of the wharf. The yacht was almost touching the concrete floating wharf. As soon as the voice reached her, Liv stifled a groan.
It was him. Mr Smelly Fisherman from yesterday jumped from the wharf and grabbed one of the ropes hanging over the side of the bow. He hauled himself over the front of the boat in one lithe movement.
Of course he did. From what Liv had seen so far, he was a show pony, full of confidence. But there weren’t any fish stains on his shirt today—the same blue shirt the rest of the crew were wearing. With a wide smile, he made his way past the passengers to the back of the boat and took the microphone from a holder next to the wheel. Liv pulled the front of her hat down and looked the other way as his smooth, deep voice filled the air.
‘Hi, folks, sorry I held you up. I’m sure our gorgeous Sonia here’—sexist too, Liv thought—‘has told you all the safety stuff, now it’s my turn to tell you all about the Lady May and what the plan is for our day ahead. I’m Captain Jay—and one of your deckhands today—and I’m looking forward to meeting you all after we get underway.’
How many brochures had she looked at? How many charters were there to pick from? Of course she’d picked the one this jerk was on. She’d assumed he was a fisherman, but he obviously worked a few different jobs.
Liv couldn’t believe her bad luck; a whole day confined on a boat in his company. Suddenly, the seventy-foot yacht seemed a lot smaller. There was no way she’d be able to avoid him. She bit her lip as the yacht motored out into the passage between Hamilton Island and another small island in the middle of the channel.
‘Now, Rick here is going to face us into the wind, and Chris and I are going to hoist the mainsail. Your day is about to begin. As soon as we are underway, Sonia and Liz will come around and take your coffee orders.’
Loves the sound of his own voice too.
For a moment, Liv considered getting off the charter, and then realised it was too late—unless she wanted to dive overboard and swim in. A glimmer of a smile tilted her lips; she was being oversensitive. It had been a quick—if strange—encounter and he probably wouldn’t even recognise her. Even if he did, he was at work, and there would be an expectation of appropriate behaviour. She leaned back and forced herself to relax as the two men began to put the mainsail up. The huge white sail snapped in the brisk wind, the motors cut and there was silence. The yacht cut smoothly through the waves, and Liv turned to stare over the water as they made their way east.
Inga leaned over and nudged her. ‘Does he remind you of someone?’
‘Who?’
‘The dreamboat, Captain Jay.’ Inga put her hand on her heart and pretended to flutter her eyelids.
‘No, I don’t think so.’ Liv forced herself to face the stern and watch him—Captain Jay—as he walked back and picked up the microphone.
‘We’re underway, so sit back and enjoy the sail. That’s Fitzalan Island on our portside, and the big island behind that is Whitsunday Island. We’ll head along here until we round the southern end of the island through Solway Passage. Keep your eyes out, folks, there’s all manner of wonderful marine life to be seen if you watch carefully. Loggerhead turtles, dolphins, and maybe a whale or two. Our Whitsunday area is known as a whale watching hot spot. Between now and August, whales choose the calm, warm waters around here to give birth to their young each year. If we’re very lucky today, you might even see a brand-new whale calf taking its first breaths and being taught how to swim by mum.’
He had a voice that was easy to listen to, and he certainly had a handle on the tourist patter.
Inga leaned forward. ‘He looks like that cute American guy who was in the movie about the dog.’
‘The dog?’ Liv frowned. ‘I don’t think I know it.’
‘I can’t remember the title or the actor, but he really, really looks like him.’ Inga pulled her phone from her pocket and smiled. ‘Good. Still some service.’ Her thumbs flew over the tiny screen and she nodded.
‘That’s him! Red Dog. I saw it on the bus when I caught the coach up from Sydney my first week in Australia. If I didn’t know better, I’d say it was the same guy.’ Her smile got wider. ‘But I suppose it can’t be. He has no American accent, but he really looks like that actor.’
‘I haven’t seen the movie.’ Liv looked down at her hands clenched on her lap and willed herself to relax. She’d worked so hard at uni and then since she’d joined the company there was little time for even visits to the cinema. ‘I must look out for it.’
‘It is wonderful.’ Inga put her phone back in her pocket. ‘I cried every time I saw a dog from the bus window for days.’
Liv paid closer attention as Captain Jay outlined the plan for the day. She wasn’t going to let him bother her, even if he did have movie-star looks. Now that he was dressed in clean clothes and his hair was a bit tidier, he looked more presentable than yesterday. With a shrug, she turned away; she was going to make the best of the day. It was an opportunity to see the Whitsunday Islands for herself—not on maps, videos or photographs in an environmental impact statement.
After the newspaper reports she’d read at breakfast, she was determined to improve her own knowledge of the area. She would take in her surroundings and be more familiar with the region before Monday. She needed credibility, a personal touch to convince the community of the benef
its of this proposal.
The small niggle of worry was growing as Liv looked out at the pristine waters around them, but she refused to let it sink her buoyant mood. She turned her attention back to the man on the microphone and tried not to scowl. The smile hadn’t left his face since he’d pulled himself up over the front of the boat.
‘When we leave the Solway Passage, we’re gonna sail past the beautiful Whitehaven Beach. You’ll see how crowded it is there, but we have a special treat for you. We’ll take you around Tongue Point and moor around the corner in the bay. After a quick trip to the shore in the tender, we’ll walk up to the lookout overlooking Hill Inlet, and then have a swim at our own private beach. While you’re on shore at Betty’s Beach, the gals will prepare you a wonderful feast on board.’
Liv switched off again as some of the passengers began to ask questions; she couldn’t hear what they were asking. Inga was speaking to the Danish couple on the other side of them. Bracing her hand on the cabin top against the rising swell, she stood and crossed the narrow deck, the timber smooth and cool beneath her bare feet. The wind was stronger, and the mainsail was billowing as the wind pushed the boat along. On either side of the Passage was an island, and ahead was a silver expanse of sea all the way to the horizon.
‘As we turn away from the wind, you’ll get your first glimpse of the white sands of Whitehaven Beach on the portside.’
Olivia started; she hadn’t noticed Sonia come up to her. ‘Once Captain Jay gets on the microphone, there’s no stopping him.’ The young woman smiled.
‘He seems to know the boat well. Does he work on it often?’ Liv attempted to satisfy her curiosity without being too obvious. ‘I actually ran into him yesterday and he’d been on a fishing charter.’
‘Captain Jay is a jack of all trades,’ Sonia said slowly. ‘He’s a bit of an icon on the island. If you stay long, you’ll see him everywhere.’
‘I’m only here for a few days.’ Liv pointed to the beach that was appearing across to the north. ‘Wow, is that Whitehaven Beach?’
‘Yes, it sure is. That first view of the white sand is always special, no matter how many times you see it. I’ll leave you to listen to Captain Jay now. He does know the history of the place. Would you like tea or coffee?’
‘Coffee, please.’ Liv crossed back to the seat on the cabin top and listened as he described the cyclone that had decimated the Whitsunday region a year ago.
‘Cyclone Debbie was a bitch, but we’ve all bounced back. The vegetation has regenerated and the reef is repairing itself. Nature can repair her own, but we’re all worried up here about the proposed coal loader that’s threatening the area. That would be the end of the reef if it got built, but there’s no fear of that happening. We’ll do whatever it takes to stop it.’
Liv’s head flew up and a strange feeling ran through her. Captain Jay was staring directly at her. The perpetual smile had left his mouth and his expression was set.
Well, well. So that was his problem. No wonder he’d reacted to the Sheridan Corp pin on her jacket yesterday. If he was involved with the group opposing the project, he was sure to know Sheridan Corp was involved. That’s why he’d been such a smartarse. Liv lifted her chin slightly and stared back, her eyes cool.
‘Yes, we’ll all make sure of that,’ he repeated. ‘Enjoy your coffee and scones. I’ll come around and have a chat with each of you as we make our way down to Hill Inlet. So get those questions ready.’
Liv took the coffee that Sonia was holding out to her, but shook her head as Liz came along with a tray of muffins, and scones piled with jam and cream. Her appetite had disappeared. ‘No, thank you. I had a huge breakfast.’
Liv sipped at her coffee and watched as a seaplane came in low in front of the yacht. It skimmed above the water for a hundred metres before landing with a huge splash.
As she watched it taxi across to the white sand and disgorge its passengers, a shadow fell across her.
CHAPTER
5
‘Ms Sheridan.’ The warmth and friendliness that had been in Captain Jay’s voice as he’d talked on the microphone was gone. ‘We meet again.’
‘We do.’ There was no point denying their encounter yesterday, no matter how much she would prefer to forget him. Liv was aware of Inga sitting beside her and listening with interest.
‘Hello. I am Inga. It is nice to meet you, Captain. I have enjoyed your commentary.’
‘Thank you.’ His smile was dazzling, and Liv looked away.
When Dad had mentioned the issues with those opposing the project, he had dismissed them as coming from a small group of rabid greenies. She turned and watched Captain Jay, trying to align him with her father’s unflattering description. So far, all she had seen from him was knowledge—and if she was honest, a love—of the local area.
She pulled her thoughts back and wondered why he was bringing out the worst in her. He had barely spoken to her today and she was feeling unsettled. It had to be the stress of this blasted presentation; she was attributing motives to him that he probably hadn’t even considered.
‘You already know each other?’ Inga frowned, and Liv felt obliged to defend herself. ‘Oh no, not really. Captain Jay was kind enough to pick up my jacket when I dropped it yesterday.’
‘I hope you’ve managed to get it dry cleaned ready for your meeting?’ Despite his tone, she received the same wide smile that he had bestowed on Inga. The guy really did have movie-star looks.
She forced a friendly smile to her face as she decided to give him a chance. ‘It wasn’t necessary. A bit of a sponge and it’s as good as new.’
‘I’m pleased to hear that. I didn’t get a chance to apologise to you yesterday,’ he said, his blue-eyed gaze holding hers, the smile staying as he looked at her.
‘Apologise? There was no need. I felt sorry for her.’
‘No, not Aunty Tat. For the state of my dress. And the smell of freshly caught fish.’ His eyes were dancing now. ‘I was half expecting you to sniff your jacket as you hurried away from me.’ He turned to Inga. ‘When I ran into Ms Sheridan yesterday—’
‘Liv, please.’ The formality made her feel awkward, and seemed to set her apart from the rest of the passengers.
‘When I ran into Liv yesterday, I’d just come off a fishing charter. We’d bled the mackerel, and unfortunately, I was covered in fish guts and blood.’
‘Bled the mackerel?’ Inga’s mouth opened and Liv was sure her expression was the same.
White, even teeth flashed, contrasting with Captain Jay’s tanned face. Liv moved away slightly as he stepped up onto the cabin top and sat on the cushion closest to her. The man had no concept of personal space. She moved away a fraction more.
‘What I meant was, we had a very good catch. I’d cleaned the fish and I’d delivered them to the restaurant, and I wasn’t really in any fit condition to be talking to a woman as lovely as … Liv here. But we did have a situation.’
Inga smiled and then turned to speak to Sonia, who was collecting the empty coffee cups.
Unwelcome warmth ran through Liv as he held her gaze. He quirked one eyebrow, and she forced herself to smile back. ‘We did, but it wasn’t a problem at all. I was merely a little disconcerted by the encounter with the poor lady. Tell me, was she okay after I went around the corner?’
‘She was. Poor Aunty Tat has dementia. By the time I got to the table, she’d forgotten all about you.’
‘That’s very sad for you and your aunt,’ Liv said.
‘Tat’s not my real aunt. Aunty is just a term of endearment, but she is related to Byron. We work together sometimes.’
‘So, he’s on the boats too?’
‘No. But I’m sure with your work, you’ll see him again. Byron is on the regional council.’
‘My work?’
‘Sheridan Corp.’ He held her gaze. She held his eyes steadily as she picked up on his subtext.
‘Oh? And what about you? Will our paths cross in “my work”?’
<
br /> ‘Me?’ The white teeth flashed again as that perpetual smile dimpled his cheeks, and his reply was enigmatic. ‘Who knows? I’m just a simple yachtie. But a man has to feed himself, you know.’
‘Sounds like an interesting life. A simple yachtie and a jack of all trades. Island life must be good.’
‘It is.’ He stood and nodded to her. ‘It’s been nice getting to know you, but I’d better share myself around all of the passengers.’ He began to walk away but paused and turned back to her. ‘We’re going on a different route home. Once we snorkel at Blue Pearl Bay, we’ll head north. I’ll point out Double Bay to you. You may be interested.’
She looked up at him. ‘Double Bay?’
‘The bay where your development is proposed.’
Liv shook her head as she watched him walk to the front of the bow. What a jerk.
The arrogance of the man! At least there’d be no more of the ‘have a drink with me’.
The crew pulled in the sails as they passed Hill Inlet, and Captain Jay disappeared below decks. Liv was cross with herself for even noticing.
Nick steered the boat and took over the microphone. Inga came up to the bow and sat beside her as the boat cruised past the private Betty’s Beach where they were going to swim before lunch.
‘Don’t forget, folks, stinger suits are a must if you intend going in the water,’ Nick announced, and Sonia pointed to a large bag on the sunken area. ‘If you’re going to swim, please come over and get fitted before we take you to shore.’
‘Have you been up to the islands before, Liv?’ Inga asked after they had picked up their stinger suits and moved closer to the bow. The direction of the swell had changed when the Lady May turned into the bay and every time she dipped the bow cut through the water, sending a small spray of water over the young couple beside them.
‘I hate to admit it, but no, it’s my first visit. Can you believe it? I’m an Aussie and this is my first time up here. I’ve actually never been north of Brisbane before.’
Inga looked at her with her eyes wide and she waved her arm. ‘Really? All of this beauty and so many Australians do not leave their cities. I do not understand them.’