Silken Tide

by Danielle E. Gauwain

  The sound of thunder rolled in the distance and Mark could hear the sound of the waves crashing against the shore of Silk Cove. Even though it was only a short distance, Mark felt like he had walked miles to get across the street to Jessica. As he approached her, she seemed to be caught off guard by his presence.

  “Mark.” Her face softened.

  “Why didn’t you tell me about Jeremy?” Mark’s eyes narrowed.

  “What about him?”

  “That you were seeing him.”

  “I’m not.” Jessica’s brow furrowed with confusion.

  “Don’t play games with me, Jess.”

  After a few seconds, a look of understanding washed over her face. Jessica shook her head. “It’s not what you think.”

  “Yeah, I’ve heard that line before.”

  “It’s not a line, Mark! Nothing is going on!” Jessica’s hair blew wildly around her face.

  “You said you waited for me! Just how long did you wait, Jess?” Mark raised his voice to be heard over the fierce wind.

  Just then, a crack of thunder vibrated the ground under their feet and the sky opened up. Jessica looked at him speechless as the rain began to wet her hair and clothes.

  Mark shook his head and turned to walk away.

  “Mark, wait!” Jessica’s voice sounded as if it were drowning in the downpour.

  Mark looked over his shoulder one last time at Jessica before walking across the parking lot and onto the street. He should have never come back. It was all a mistake. He knew he wouldn’t be able to bear watching her with Jeremy day after day. He couldn’t live there with the knowledge that he had lost the love of his life. It would surely be a slow death of heartbreak if he did. He continued down the street despite Jessica’s pleas for him to stop. Mark quickened his pace. Maybe it wasn’t too late. Maybe there was still a place for him out there.

  Chapter 34

  “Mark, wait!” Jessica looked after Mark in disbelief as he continued across the parking lot and into the street.

  Jessica ran to her truck and held her apron over her head in a futile attempt to keep dry. She fumbled with her keys, finally unlocking her truck and getting in. Even on the highest setting, her wiper blades were no match for the heavy rain. She could barely see through her windshield as she sped down the road to catch up with Mark. Once she was next to him, she rolled down her window. He was soaked from head to toe and his face was like stone. The rain poured in through her open window, drenching the inside of the door and her seat.

  “Mark! Get in this truck, now!”

  He didn’t even look at her. His walking turned to a jog.

  “Mark! Stop, damn it!”

  He still didn’t look in her direction. Instead, his jog turned into a full run. Jessica actually had to give the truck some gas to keep up with him. She followed him all the way down the hill to the gravel lot near the docks. Mark continued his sprint onto the pier and disappeared behind a wall of rain. Jessica skidded to a stop on the gravel drive. She yanked open her glove compartment and found a flashlight. She jumped out of the truck and ran after him.

  The menacing waves crashed against the pillars of the wharf and the ocean seeped through the spaces in the boards, making Jessica’s journey down the dock a perilous one. Her flashlight barely cut through the gray curtain of rain in front of her. When she neared the end of the pier, she found Mark sitting on the edge, his back turned to her. Before she could take another step closer to him, she watched in horror as he jumped off the edge and into the raging waters.

  “Oh my God! Mark, no!”

  Jessica slipped and fell to her knees as she tried to run toward Mark. The sea swallowed her flashlight when she dropped it and it rolled over the edge. She looked over the side of the dock. There was no sign of him anywhere. Jessica scrambled to her feet and frantically continued her search between the rocking boats. As she ran to the edge of the pier once more, something white caught her eye a short distance from the dock. She shielded her eyes and tried once more to focus on the merciless water in front of her. Just then, the waves fell revealing a large boulder and Mark was hanging onto the side.

  Jessica’s feet and hands went numb. She cried, as she looked around her desperate for a solution. She knew she couldn’t swim out there to help him. She would certainly drown. Even though she had been around fishing boats most of her life, she had no idea how to start one, no less navigate one. She paced the dock.

  “Please, God! Please, help me!” Jessica’s voice sounded like a mere whisper against the storm.

  Suddenly, she noticed a rope tied to the edge of the pier. Her eyes followed the line of the cord and as if her prayer had been answered, she found a rowboat knocking against the side of the dock. Jessica didn’t give it a second thought. It was the only way. She climbed down into the precariously rocking vessel. Without taking her eyes from Mark for a moment, she untied the rope from the dock. She didn’t even need to push off into the water. The ocean instantly took the boat away from the pier.

  Jessica took hold of the oars and began paddling, keeping her focus on Mark. It was a sheer miracle to her that the boat didn’t capsize, as it was tossed from wave to wave. At first, the adrenaline coursing through her veins gave her the strength to steer through the angry waters. But it wasn’t long before her muscles began to shake and fatigue. Tears of frustration burned her eyes when her paddling became slower and the boat no longer advanced toward Mark. Just when she thought that her arms would give out, the boat seemed to propel forward. It felt like there were a hundred hands on the underside of the vessel, pulling it in Mark’s direction. Jessica wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. She gritted her teeth and pushed on with everything she had.

  By the time Jessica made it to the boulder, Mark’s shirt was a tattered rag hanging from his torso. His eyes were squeezed shut and she could see that his hands were slipping from the rock. She held onto the side of the boat and stretched her arm out. She tried to grab a hold of what was left of his shirt, but she couldn’t reach him.

  “She took you once. I’m not going to let her take you again!”

  Jessica held her breath and released her grip from the side of the boat. Before it was too late, she rose to her feet as quickly as she could and grabbed Mark’s shirt. As she pulled him down into the boat, Jessica lost her footing and she fell hard on her side. She shouted in agony as pain surged through her right arm and right leg. Water sloshed over her body as the boat was thrown about like a bathtub toy.

  “Jessica!” Mark’s voice strained to be heard against the raging sea.

  The boat tipped violently from side to side and another rush of excruciating pain waved through Jessica. Even though he was right there with her in the boat looking down at her, he seemed so far away. He was moving his mouth, but she couldn’t hear him anymore. All at once, silence fell around Jessica and her whole world faded to black.

  Chapter 35

  Jessica awoke to the familiar tune of rain dripping into metal buckets in her house. Her mouth was dry and her head felt heavy. Her eyes fought to focus on the sliver of light spilling in through her bedroom door. When she tried to push herself up in bed, a shot of pain coursed through her right arm. Suddenly, she became sharply aware that she was no longer in the boat. She was in her bed and Mark was not with her. Her eyes widened and terror pulsed through her veins.

  “Mark!” Jessica’s voice was raspy.

  Before she had the chance to yell again, a silhouette appeared in the doorway and a familiar voice followed. “I’m right here.”

  Mark sat softly on the edge of her bed and ran his fingers over the back of her right hand. When Jessica tried to lift her arm to reach out for him, it felt like it weighed a ton. Upon further inspection, she realized that her arm was casted. Once again, fright flooded her chest. She shifted uneasily in her bed, and this time a surge of pain rushed through her right hip. Mark put his hand on her shoulder and steadied her.

  “Take it easy, Jess. You’re al
l right.”

  “But, how…” Her mind was racing, but her lips couldn’t keep up to form the question.

  “You broke your arm when you fell in the boat and you have a pretty good bruise on your hip. The doctor at the hospital said you should make a full recovery, but you have to keep off your feet for two weeks.”

  “Hospital?”

  “Yeah, you were pretty out of it. They gave you the good stuff to keep you out of pain.” Mark chuckled and he reached over to move her hair out of her face.

  Jessica searched his face for more answers. Seeming to sense that she needed him to further fill in the blanks, he continued. “I was able to secure the boat to the rock until everything calmed down. Then, I rowed us back to shore. We did it, Jessica. We rode out the storm.”

  Jessica just stared at him incredulously. Her mind replayed the events that led up to them being in the boat in the first place. She thought about giving him a piece of her mind for running off. But, there was a softness in his presence that wouldn’t allow her to give him a verbal lashing.

  “I talked to Jeremy. I’m sorry I didn’t let you explain. I just saw the two of you and I thought that if I lost you…”

  Just then, Mark was interrupted by the buzz of a timer coming from the other room.

  “Oh! I’ll be right back.” Before Mark made his way out of the room, he put a few pillows behind Jessica, propping her up in bed.

  A moment later, Mark reappeared in the doorway, carrying a tray into the room. As he set it down in front of her, wisps of steam lifted from a bowl sitting on top of the tray. “Lobster bisque,” he said, taking a seat on the edge of the bed again.

  “Did you get it from Bonnie’s?” Jessica asked.

  “No, I made it.”

  “You know how to cook?” She lifted the spoon to her lips carefully with her left hand, blowing softly.

  “Yes. Very well, in fact. Believe it or not, I do have some surprisingly good qualities. Shame on me for not letting you see enough of them.”

  “It’s delicious.”

  “Thank you. And speaking of Bonnie’s, I let them know you won’t be in until you recover.”

  “What? No, Mark. I have to go to work. I can’t afford it.”

  “Don’t worry about any of that. I got it. Besides, it’s the doctor’s orders.”

  Jessica shook her head back and forth in protest.

  “And I told my dad I’ll have to do the books for him instead of being on the boat for a little while.”

  Jessica looked down at the bowl in front of her. Mark lifted her chin and lowered his eyes. “Listen to me. If you didn’t chase after my stupid ass, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation. You saved me. I love you. I’m going to stay here and take care of you.”

  Jessica stared at Mark for what seemed like an eternity. Jeremy was right. He had changed. Maybe his time out at sea didn’t stunt their relationship. Maybe he needed that time to move forward as a man. Maybe they needed that time to move forward as a couple. Just then, Mark leaned forward over the tray. He kissed Jessica softly. His lips lingered on hers long enough to cause a slow burn that traveled all the way to her thighs. Jessica attempted to reach up with her right hand and bring him closer to her, but all too soon her casted arm reminded her of her limitations. She recoiled in pain and a cry mixed with bit of laugh escaped her.

  “Okay, okay. You need to rest.” He smiled and stood up from the bed.

  Jessica puffed out her lower lip into a pout.

  “I’ll be back to check on you.”

  Jessica admired Mark as he left the room. All at once, she felt an excitement bubbling in her core that she hadn’t felt in some time. She had thought that her chances of a future with Mark had drowned in the sea the day he had left her. But, her love for him had once again washed upon the shore. Although cautiously so, she hoped it was hers to keep.

  Chapter 36

  Over the next two weeks, Mark made good on his promise to take care of Jessica. The only time he left the house was to go to town for some groceries or to gather some paperwork from his father. He set up in the living room to work on his father’s books. Jessica would watch him through the opening of her bedroom door, hunched over a TV tray, nose deep in a stack of papers. She did feel a little stir crazy, being that she was on bed rest. She couldn’t even paint because of her cast. As if he could sense her restlessness, Mark would take a break from his work during the day to come into her bedroom to tell her stories. Stories about when he lived in New York City. Stories of his time at sea. Mark opened up, telling her intimate details of his life. She listened intently, wishing that she could paint the images of his life across a canvas.

  Not only did he open up about his life, but he seemed genuinely interested in her life, too. Mark wanted Jessica to tell him all about Portland. Some of the elements of her life that she considered insignificant seemed to be a new discovery to him. Some of the time spent with Mark was a little awkward, like the times that he would have to actually carry her to the bathroom. But the dozens of tender moments were enough to wash away the few uncomfortable ones.

  And the many tender moments were trumped by the sexual tension that threatened to blow the leaking roof right off Jessica’s house. The kisses they shared would set her skin on fire. Yearning throbbed in her loins every time his hands would knead her back. She would lie there and think about the last time they were in that bed together. She would replay again and again the things that they did in that bed together. She longed to feel his weight upon her. At the very least, she wanted him to sleep next to her, to feel the warmth of his skin against hers. But every evening after he kissed her goodnight, he retired to the couch. Why did she feel so shy about inviting him to her bed? It wasn’t as if they had never been intimate. She wondered if he knew that he was driving her crazy. She didn’t care. If this is what insane felt like, she wanted to be out of her mind certifiable.

  *

  Warm water trickled over Mark’s skin as he stood in the shower that evening. He opened Jessica’s body wash and inhaled its sweet scent. He imagined her there with him and instantly became hard over the very thought of her naked, wet skin against his. Mark took a deep breath and rested his palm against the wall. He wanted to be bold like he was in the past with her, but it was different this time. He didn’t want her to think that he was disrespecting her. But even as he tried to center himself, the need to be against her, inside her, never subsided.

  Mark turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. A cloud of steam followed him as he stepped out of the bathroom. Mark held his towel closed at his hip as he crossed the dimly-lit living room. Before he made it to the couch, he heard Jessica’s voice. “Mark?”

  Mark pushed her door open and stepped into her bedroom. “Yes?”

  “Will you do something for me?” she asked, eying him up and down.

  “Sure.”

  “Will you to sleep next to me tonight?”

  Mark stood in the doorway for a few moments, admiring Jessica in the impending darkness. Her T-shirt fell to one side, exposing her bare shoulder. His blood raced through his veins as he stepped closer to her. He stood at the edge of her bed and without breaking eye contact he let his towel fall to the floor. Mark slipped under the covers and rolled Jessica onto her side. He pressed behind her and buried his face in her hair, inhaling her scent. The only thing that separated their bodies was Jessica’s T-shirt and her sheer panties. Her legs seemed to tremor beneath the sheet and she wiggled her ass against him.

  “What is it that you want, Miss Jessica?” He laughed.

  “You know what I want.”

  “What about your hip?” he asked, teasingly.

  “I’m feeling pretty damn good right about now.”

  Mindful of her cast, Mark slid his hand up Jessica’s shirt and cupped her full breasts. Her breath caught and he pulled her closer to him still. Jessica turned her head and her lips found his. She kissed him passionately, as he ran his hands down her abdomen, until he
found the edge of her panties. When he slipped his fingers inside, he was surprised to find that she was already wet.

  “My, my, Jessica.” Mark kissed her neck.

  “I’ve been fantasizing about this moment for nearly two weeks.” She smiled.

  “That’s too long.”

  Mark opened Jessica’s legs by placing his leg between hers. He pulled the back of her panties to the side and she immediately pushed her ass toward his swollen member. He slid his cock playfully between her wet folds. She fidgeted, trying to put him in position to enter her.

  “I thought you weren’t going to make me wait.” She moaned, grinding against him.

  Without another word, Mark pushed inside her and Jessica gasped. Mark kept his speed slow. He wanted her to set the pace, as he didn’t want to reinjure her in any way. But Jessica slid back and forth on him with a ferocity that Mark wasn’t expecting. When Jessica’s body began to shudder, it was more than Mark could take. He pushed inside her one last time, holding her there with him. Breathless and still joined, they laid there for a few minutes.

  Finally, Jessica broke the silence between them. “It will be two weeks tomorrow,” she said.

  He simply nodded.

  “Are you leaving?” Her question held a bit of protest.

  “Just say the word, Jessica.”

  Mark could almost hear the inner workings of her mind. He grinned. That was his Jessica: methodical and intentional.

  “Stay. You belong here. We belong here.”

  “I told you before that I would be here for the rest of my life. I meant it.”

  Jessica looked over her shoulder and smiled. She nestled against him, and soon, they fell asleep in each other’s arms.

  Epilogue

  Winter had settled on Silk Cove and Mark moved in with Jessica. Luckily, he was able to fix the leaky roof before the first snowfall. Since he was not as busy fishing in the wintertime, Mark used his time to file all the paperwork needed to become an official lobster fisherman.