The Stronger Chase

by Cap Daniels

  Without another soul in sight, we dropped the hook in eleven feet of water in a gorgeous anchorage behind North Island.

  Penny backed down on the anchor with both engines at full RPM. “She’s set, boys. Do you have a dive mask?”

  Intrigued, I pointed to a locker full of dive gear. She snatched a mask, snorkel, and a pair of fins, and disappeared over the side.

  “Who is this girl?” Clark said, still in awe.

  “I have no idea, but I like having her aboard.”

  A couple minutes later, she came hopping up the boarding ladder, wringing the saltwater from her hair. She tossed the gear on the deck and went to work rinsing it with the freshwater hose at the stern. When the gear was free of salt and Lowcountry mud from the bottom of Winyah Bay, she held the hose above her head and let the warm, fresh water cascade across her skin.

  Clark and I sat mesmerized until she caught us watching her and turned the hose on us. “Haven’t you guys ever seen a girl shower before?”

  “Not lately,” I admitted.

  “Well, now you have, so quit gawking.”

  “Admiring, not gawking,” I corrected her.

  “You were gawking, but Clark was being a gentleman and watching to make sure I didn’t slip off the deck and fall back into the water. Weren’t you, Clark?”

  “Absolutely,” he said. “That’s precisely what I was doing. Thank you for recognizing that.”

  She turned the hose back on me. “See, Chase? You should be more like Clark.”

  “What did I do?” I said, trying to sound innocent. I tossed her a towel. “What were you doing down there?”

  “I was making sure the anchor was seated, and it is. Kip says if there’s nobody else in an anchorage, there must be something wrong with the bottom.”

  “You’re full of wisdom this evening,” I told her.

  Clark checked his watch. “How about cocktails and phone calls?”

  “That’s a good idea,” I said, heading for the galley. “We’ve got a lot of people to check on.”

  18

  Higher Education

  We reconvened on the upper deck with cell phones and daiquiris.

  Penny was smiling when she hung up the phone. “Teri’s awake and in good spirits. She’s eating and drinking, but she says there’s a lot of pain. The doctor said her lungs are great, and her oxygen is good and improving. Oh, and Kip wanted to make sure I didn’t think you guys were serial killers. You’re not, are you?”

  She looked at us expectantly, so we played along.

  “Well, now that you bring it up. I’ll be the first to confess. I will murder some cereal. Captain Crunch is my favorite, but I’ll slay some Frosted Flakes if the opportunity arises. How about you, Clark?”

  “Oh, definitely. Raisin Bran doesn’t stand a chance against me. They can two-scoop all the raisins they want, but I’ll put ’em down.”

  “You guys are too much. Thanks for bringing me along. I hate hospitals, and to be honest, I think I annoy Kip and Teri sometimes. I mean, I love them and they love me, but as Teri says, I have a lot of personality.”

  “You’re definitely high-energy,” I said, “but that’s part of what’s so adorable about you. I’m glad you came with us. Besides, it’s a lot more fun watching you shower.”

  “Don’t lie,” said Clark. “You love watching me.”

  “Indeed,” I admitted. “That’s the only reason I keep you around.”

  “I’m going to get some dinner started if that’s okay with you guys. I really love to cook, and I promised I would.”

  Neither of us protested, and Penny descended the ladder.

  “You like her, don’t you?”

  I looked at Clark and then into my empty daiquiri glass. “Yeah, I do. She’s nothing like Anya, but I enjoy having her around.”

  “So, by nothing like Anya, do you mean she’s not a Russian spy who lies to you every time she opens her mouth and pretends to love you just to weasel her way in to report everything thing you do or say back to the Kremlin? Is that what you mean?”

  “Well, that’s not exactly what I meant, but I guess you’re right. Penny’s none of those things.”

  “They’re not all bad,” he said, also staring at his glass. “Here, give me yours. I’ll get us a refill.”

  Before I could offer up my glass, Penny appeared at the top of the ladder with two fresh daiquiris and took our empties without a word.

  “She handles the boat better than either of us. She cooks, refills daiquiris, and lets us watch her shower. What’s not to like?” he said.

  “Oh, yeah, about that . . . quit staring at her, you pervert. I don’t stare at the women you bring back to the boat.”

  “If she’ll stop showering in front of me, I’ll stop staring. How’s that?”

  Clark called his brother, Tony, the Coast Guard rescue swimmer, and filled him in on the explosion and fire. Tony promised to poke around and see what he could find out on the CG side and get back to us as soon as he learned anything.

  I checked in with Skipper, and I heard Tony in the background talking to Clark. The two of them were spending almost every minute together when Tony wasn’t out saving lives.

  “We’re going to Athens this weekend,” said Skipper.

  “Excellent. I hoped you would. Did you call Jack Shipley to fly you home?”

  “No, we’re driving. I want Tony to meet my folks, and to be honest, I want to have an emergency egress plan if things get weird. You know what I mean?”

  I laughed. “Yes, I know what you mean. Do your folks know you’re coming . . . and bringing Tony?”

  “Oh, yeah. I wouldn’t spring that on them. They’d freak. I talked to them last night and they’re excited. I’m excited, too. It’ll be good to see them. I just hope they don’t embarrass me or make Tony feel awkward.”

  “Come on, you know both of those things are going to happen, and there’s nothing you can do about it. You have to—”

  “I know, I know. Embrace the suck.”

  “Exactly. It’ll be fine. I’m glad everything’s good there. Give me a call when you get back from Athens. I’m anxious to hear how it goes.”

  “I will,” she said, “but I need to talk to you about one other thing before you go.”

  I thought I knew what was coming. She was going to tell me that she and Tony were moving in together.

  “It’s about the B and B. I know it’s expensive, and I don’t feel good about you paying for it indefinitely.”

  Yep, I was right. It was coming.

  “So, I think I’m going to see if I can find a job here in St. Augustine and try to get an apartment or something. I really like it here, and things are going good with Tony and all. I think this might be a good place to start being a grown-up.”

  I was surprised and pleased. I’d always been proud of her, but seeing her survive the horrors she’d endured in South Florida and come out the other side ready to take on the world was amazing.

  “I’ll tell you what, Skipper . . . I mean, Elizabeth. Instead of looking for a job, why don’t you look into getting into college? I can help you find a place to live. In fact, I’ve been thinking about buying a house there. I really like the area, too.”

  “They’ll never let me into college. Besides, I barely graduated high school, and I can’t afford that.”

  “Don’t worry so much about the money. We can work around that. For now, enjoy spending some time with your folks, and don’t let your dad scare Tony off.”

  “Okay, Chase, but we’re not done talking about this.”

  “I know. Give me a call when you get back from Athens. We’ll see what we can do about finding someplace more permanent for you live.”

  I hung up the phone and heard Penny calling out from down below.

  “Dinner’s ready, guys.”

  We left the upper deck to find the table on the aft deck set like only a Texas girl could do. She’d even made sweet tea. We ate, laughed, talked, and watched pelicans diving
on baitfish in the bay.

  “Seriously, guys, thanks for bringing me with you. I’m really enjoying this.”

  “Thank you for cooking,” Clark said, wiping his chin.

  “And for driving,” I added. “You’re making us feel useless.”

  “I don’t want to be in the way, and I like to do my share of the work. It’s kinda how I was raised.”

  “Well, you’re doing more than your share of the work, and we’re happy to have you aboard.”

  Feeling it was only fair, Clark and I cleaned up the galley while Penny practiced yoga on the deck near the trampoline. I struggled to resist watching her bend and stretch. She was fascinating.

  “Well, Chase, I think I’m going to hit the sack early tonight. It’s been a long day. What time do you want to leave in the morning?”

  “It’s less than a hundred miles, so if we leave by seven, we’ll be there in time for happy hour.”

  “Perfect. Tell Penny I said thank you for dinner.”

  “You got it.”

  Clark descended into his hull, and it occurred to me that I’d promised Penny his cabin, and that he’d take the pullout in the main salon.

  As I was leaving the main salon for the aft deck, Penny was hopping down into the cockpit, dripping wet with sweat from her hour of yoga on the bow.

  “Well, look at you, all yoga hot.”

  “Yep, that’s me, the yoga hottie. I’m going to grab a quick shower, okay?”

  “Sure, I’ll be up top. Clark already turned in and he wanted me to tell you thanks for dinner.”

  “So, we’ll be all alone?”

  “Well,” I said, “we’ll be the only humans on deck, but I’m expecting a million mosquitoes before long.”

  I settled into a deck chair and watched the moon begin to peek through the trees on North Island. It would be full in another day or two, so it was going to be a beautiful night. As it rose through the trees, the amber glow of the moon soon gave way to the brilliant white light. I watched a pair of dolphins playing in the shallows, probably eating the same baitfish the pelicans had been pursuing. It was a magnificent night on a beautiful bay, and the rest of the world seemed a thousand miles away.

  I saw Penny topping the ladder with a pair of highball glasses.

  “Here’s my attempt at the old-fashioned. Let me know what you think.”

  I took one of the drinks from her hand and offered a toast. “Here’s to new friends who aren’t serial killers.”

  She touched the rim of my glass with hers and grinned. Her old-fashioned was perfect.

  “Which bourbon did you use?” I asked, admiring the cocktail.

  “It’s Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, which isn’t really a bourbon, but it’s good.”

  “I’m impressed,” I said. “You know your whiskeys.”

  “My dad owns a few liquor stores in Houston, so I have an unfair advantage.”

  “Your old-fashioned is fantastic. Thank you.”

  “Oh, wow! Check out that moon! Isn’t it gorgeous?”

  “It sure is,” I said. “I’ve been watching it climb through the trees. There was a pair of dolphins right over there before you came up.”

  I heard the dolphins break the surface of water again and watched Penny’s face become instantly animated. She wore the look of a child, full of excitement and wonder.

  “I never get tired of seeing them,” she whispered.

  “Neither do I. I love watching them play in the bow wave when we’re sailing.”

  “Oh, I know. They’re so fast. What do you think they’re thinking when they do that?”

  Leave it to Penny to wonder about what’s happening in a dolphin’s mind.

  “I have no idea, but I hope they’re having as much fun watching us as we’re having watching them.”

  “Tell me about her,” she said, turning to face me.

  “Tell you about who?” I asked.

  “The girl you were in love with. I want to know about her.”

  I sighed and swallowed another drink. “She was amazing, Penny. She could do almost anything, and she was fearless. She was beautiful and fearless and dangerous.”

  “Dangerous?” she asked. “What do you mean, dangerous?”

  “She’d been trained to fight and shoot, and all sorts of things you’d never expect.”

  “Was she some kind of cop or something?”

  “Yeah, something like that. She was fascinated by simple things, too—like you are. She had the most beautiful blonde hair. I miss her. I know that’s not what you want to hear, but you asked.”

  “It’s exactly what I wanted to hear. We agreed that you and I are just having some fun. Neither of us is ready for anything serious. We like hanging out. I like you, and I want to know things about you. I always want you to tell me the truth when I ask you a question. The truth is always better than a lie . . . always.”

  “Santa Claus and the tooth fairy are lies.”

  “Yeah, but they’re good lies.”

  “Okay, I’ll agree with that. So, are you saying good lies are okay?”

  “No . . . I don’t know,” she admitted.

  “I know what you mean. Intentional malicious lies are bad.”

  “Yes,” she said enthusiastically. “So, don’t lie to me . . . unless it’s about Santa Claus.”

  “Deal,” I said, raising my glass.

  “Were you going to marry her?”

  I bit at my lip and stared at the deck.

  “Don’t lie,” she said.

  “I wanted to marry her. I wanted to give her everything she’d never had, but. . . .” My words trailed off. I didn’t want to lie, but I couldn’t tell the truth.

  Penny seemed to know what was happening in my mind. She saved me. “Okay, describe her in one word.”

  I didn’t hesitate. “Indescribable.”

  “Ooh, that’s good,” she said. “What’s the worst thing she ever did while you were together?”

  Again, I didn’t have to think. “She hurt my friend and mentor, Dr. Richter.”

  “That’s interesting,” she said, leaning in closer to me. “You didn’t say she hurt you. You said she hurt your friend. That says a lot about your character, Chase . . .” She cocked her head toward me.

  “Fulton,” I said.

  “That says a lot about your character, Chase Fulton. You seem to care more about your friend getting hurt than you getting hurt.”

  “He didn’t deserve what she did to him,” I said, fighting back the tear that was threatening to escape my left eye.

  “What did she do to him?”

  “She lied to him, but it wasn’t just any lie. It was the worst possible lie.”

  I knew I’d opened a can of worms that could never be closed. I expected Penny to have a dozen questions I couldn’t answer, but instead, she said, “Why didn’t you say that when I asked you about her earlier?”

  “What?” I was surprised by her change of direction.

  “When I asked you to tell me about her earlier, you listed all the things you loved about her, but you didn’t mention that she’d hurt your friend. Why not?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You’re only replaying the highlight reel. You have to watch the whole game.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “When you think about her, you’re thinking about how beautiful and capable she was, and how pretty her hair was, but you’re letting yourself overlook the pop fly that landed at the left fielder’s feet. You’re seeing the good stuff and ignoring the bad. That’s not healthy, but we all do it.”

  She was absolutely correct, and she’d used psychology and baseball to decipher what was happening between my ears.

  “You’re really something, Nicole.”

  “Nobody calls me Nicole.”

  “You’re pretty deep,” I said.

  “Blame it on the Bears,” she declared proudly.

  “What?”

  “The Baylor Bears. I was a sociology major.
Oh, and a baseball junkie.”

  “I was a psych major and a bit of a baseball junkie myself at UGA a lifetime ago.”

  We finished our drinks and watched the hypnotic moon continue its timeless trek across the night sky. The dolphins were gone. The mosquitoes never arrived, and the night was still perfect.

  I was staring into the heavens and thinking about my father when I felt Penny’s hand slide beneath mine. She didn’t speak; she held my hand and listened to the sounds of the night.

  “We should probably get some sleep. I figure you’ll want to leave pretty early in the morning, huh?”

  Her words brought me back from the cosmos and the memory of my father. I remembered sitting on his lap and laying my head against his outstretched arm as he pointed into the heavens. I’d try to follow his finger to the stars he was pointing out. I remembered the wonder and fascination that had filled my young head as my father talked about Orion, the hunter, and how the Big Dipper could be used as a clock as it circled Polaris, the North Star. As a child, I’d believed my father knew everything that could be known, and as an adult, I would trade any possession I’d ever own to spend another hour listening to him explain the world and the heavens to me.

  “I miss my dad.” I couldn’t believe I’d let those words slip out to someone so new in my life.

  She stroked her fingers lightly across my arm. “That can be a discussion for another night.”

  She stood, encouraging me to do the same, and we found ourselves in my bed looking up at the stars through the hatch.

  “I forgot to take my medicine,” I said, climbing back out of bed.

  “What kind of medicine?”

  “It’s something to help me sleep. A psychiatrist friend of mine prescribed it for me. I’m supposed to take it twenty minutes before bed every night.”

  “Do you have trouble sleeping?” she asked, sounding concerned.

  “Yeah, sometimes,” I admitted, “but I don’t think I’ll have any trouble tonight.”

  I took the pill Fred had prescribed, and crawled back into the bed. Penny kissed me gently and ran her fingers through my hair. “I enjoyed tonight,” she whispered. “Thank you.”

  I kissed her softly, and she placed her head on my shoulder and her leg across mine, snuggling against me.