New River Breeze Read online

  “You’ve been through some rough patches before,” I said. “You survived and came out of it stronger than ever. You wouldn’t be out here if that weren’t true. I’m not going to sugar coat it. This is a bad one. You need rest and plenty of it. Those ribs are going to hurt for months, if not longer. You’ll need resolve, and you’ll need to focus on getting better and not losing it while you heal. You’re going to have to depend on the kindness of others. Pissing them off with your shitty attitude is not the way to do it. Humble yourself and let people know that you need help. You’ll get it, as long as you allow it and appreciate it. You’ll be in a position to repay them someday. Don’t forget what they did for you. Finally, always remember this; shit works out.”

  “I should have known that was coming,” she said. “It’s just hard to see it right now.”

  “You told me it was the best advice I’ve ever given you,” I said. “Don’t go forgetting it now.”

  “Point taken,” she said. “But I’m still feeling bitchy. Can you help me below so I can go to bed?”

  I went below first and had her turn around to descend the steps backward. She kept her hands on the grab rail and very slowly came down into the salon. I held her arm and directed her to her bunk. Getting in it involved a slight hop up. I stopped her and went to look for something to act as a step. I found a box containing some engine parts and put it at the foot of her bed. She used it successfully to climb up and lie down.

  “Become Sleeping Beauty,” I said. “I’ll kiss you when it’s time to wake up.”

  “Please don’t,” she said. “I haven’t brushed my teeth in a while.”

  “Thanks for the warning,” I said. “See you tomorrow.”

  She was out of it before I got back on deck. I was again alone on a boat in the Caribbean. There was nothing left to do but kill the good bottle of rum. I didn’t even fix dinner. I sat on deck with my bottle and tried to count the stars. I lost track at a million, or a thousand, I’m not sure which. At some point, I fell asleep right where I sat. The sun woke me, reflecting off the empty rum bottle directly into my face. I felt like my tongue needed a shave. I went below and splashed some water on my face before looking in on my patient. She was still asleep. There was a stain on her shirt, indicating that liquid was oozing through. I let her sleep, knowing that the smell of cooking bacon would bring her to life.

  It worked much better than any kiss from a prince would, and I was no prince. She appeared in the galley, hair a mess.

  “I’m leaking again,” she said.

  “Let me finish here, and I’ll take care of it.”

  “I can probably see it in the mirror,” she said.

  “Knock yourself out,” I said.

  I flipped the bacon and got the last few eggs out of the fridge. Holly called me from the head.

  “You’ve got to see this,” she said.

  “What am I looking at?”

  “This scar looks exactly like an anchor,” she said. “Do you see it?”

  “No doubt about it,” I said. “Your surgeon had to do that on purpose.”

  “No way this was an accident,” she said. “Pretty freaking cool if you ask me.”

  “A true badge of honor,” I said. “It will make for great bar stories someday.”

  “Hand me the first aid stuff,” she said. “I can handle this. I’ll need to do it by myself once you leave anyway.”

  “Here you go,” I said. “Yell if you need me.”

  I scrambled the eggs and made two plates. Holly appeared a few minutes later with a fresh bandage and a bikini top on. We sat and ate without talking much. I started to clean up, but she took over the job, so I went out on deck to chill. It was a perfect day to set sail for St. Thomas, but I didn’t know if the patient was up to it. It was her boat, and it was up to her when she wanted to travel. It was thirty minutes or more before she came out and joined me in the sun.

  “I’m a bit torn on what to do with you,” she said.

  “With me?” I asked. “It’s you that you should be concerned about.”

  “My first instinct is to get you out of here as soon as possible,” she said. “I hate being dependent on anyone, especially you, but…”

  “But what?”

  “I like having you here,” she said. “You’re probably the best friend I’ve ever had. I get the feeling this will be the last time I ever see you. The real last time, now that you live on land. Now that you are settled down with Brody.”

  “You’re not having any romantic notions about this, are you?”

  “No offense but I don’t see you that way anymore,” she said. “Not like a dad either even though you’ve taken care of me.”

  “So we can end it as friends?”

  “Friends,” she said. “I will be sad when you leave.”

  “I have to go soon,” I said. “This isn’t my life anymore.”

  “But you put everything on hold to fly down here to help me,” she said. “That means a lot to me. I won’t forget it.”

  “If you ever get to western North Carolina you are welcome to pay us a visit,” I said.

  “How close are you to the Appalachian Trail?”

  “Minutes,” I said. “You thinking about hiking it?”

  “Maybe someday,” she said. “Before I get too old.”

  “I’m already too old,” I told her. “I’ve developed bad knees.”

  “Could have fooled me,” she said. “You look as spry as ever.”

  “Funny, they haven’t bothered me since I got here,” I said. “And I’ve been busy.”

  “Maybe the mountains are bad for you,” she said with a grin.

  “You think I should sell everything and buy a boat?”

  “Whatever makes you happy,” she said. “But first we need to get you home.”

  “Ready when you are.”

  “Can you sail this bad boy without much help from me?” she asked.

  “You were my teacher,” I said. “I learned from the best.”

  “We can motor out of here,” she said. “Sail across, then motor into the marina.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  It wasn’t a long trip; you could practically see St. Thomas from where we were. It had been a while since I’d sailed, but I knew the basics. Holly fired up the diesel and instructed me to remove the mainsail cover. I went to the bow and waited for her to be ready before raising the anchor. The engine warmed up, the anchor was pulled, and we were underway. I went back to the helm and stood next to Holly. She worked the wheel with one arm, letting her weak one dangle at her side.

  “Those sheets right there,” she said. “Raise her up all the way as quickly as you can. Wait until I’m into the wind.”

  We nosed out into the Sir Francis Drake Channel, and she gave me the order. I hauled on the lines and watched the sail go up smoothly. Holly killed the engine as soon as we caught the wind. We started sailing west toward St. John. We passed by that island to the north and set a course for Vessup Bay and Red Hook. A slip was waiting for her at American Yacht Harbor. There is a bit of open water between St. John and St. Thomas, not much, but enough to let me remember what it was like to be out on the sea. Another Adventure sliced the waves under wind power. The only sound was from her hull cutting through the waves. We were traveling as fast as I ever had in my trawler with just the mainsail. We could have gone faster with the addition of a jib, but we didn’t need it. The sailing was smooth and leisurely, which I figured was all Holly needed. She could go out and run herself ragged once she healed properly. I’d be looking for trout in the creek when that happened.

  It was over too soon. I lowered the sail as we entered the bay. Holly steered us towards the dock under power. She was damn good with her vessel. We got into the slip and secured without a hitch. Once she was satisfied with the lines, she begged off and went to lie down. I was left to explain to the dockmaster what I knew of the situation. He said he would relay the information to Holly’s boss. I followed him to the
office so I could prepay a month’s worth of slip rent for her.

  “Think she’ll be ready to work in a month?” he asked.

  “That’s up to her,” I said. “But at least you know the rent is paid.”

  “You must be a good friend, mister,” he said.

  “I do what I can.”

  I almost gave him my number in case there was trouble in the future, but I didn’t. This really was going to be the end of it for Holly and me. The chances that she’d have another accident like this one were slim. The chances that she’d call me again were also slim. The chances that I’d travel half-way around the world to rescue her again were next to nothing. The dockmaster didn’t need my number.

  Eight

  I wanted a beer, so I went to the bar on premises called Island Time Pub. I left a note for Holly to meet me there. It was a pizza and wings place, which was fine with me. I decided to wait for Holly before ordering food. I sat and drank beer until she showed up. She had showered and put on her Sunday best. Her hair was somewhat managed. She smelled good. It was nice to feel all eyes upon us when she sat next to me.

  “I would like to buy you a beer,” I said. “If you haven’t sworn off alcohol entirely.”

  “Mostly it’s an unnecessary expense,” she said. “I’m all in if you’re buying.”

  “Two Red Stripes,” I said to the barkeep. “Keep them coming.”

  “You got it,” the bartender said.

  “You want pizza?” I asked Holly.

  “Sure,” she said. “I’m starving.”

  We ate pizza and drank beer for a couple of hours. There were a few pieces left, so Holly took them to go.

  “I love cold pizza for breakfast,” she said.

  “I prefer to warm it up.”

  “Well, there you go,” she said. “This is why we can’t be together. We’re leftover pizza opposites.”

  “You’re right,” I said. “It would never work.”

  “I’m envious of Brody, you know,” she said.

  “As in jealous?”

  “No, it’s not that,” she said. “Just that you found the right person to be with forever. I worry that will never happen for me.”

  “You’ve got a lot to offer,” I said. “But your lifestyle automatically rules out most men.”

  “I can’t give it up,” she said. “Not even for love. I’m going to have to find it out here or not at all.”

  “I wish you the best,” I said.

  “Are you leaving tomorrow?”

  “I need to check on flights, but probably,” I said. “Unless there’s some reason I need to stay.”

  “Maybe we’ve grown up enough to say a proper goodbye this time.”

  “I hate goodbyes,” I said. “As you know, I pretty much suck at saying goodbye.”

  “You did the right thing down in Luperon,” she said. “I sort of knew it was coming. Saved us both some agony.”

  “I’m glad you see it that way,” I said. “I felt guilty about it for a long time.”

  “You’re off the hook,” she said. “How do you want to spend your last hours here?”

  “A decent bottle of rum would do nicely.”

  “Stonehouse Cellars is up the street,” she said. “They’ve got a cool glass elevator we can ride.”

  “Lead the way.”

  We sat on the boat, drank rum, and remembered the old days when we were a team. We got into so much shit together that I’d forgotten some of it. Our first shared mission was capturing a guy named Tom Melendez, who had hidden himself away in the Bahamas. We ended up helping him escape the mobsters that had paid us to find him. That little episode seemed to have happened a hundred years ago. A lot of water had passed under our keels since then. We had tried to be lovers. We had given it a good shot, trying to understand exactly what love was supposed to be. We did it on our own terms, island hopping and avoiding the world. In the end, we each decided that we didn’t have whatever it takes, not together anyway.

  We remained friends, occasionally sharing a bed, but by then we knew that nothing between us was permanent. She came in and out of my life like a summer storm after that. I chose to only recall the good times. Holly was a sunny person; always upbeat and willing to help anyone. Right now, she was down, but I knew what was inside of her. She’d be off on Another Adventure as soon as possible, spreading goodwill across the Caribbean Sea.

  She asked me to lay with her that night, not to make love, but just to hold each other. In a moment of weakness, I agreed. I did not let that weakness drive me to do anything that I would later regret. I held her softly until we both fell asleep. We were still embraced when I woke up in the middle of the night. I had to pee, so I wriggled out of her arms and spent the rest of the night on the settee by myself. All I could think about was getting home to Brody.

  I reserved an early flight as soon as I woke up. I called Brody with the news and arrival time. It was good to hear her voice.

  “Everything is fine,” I told her. “I can’t wait to get home.”

  “Red keeps looking for you,” she said. “I miss you too.”

  “On my way,” I said.

  The Cyril E. King International Airport was on the opposite side of the island. I needed to get moving, but Holly was still asleep. The mature, adult thing to do involved waking her up for a proper goodbye. We practically promised each other that we’d finally get it right. That’s not what I decided to do. I called for a shuttle to the airport and walked out of the marina to meet the driver on the street. A van soon pulled up to get me.

  “Go, driver,” I said. “Take me to the airport.”

  I was gone, probably forever.

  There was nothing to see for most of the flight but the open ocean. That big blue sea would remain Holly’s home, while I continued to make a life in the mountains. As we flew over the coast of South Carolina, the sight of land closed the door on my old life for good. I can’t say that I didn’t enjoy the brief visit to the islands. It was nice to sit on a boat and look out over the water. The warmth was divine; seeming to cure the aches in my old bones. It had been good to visit with Holly too, despite her negative attitude. I did see a glimmer of hope in her during our last night together. I told myself not to look back. Boats and blondes are behind you, Breeze.

  Brody was waiting for me with a big smile and a twinkle in her eye. It was exactly what I needed to see. We shared a prolonged hug there on the concourse, before heading to the car. I filled her in during the two-hour drive to the cabin.

  “She’s roughed up pretty badly,” I said. “Won’t be able to work for a while, even though she’s broke.”

  “That’s a shame,” Brody said. “Both that she’s hurt and has no money. What happened to her gold earnings?”

  “Gone, but I didn’t press her about it,” I said. “She was in a foul enough mood as it was.”

  “Any of the old attraction come back to you?”

  “We still care for each other,” I said. “But neither of us attempted to rekindle that dead flame.”

  “You’re a good friend to her,” she said.

  “That’s going to be the last time,” I said. “I dropped a ton of cash to bail her out and get her through the next month. I bought her a new dinghy, paid slip rent, and settled the hospital bill.”

  “Don’t write her off on my account.”

  “I’m not writing her off,” I said. “But I can’t do that again. I can’t always be there for her when she gets in trouble. We have our new life together, and that’s what I want to focus on.”

  “How did you end it?”

  “I left without saying goodbye, again,” I said. “Slipped away while she was sleeping.”

  “Damn, Breeze.”

  “Goodbyes are too hard,” I said. “Especially ones with finality.”

  “Welcome back to land,” she said. “How was it out on the water?”

  “I enjoyed that part of it,” I said. “My joints felt better. The heat felt good. I stayed busy and took
care of business.”

  “Maybe we can plan a vacation to some tropical location,” she said. “Recharge your batteries now and then.”

  “Sure, but it’s almost summer here now,” I said. “Let’s see how a mountain summer goes. We can fly to Aruba when it’s cold and snowy here.”

  “That’s one place we haven’t been to.”

  “Look it up,” I suggested. “See if it will suit us.”

  We drove up Pigeon Roost Road, then down the gravel of McGuire Mountain Road to our cabin. Brody warned me about Red before I got out of the car.

  “He’s been a mess,” she said. “All he does is look out the windows and scratch the doors. I take him outside, but he doesn’t need to go. He’s looking for you.”

  “Grab my bag,” I said. “I’ll give him a proper, hello.”

  My hound dog burst out the door as soon as I opened it. He jumped up on me, spun in a few circles, jumped again, and licked my face. I got on the ground and hugged him and rubbed his ears, but he kept wiggling loose and jumping around. He gave me a yelp before finally settling down enough for me to pet him. I had slobber on half my face, mixed with a little fur.

  “That’s my good boy,” I told him. “I’m sorry, buddy. I won’t stay gone again for long.”

  “He is getting more attention than I am,” Brody said. “A man and his dog.”

  “I can fix that,” I said. “But I need to shower first.”

  “Yes,” she said. “Yes, you do.”

  It felt like I was washing the salt not only off my skin but out of my soul. I got a taste of my old life, and I enjoyed it, but it did not make me want to return. After showering, I went out on the porch in my boxers with a towel around my neck. I breathed in the clean mountain air and listened to the song of the creek. This was home now. My life was here with Brody, of that there was no doubt. Brody joined me, stripped down to her lacey underthings. We were soon testing the springs on our porch futon. It was as good as any sex I’d ever had on the deck of my boat.