chickpeas.”
“Um, thanks. I just threw in a bunch of stuff with the carton of stock and the fish Adam caught. I bet you could make it way better.”
“Ha! Nope. I’ve always been rather challenged in that department.” Abby nudged Jacob beside her. “I’m sure Jacob can attest.”
“You cook fine,” he mumbled.
They sat around the table on Bella ’s deck, near the wheel. It was spacious enough to fit six comfortably on the L-shaped padded benches, especially since Lilly was so slight. Trying to think of some small talk to make and coming up blank, Parker swallowed a mouthful of the soup he’d cobbled together. It wasn’t half bad, although he missed fresh vegetables more than he would have thought possible. A nice big salad would have been incredible. Maybe when they made it farther south.
They’d sailed some miles down the coast, until the wind had died down. Now they were anchored in a cove with the sun going down. Sunset was coming earlier and earlier as November wore on, and he didn’t like the idea of being out on open sea in the dark. They wanted to stick close to shore, but that came with the risk of shoals and damaging their hulls. It was easier to see markers in the daylight, and there was no sense in taking chances. As long as they made their way steadily south as winter came, they’d be okay.
Parker’s back was to the mouth of the cove, and he glanced over his shoulder. It was empty, and he knew Adam would hear or see anyone coming, but he still had to look. They hadn’t spotted any other sails that day, but that didn’t mean people weren’t out there.
When he turned back, Adam was watching him. Parker smiled, and Adam gave him a quick, distracted smile in return before his gaze went distant again.
“Now Craig is quite a gourmet.” Abby frowned. “Or is it gourmand?”
Craig said, “I have no idea, but thank you, my dear.” He and Abby beamed at each other while Jacob examined his soup and Lilly ate steadily, methodically dipping saltine crackers one by one into her bowl, crumbling them up, then eating the results.
“Adam, did you grow up fishing?” Abby asked.
It took a moment for Adam to focus on her. “Sorry, what was that?”
“Did you learn to fish when you were younger? You seem to have the knack.”
“Oh. No, I didn’t. Guess I’m just lucky.”
Craig said, “It’s all in the wrist, don’t you think?”
“I guess so.” Adam took a little spoonful of soup before gazing at the horizon again.
Craig and Abby shared a glance, and Parker jumped in as the silence became awkward. “There was this one time, out on the Cape? My brother caught a fish with teeth.”
Lilly gaped. “Like a piranha?”
“Kind of. It was a triggerfish. A tropical storm must have carried it up. I swear, it was the ugliest thing I ever saw.”
“Uglier than a snake?” Lilly asked.
“Oh yeah. Way uglier. It was wriggling around on the line like crazy, snapping away when Eric tried to get the hook out.”
Lilly squeaked. “Did it bite him?”
“Took his finger clean off,” Parker said gravely.
“ Really ?” Cheeks flushing, Jacob lowered his head and went back to pretending not to listen.
“Nah, it was just the tip. But it was super gross.”
Laughing delightedly, Lilly asked for another story, and Parker obliged. And as he spun a partially true tale about the time he spotted a great white shark—he’d actually been safe on his family’s huge sailboat, not in a sea kayak—warmth spread in his chest, and he accepted that despite his best efforts to close himself off, he liked these people. It was pointless to fight it.
Surely if Craig and Abby had been planning something, they would have attacked by now? They listened to his tall tale with avid attention, and ate his crappy soup as if Jamie Oliver had made it. They teased their children and held hands under the table.
“What was the craziest call you ever answered?” Craig asked Abby.
“Hmm. Well, the full moon
“Um, thanks. I just threw in a bunch of stuff with the carton of stock and the fish Adam caught. I bet you could make it way better.”
“Ha! Nope. I’ve always been rather challenged in that department.” Abby nudged Jacob beside her. “I’m sure Jacob can attest.”
“You cook fine,” he mumbled.
They sat around the table on Bella ’s deck, near the wheel. It was spacious enough to fit six comfortably on the L-shaped padded benches, especially since Lilly was so slight. Trying to think of some small talk to make and coming up blank, Parker swallowed a mouthful of the soup he’d cobbled together. It wasn’t half bad, although he missed fresh vegetables more than he would have thought possible. A nice big salad would have been incredible. Maybe when they made it farther south.
They’d sailed some miles down the coast, until the wind had died down. Now they were anchored in a cove with the sun going down. Sunset was coming earlier and earlier as November wore on, and he didn’t like the idea of being out on open sea in the dark. They wanted to stick close to shore, but that came with the risk of shoals and damaging their hulls. It was easier to see markers in the daylight, and there was no sense in taking chances. As long as they made their way steadily south as winter came, they’d be okay.
Parker’s back was to the mouth of the cove, and he glanced over his shoulder. It was empty, and he knew Adam would hear or see anyone coming, but he still had to look. They hadn’t spotted any other sails that day, but that didn’t mean people weren’t out there.
When he turned back, Adam was watching him. Parker smiled, and Adam gave him a quick, distracted smile in return before his gaze went distant again.
“Now Craig is quite a gourmet.” Abby frowned. “Or is it gourmand?”
Craig said, “I have no idea, but thank you, my dear.” He and Abby beamed at each other while Jacob examined his soup and Lilly ate steadily, methodically dipping saltine crackers one by one into her bowl, crumbling them up, then eating the results.
“Adam, did you grow up fishing?” Abby asked.
It took a moment for Adam to focus on her. “Sorry, what was that?”
“Did you learn to fish when you were younger? You seem to have the knack.”
“Oh. No, I didn’t. Guess I’m just lucky.”
Craig said, “It’s all in the wrist, don’t you think?”
“I guess so.” Adam took a little spoonful of soup before gazing at the horizon again.
Craig and Abby shared a glance, and Parker jumped in as the silence became awkward. “There was this one time, out on the Cape? My brother caught a fish with teeth.”
Lilly gaped. “Like a piranha?”
“Kind of. It was a triggerfish. A tropical storm must have carried it up. I swear, it was the ugliest thing I ever saw.”
“Uglier than a snake?” Lilly asked.
“Oh yeah. Way uglier. It was wriggling around on the line like crazy, snapping away when Eric tried to get the hook out.”
Lilly squeaked. “Did it bite him?”
“Took his finger clean off,” Parker said gravely.
“ Really ?” Cheeks flushing, Jacob lowered his head and went back to pretending not to listen.
“Nah, it was just the tip. But it was super gross.”
Laughing delightedly, Lilly asked for another story, and Parker obliged. And as he spun a partially true tale about the time he spotted a great white shark—he’d actually been safe on his family’s huge sailboat, not in a sea kayak—warmth spread in his chest, and he accepted that despite his best efforts to close himself off, he liked these people. It was pointless to fight it.
Surely if Craig and Abby had been planning something, they would have attacked by now? They listened to his tall tale with avid attention, and ate his crappy soup as if Jamie Oliver had made it. They teased their children and held hands under the table.
“What was the craziest call you ever answered?” Craig asked Abby.
“Hmm. Well, the full moon
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