So very close to him as she passed. Close enough to smell a woodsy aftershave on his freshly shaven face. And somewhere along the way, he’d gotten a haircut, and his brown hair lay precisely in a proper businessman cut. He stepped out and she turned to lock the door, bumping into him as she turned.
“Oh, sorry.”Those sky blue eyes that she’d discovered lit up with his smile.
She ignored her thumping heart, concentrated on the lock, and then took a step back.“Okay. All set.”
They headed down the sidewalk toward the marina. She watched each step she took in her pretty new black flats. The awkward silence clung to them as they strolled down the street.
Talk to her.Think of something. Anything.Silence again. Why did he keep suddenly forgetting how to speak around her? Barry searched his mind for a topic of conversation.
“I wonder what kind of food they’ll have on the dinner cruise.”Though he knew darn well—he’d looked it up on their website. But it seemed like a safe subject and the first thing that popped into his mind.
“I’m not sure. I haven’t been on it since Jesse took it over.”
Well, he’d messed that one up. Now he couldn’t tell her that there was a seafood buffet because he’d claimed lack of knowledge.
Suddenly he stopped and touched her elbow. She paused beside him.
“Look, I don’t know why, but I’m ridiculously nervous. And I can’t think of what to say. And I do know what The Destiny has tonight. It’s a seafood buffet. I was just looking for something to start a conversation with. I’m sorry. I’m just not very good at this dating thing.”He spit it all out as though it were one sentence.
Donna let out a long breath of air.“Oh, good.”
“What’s good?”His forehead wrinkled.
“You’re as nervous as I am. I was going to start talking about the weather because, you know…safe.”She laughed, and it spread all the way to her sparkling hazel eyes.
The laughter cut the tension between them, and they continued on their way to the marina in an easy conversation like on their previous walks. Relief washed through him knowing that Donna was nervous, too. They’d just figure the night out together.
They got to the boat and were greeted on the gangway by a young man with blonde hair and startling green eyes.
“Jesse, it’s good to see you.”Donna hugged the man.
“Donna, glad you could make it on The Destiny.”
“I should have made time earlier. I’ve only heard wonderful things about it since you took it over.”
“Thanks.”Jesse beamed.
“Oh, this is Barry. He’s coordinating the rehab of The Cabot Hotel.”
Jesse held out his hand and shook Barry’s.“Great to meet you. Can’t wait to have the hotel up and running again. I’ve missed her. And welcome aboard. Why don’t you grab a drink, then go up to the open upper deck? Great view up there.”
They each got a glass of wine, then took the spiral staircase to the upper level. He trailed behind Donna as they spiraled up between the decks. They got to the wide, open upper level. Benches and seats lined the railings.
“There are some open seats.”He pointed.
They took two seats to watch The Destiny pull away from the dock and enter the bay. The further they got into the bay, the clearer the water was that circled around them.
“The water near the marina is a bit brackish with the river dumping fresh water into the bay. As we get closer to the gulf, the water clears up into this fabulous turquoise color,”Donna explained.
The wind picked up as they cruised along. Donna tugged a wrap around her shoulders.
“Are you cold? We could go down inside out of the wind.”
Though, he liked the way the wind would pick up little bits of her hair and toss them around her face in delicate curls. Her cheeks were blushed a delicate rose color, and the evening light caught the highlights of her eyes.
“No, I’m fine up here. Glad I grabbed this wrap.”She smiled.“Olivia loaned it to me. She’s not very impressed with my closet.”
“You look beautiful.”The words came out before he could even think or catch them back.
