Chapter 10

 

 

“THE PARTS have been shipped and should be arriving tomorrow,” William said the following afternoon.

Mike was still feeling soreness in places he wasn’t used to, and damn if that wasn’t sexy in and of itself. He needed to pull his attention away from the curve of William’s neck and the breadth of his shoulders, the intensity in his eyes, and return to the present.

“A service team should be here tomorrow afternoon to make the repair, and then we’ll be free to go when we’re ready.”

“I’d like one day to check out the engines again, get them up to full speed before we go too far, to verify the repair. Then we can be off to wherever you want to go. The weather looks great to the south, with no major weather systems predicted, so the Caribbean is your playground and we can go wherever you want once the engines check out.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“Well, we had a diving lesson and Antoinette said that some of the world’s best diving and snorkeling is on Bonaire. So with good weather, we could island-hop down and back. Philippe is qualified to take over the navigation, so he and I can take shifts overseeing the bridge and we could make some good time.”

“All right. Sounds good to me. All we need to do is make the port arrangements. Winston said he has port agreements in most of the islands as long as we make arrangements ahead of time.”

“The list is on the bridge, so I plotted out a possible course and plan. If you’re okay with it, we can go.”

“You’re the captain,” William whispered.

Mike wanted desperately to kiss him, but they were in the salon and Carrie chose that moment to bound into the room.

“Antoinette said we could go diving again tomorrow morning.”

“Yes, we can, if she’s willing,” Mike said, and William agreed. St. Thomas was turning out to be a great location, and the downtime with the engines only gave them all a little more time to have fun. And William seemed intent that the three of them should enjoy as much as possible.

“Awesome.” Carrie hugged him and then hugged William as well before rushing off, calling to Antoinette at the top of her lungs.

“She’s having the time of her life.” Mike watched her go, ponytail swinging from side to side. “I can’t thank you enough for that.”

“I’m having a pretty amazing time as well, and that’s because of her dad. Things wouldn’t be the same without you.” William shifted to the closest chair. “You do realize that my best memories of the last four years involve you. Fishing and then spending time hunkered down during a hurricane. Now this….” William swallowed, and Mike held his breath, waiting for what William wanted to say, his heart racing a little faster. “I want to have more of these kind of memories, with you… and Carrie. I know asking you to think about moving to Providence isn’t a good idea. Your life is in Apalachicola.”

“And yours is in Providence,” Mike said.

“Yeah. But we have sales representatives all over the area. It’s a boaters’ paradise, and if you sell marine engines, then you need to be where the action is.”

“So you’re saying…?”

“That I’m going to talk to my father. I don’t want to be tied to a desk up north. I want to be down here.” William took his hand. “I want to be happy, and I’m pretty sure that for me, happiness involves you. So once this trip is over, I’ll have to go home again, but this time I intend to find a way to come back to stay. Leaving you nearly tore my heart out last time.”

“But what do we do about my mother and Bubba?” Mike asked, suddenly taken up in a wave of near panic.

“That’s where you need to decide what you want. I don’t want to be someone you keep secret. I know how hard it would be to tell Bubba—I was there on the boat with you—but your mom and Carrie should know… if what we might have is important to you.”

Mike nodded. He knew he had thinking to do, and this hiding and staying quiet about how he felt wasn’t going to last. “I may have to get a different crew member if things don’t go well.” That was the only answer. His mom would probably be disappointed, but she’d try to understand. He didn’t know how Carrie would react, and the other people in town… God, he’d be an outcast…. Mike breathed deeply.

“Just relax. You don’t need to think of everything all at once. Take things one step at a time and decide what’s truly important to you.” The disappointment in William’s voice was clear, and it echoed Mike’s own in himself. He should be man enough to own up to who he was and who he wanted in his life. “You have time.”

Well, he did and he didn’t. William saying that he wanted to stay in Florida was a dream come true, and Mike was becoming more and more convinced, especially after the months apart when his mother told him to stop moping all the damn time, that his happiness was also dependent on the two of them. But it was a lot to think about and an immense amount of change. He’d always feared what would happen to his business and to his relationship with Bubba, his mother, the rest of the town. “It’s a lot—”

“Not if you know what you want.” William didn’t let go of his hand, which was incredibly reassuring. “I’ve had time to think things through a little bit—”

“It’s more than thinking things through.” He turned toward William. “It means that I’d put the business in danger. I rely on recommendations to gain customers. What happens when word spreads about us? Most of the people I take out are men, some of them older. How are they going to feel? Will they be uncomfortable? And if they are, they’ll book their charter with someone else. I have a family to feed.” Mike realized just how much fear was running his life. He closed his eyes and tried to will away the rising dread that the idea brought. How in the hell could he be excited for William to be close to him always and afraid at the same time? It was like he had a switch from hot to cold and someone kept flicking it on and off every few seconds.

He knew what he needed to do. Mike had to stop hiding and be himself. It was simple to say that other people’s opinions didn’t matter… because they did, if it meant his business failed and he had no way to support Carrie and his mother.

“I didn’t mean to pressure you. I was hoping that my decision would be good news and that—”

“It is good news.” Mike squeezed William’s hand. William cared enough about him to be willing to make a huge change in his life, and Mike should be able to make the same kind of gesture. “It’s… I know this is going to sound wrong, but this decision, what we’re talking about comes at a small cost to you. You have money and security no matter where you go. I could lose everything.” Or gain the one thing he never thought he’d have.

“I know that.” William didn’t move a muscle and remained quiet. Mike was beginning to think that he’d really pissed him off, but the connection remained, his hand in William’s, and it didn’t waver. The longer the silence lingered, the more Mike concentrated on that single point of touch like it was a lifeline to something happy, and if it broke, he’d lose his chance at it forever. Mike’s heart beat faster as he looked up at the stars, wondering if they might have an answer for him. “I’m not going anywhere,” William finally said, breaking the silence between them.

“I know I should just man up and let the chips fall where they may. That’s what my Navy background is telling me. The truth is what counts, and… but it’s not just me. What if I ruin Carrie’s life? And my mom, she needs me….”

“I know. They do. But you need you too, and there’s a certain guy who’s becoming quite dependent on you for his sanity and a certain kind of hotness that only you can deliver.” William turned toward him. Mike felt it even though he was still looking up at the twinkling stars. “The truth is that you aren’t going to ruin anyone’s life.”

“How can you be so sure?”

William half snorted as he blew air out his nose. “You have a daughter who adores you and a mother who cares and supports what you’re doing.”

Mike turned away from the point of light and toward William as he continued.

“Your mom is amazing. Do you really think she’d ever turn her back on you? I don’t. Dolores is one of a kind. Now, if you meet my mother….” William chuckled and got up without letting go of his hand. Once he stood, William tugged Mike to his feet and then led him off the deck and down the passage to his cabin. There was no subterfuge, and if anyone had been about, they would have seen where they both went.

But Mike didn’t look to see if anyone was watching, and as soon as the door closed behind them, William took control, strong and confident, sexy.

“Let go for now,” William whispered as he tugged him close. “You don’t need to make any decisions at the moment. Just let yourself be happy for a while.” Then William pressed him back on the bed, and all thoughts of mothers, Bubba, and every other worry he had flew from his head. There was no space for them when William occupied every one of his senses, overwhelming him completely.

Mike shook with excitement as William drove him to mind-flying heights. “What are you doing to me?” he gritted out, teetering on the edge of the abyss of pleasure but not ready to tumble over. Not yet. This had to last for as long as Mike could possibly make it.

“Sometimes people say the words, but tonight I wanted to show you how I felt.” William held him closer. “I wanted you to know what was in my heart. You planted it when we were together, and it stayed alive while we were apart, and now it’s flourishing.” William kissed him, and Mike tumbled over the edge and into love. He was happy, and he’d be damned if he was going to let anything or anyone spoil it.

 

 

“DAD, THAT was awesome,” Carrie cried early the following afternoon. They’d had a morning of shopping, and then they’d taken the small speedboat that was normally housed in the back of the yacht to the cove, where Antoinette gave them another diving lesson. “Did you see all the bright-colored fish?”

“I did.” Mike held on to the side of the anchored boat where Anna had stayed while they dove. He helped Carrie hang on as well, as Antoinette and William surfaced. Antoinette climbed onto the boat and helped Carrie up the ladder. Mike was able to climb up on his own, as was William. Once he had his equipment off, he sat to look at the rocky, jagged coastline nearby. “This was awesome.”

“It’s a wonderful location, and generally on the lee side of the island, the waves are minimal. It’s a great incubator for fish and wildlife,” Antoinette said, handing Carrie a towel.

They all checked over their equipment and helped Antoinette stow it. Then Mike took command, navigating them back toward the harbor area.

“I want to be an oceanographer when I grow up,” Carrie pronounced as she sat next to William, the two of them putting their heads together like they were plotting the takeover of the aquatic world. “This was so awesome.”

“We’re going to a number of other islands, and I know Barbados has some shipwrecks and things that we can dive,” William explained.

“And Bonaire has some of the world’s best. There’s plenty to see ahead.” Even Antoinette seemed excited about Bonaire.

Mike guided the speedboat through the waves and up to the yacht, where they were met by Philippe, who wasn’t happy.

“The engine parts arrived,” he informed them as soon as William stepped onto the dock.

“Excellent.”

“They were delivered… personally.” Philippe focused on William. “It seems Mr. and Mrs. Westmoreland thought they’d come along with them.”

“Jesus,” William groaned, and Mike felt the tension, which had eased in him over the last few days, ramp right back up. His back went rigid and the muscles in his neck were tight. “This was supposed to be a vacation… of sorts.”

William stomped down the deck toward the yacht gangway and boarded. Mike and Carrie helped Antoinette with the tanks and equipment, and then he and the others made their way on board.

Mike purposely avoided the salon, guiding Carrie down to her cabin before going to his. Strange bags sat alongside the bed, and Mike suspected he’d be moving to the crew quarters any minute, as William’s parents had likely staked a claim to his. Once he’d dressed, Mike went up to the bridge to check on everything and then looked at the time before going out to the dock. There he met the repairman, Granger, with his tool box, and they found the parts in the engine room.

“This shouldn’t take long.”

“Awesome.” Mike gave him his phone number. “I’ll be on the bridge or around the yacht. If you need anything, call me or Philippe and let me know when you’re ready to fire things up and test everything.”

“It’ll be a few hours.” Granger looked just out of high school, with long blond hair, but he went right to work and seemed to know exactly what he needed to do.

Mike wasn’t looking forward to going up to the salon, but did so anyway and took a deep breath before entering. The conversation halted as soon as he stepped into the room, and William’s mother—she seemed as intense as William had said she was—looked at him as though he’d just tracked dirt over her carpet.

“Mother, Father, this is Mike Jansen. He’s the captain.”

“Is he the one in our cabin?” she asked.

William glared. “No. He’s in the cabin I gave him for the duration of the trip. As I was saying, since I wasn’t expecting either of you, there’s a fourth cabin available, and Anna or Antoinette will take your things to that cabin and put them away.”

“That one’s very small. It seems to me that—”

William stood, cutting her off. “It seems to me that you could have called to tell me you were coming.” He glared at his mother and then at his dad. “You do realize this was supposed to be a vacation of sorts for me.”

“You’ll still have your vacation,” his father said levelly. “After all, you’re still here.”

William sputtered and turned away, marched to the bar, poured a drink, and slammed it back. “This isn’t a good idea,” he muttered, and Mike could almost see him counting to ten, his ears turning red. “Fine, Mother. We’ll put you in the cabin next to mine. Mike, you can move in with me if you like.” William walked closer to his parents, stopped, and turned to look at him. “I love him.”

Just like that, the words were out, and Mike felt as though he’d been hit, while at the same time, he floated on happiness because William actually said he loved him.

“Just so you know, Mike and I aren’t quiet, so I really do hope you don’t intend to actually get any sleep. Because we will not change any of our activities for you, and if that means screaming in rapture at four in the morning, so be it.”

“William!” his father gasped, and Mike felt himself blush like hell.

“You needed me to test out the engines, and you said this was to be my vacation. Did it ever occur to you that the people I most needed a vacation from were you?” William looked at his mother as Mike slowly moved toward the door. He didn’t need to be here for what was a family argument. “I spend most of my time under the same roof with you, and I work in the family business. A vacation is getting away from you all a few times a year.”

Mike closed the door after leaving the room, then leaned against it, some sound filtering through.

After a few minutes, William came barreling out, and as soon as he saw him, he slid to a stop. “I’m sorry. My mouth got ahead of me in there and I….” William looked up and down the passage, then grabbed Mike by the cheeks and tugged him into a kiss that nearly buckled Mike’s knees. “I should have told you how I felt privately, and I certainly shouldn’t have outed you to my parents. My mom….”

“I guess—” Mike groaned as William cut off additional conversation with another kiss.

“Daddy?” Carrie’s voice from behind him chilled Mike to the bone. God, he should have been more vigilant. “Mr. William?” She snickered. “Eww, kissing.” More giggling followed.

“Carrie, I….” Mike turned around, expecting to see… well, he wasn’t sure, but it wasn’t the naughty smile on his sweet daughter’s lips.

“Daddy, you like boys?” she asked just like that and then giggled some more. “I like boys too.” Both were stated so matter-of-factly.

“Is that okay?”

She looked at him as only a kid could when they thought you’d said something completely stupid. “Duh.” She shrugged. “Are there cookies in there?”

“Not yet,” William answered. “My mom and dad came and….” He paused and then opened the door to motion Carrie inside before turning to Mike. “Maybe she can melt the frost off the ice queen.”

“That’s no way to talk about your mother,” Mike chastised, even though his first impression of the woman hadn’t done anything to make him believe William wasn’t right.

“Mom, Dad, this is Carrie, Mike’s daughter.”

Carrie marched up to both of them, shook their hands, and looked at them before sitting down right next to William’s father and asking him what he did.

“I run the family company. William works with me,” he said.

“Sounds boring. I want to be an oceanographer and go diving to look at fish and maybe try to find treasure when I grow up.”

Mike glanced at William for a second, holding his breath. Sometimes Carrie could be very truthful.

“Mr. William and Antoinette have been teaching me to dive, and I love it.”

“That’s very nice, dear,” William’s mother said rather coldly.

“It is. Mr. William is really nice. He plays cards and games with me,” Carrie said, oblivious to the chill that spread through the room.

“Mom, Mike is acting captain, and otherwise, both of them are my guests,” William said softly but with a hint of warning. “On this cruise, we do things differently.”

Antoinette came in with a plate of appetizers and set them on the table.

“Would you bring me a dry martini?” his mother asked.

William turned to Antoinette, said something very quietly, and she left the salon, closing the door. “The crew has been well trained and know their jobs, but if you want a drink, get one yourself. The repairman is installing the new seals, and Mike will check them out and start the engines. Tomorrow we’ll take the yacht out to test them under stress, and if they check out, we’ll be heading south the day after. The plan is to island-hop down to Bonaire, do some diving along the way, and then come back north to St. Martin, where we’ll end the cruise and the engine testing. Mike will be in charge of the running of the vessel, and any questions or changes in course will come through me. This is my vacation and I’m in charge. If you can’t deal with that, then please take a cab back to the airport.”

“William!” both his parents said in unison.

William crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not budging. I promised Carrie a chance to dive some amazing places, and I’m keeping my word. This will be an enjoyable cruise for all of us if we leave our attitudes at the door.”

“Son…,” his father began, and Mike motioned for Carrie to join him, ready to guide her out of the room, “those plans sound great to me. I haven’t been diving in years.”

“Max!” William’s mother said.

“He’s right, dear. We just showed up and didn’t ask him what he wanted. It’s obvious William had plans, and… if we wish to stay, then we should fit within those plans or be prepared to go home.” William’s father stood. He looked very much like a slightly older version of William, with silver hair and the same blue eyes. “Maximilian Westmoreland,” he said, offering his hand to Mike. “It’s very good to meet you, and if you want any help breaking the engine in, just let me know.”

Mike smiled, shaking the offered hand. “Thank you, sir. I need to check on the repairs. I’ve made my plans for testing the engines, as well as for our trip south.”

“Where did you get your experience?” Maximilian asked.

“Navy destroyers.”

Maximilian’s eyes came alive. “I’d love to hear all about that sometime.”

“I’d be glad to tell you about it,” Mike said with genuine surprise and delight. It was clear William’s dad was going to be much easier to win over than his mother. “Please excuse me. I need to check on the repairs.”

“Carrie will be fine here with us,” William volunteered. “Why don’t we get some cards and play a game?”

Mike left the salon, grateful for the respite. One good thing had come from all this. Carrie knew about him and William, and it didn’t seem to faze her a bit. Of course, that didn’t mean there wouldn’t be a million questions later.

The door closed behind him, and Mike hurried down to the engine room. “How is it going?” The room had been scrubbed clean, with no trace of the leaked oil to be found.

“I just need to tighten things down and then top off the oil and we should be good to go.” Granger moved as though he knew every inch of the massive motors. “Give me half an hour and you can start her up. I don’t think you’ll have a repeat of the problem.” He showed Mike the parts he’d removed. “These should never have been used in the first place.”

“Set them aside and I’ll make sure that message gets delivered.” Mike went up to the bridge, called Philippe, and once the repairs were set, fired up the engines. Though he couldn’t put them up to maximum speed while they were docked, the seals were holding well, with no seepage. Mike shut them down and shook Granger’s hand as he prepared to leave. “I appreciate all your help.”

“No problem. I love working on beauties like this.” He smiled and then stepped off onto the dock.

Mike turned and went back up to the bridge to make arrangements for them to go out first thing in the morning to test the repairs. If all went well, they’d be underway the following day.

William met him as Mike was leaving the bridge, as stressed out as he’d been when Mike first came aboard.

“What’s the issue?” Mike asked.

“Nothing specific. They’re getting themselves settled, whatever that means. To my mother, it probably means terrifying Antoinette and Anna for a while. She just can’t give it up. My mother has to be in charge, and it drives me crazy.” William clenched his fists.

“It seems to me that’s something you inherited from her.”

William glared at him. “I am not my mother.” Ice crystals formed in his words. Thankfully Mike knew just how to warm him.

“I didn’t say you were. But you like to be in charge a lot of the time.” He glanced to ensure no one was around and then stepped closer, pulling William to him. “Think about last night.” Mike smiled, and William groaned and nodded. “It’s okay. You’re an executive and have hundreds of people reporting to you. It starts to become natural, and I suspect your mother is the same way. You said she does all these charity functions and things, and she’s probably the leader everyone looks to.”

“Yeah, and she has an ego a mile wide.” William paused. “You’re defending my mother?”

“Nope. Just saying that maybe you could use her bossiness to your advantage somehow. Let her have something to do.”

William snorted. “I think she might settle for your job.”

Mike smiled. That was probably true. “We should probably see what’s going on, and I need to see what Carrie’s up to.”

His hand almost instinctively clasped William’s. That gesture felt so natural and easy. At the end of this trip, it was going to be difficult getting used to not having it again. Mike knew that on board, this display of affection was becoming normal, and he loved that. But Mike still had to deal with after… and what he was going to do once he got home.