Chapter Nine
Bree slipped into a white one-piece swimsuit, then threw on her favorite denim cutoffs, and a pair of light-soled flats. She was glad they were chartering a boat today. Being out on the water always cleared the cobwebs from her head. And they were especially bad after the conversation she had with Jayce. Her mother was a sore subject and one she rarely talked about. But it had seemed necessary to tell Jayce a little something about her past, as he'd dared to tell her about his parents’ accident.
She’d just finished packing a large tote bag with a change of clothes, a kaftan in case they decided to go ashore and have dinner somewhere, a utility jacket in case it got chilly, a towel, a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen when the resort cell phone rang. She answered right away and was happy to learn that their boat was ready and waiting at the main dock. Bree’s mood immediately improved and there was a spring in her step as she went downstairs to tell Jayce.
He was sitting on the living room couch, looking more handsome than ever. His chino shorts were rolled up slightly, giving him a casual sailor look, and he had the first few buttons on his cotton short-sleeved shirt undone so that a portion of his chest showed. On his feet, were a pair of classic boat shoes. He looked like one of the fashion gurus she used to date, and nothing at all like a dairy farmer from Nebraska.
“Don’t forget your swim trunks,” she advised. When Jayce lifted his shirt, exposing his six-pack abs, and then pulled down a bit of his shorts to show her he had them on, there was no way to still her racing heart. “The boat’s ready. We need to go,” she said quickly, hoping her cheeks hadn’t turned red as they tended to do when she got flustered.
Jayce slipped on his sunglasses, then grabbed the sweatshirt that was draped over the arm of the couch.
“Want me to put that in my tote bag?” she asked.
“Sure.” He handed it to her, and she stuffed it into her bag.
The walk to the dock was a short one. Bree immediately spotted the butler standing in front of a luxury yacht. He helped them on, then introduced them to the captain and other staff members.
They stayed up on deck for a while, enjoying the sun and gorgeous scenery, then they went below to view the underwater flora and fauna through the boat’s glass bottom.
Bree was watching Jayce as much as she was the fish. It was nice to experience this with someone who never had before, and the expressions on his face were priceless. However, she was a little sad too, knowing after this vacation, she’d be traveling alone again.
After about an hour, they went back up on deck to give snorkeling a try, but no sooner had they gotten up there than the wind picked up and the waves became choppier, causing the rolling and pitching of the boat to increase.
Jayce’s skin turned a sickly shade of grey-green. “Where’s the men’s room?” he croaked.
“Down below, to the left,” she instructed. When quite a bit of time went by, and he hadn’t returned, she went to find him. “Jayce,” she called while knocking on the bathroom door. “Are you okay?”
“Do you call being sick as a dog okay?”
“Oh, no. That’s awful. What can I do for you?”
“Nothing.” She heard the toilet flush. “Go back up on deck and enjoy yourself. I’ll join you when I can.”
Bree felt so sorry for him. The bathroom on the boat was small and cramped and a terrible place to have to spend much time, especially when seasick. She doubted he’d feel better until they were back on land, and even then, it might take some time. The best thing was to return to the villa.
Bree found the captain and explained the situation. He immediately turned the boat around. In a little over two hours, they were at the Blue Fin. Jayce had the “drunken sailor walk,” so she helped keep him on his feet by wrapping her arms around his waist. It wasn’t easy to prop up such a big man, but somehow she managed. Her biggest fear was that he’d get sick before they reached the villa. Luckily, that didn’t happen.
She helped him to bed, then got him a glass of ginger ale and told him to take small sips.
“I’m sorry I ruined the day for you,” he said softly.
Bree sat on the edge of the bed. “Don’t be silly. You didn’t ruin anything. I wanted you to have a nice time and experience something new. I’m sorry you got sick.”
“I’m usually a tough guy.”
She smiled. “I know you are. But even tough guys can get seasick.”
He smiled back at her then closed his eyes. Bree took this as her cue to leave. She went up to her room, grabbed her laptop out of her carry-on bag, and then went out on the deck to try to get a little work done. After a few minutes, her mind started to drift away from hotels and golf clubs and onto Jayce. It was such a shame that they weren’t able to spend the entire day on the water. He would’ve loved snorkeling. The coral reefs were spectacular. But evidently, it wasn’t meant to be. She just hoped that he’d begin to feel better soon.
Bree tiptoed into his room to check on him and was happy to find him asleep. Later, she brought him a cup of clear soup, and after that ate dinner alone on the deck. She sat there for a long time, watching the waves break on the beach and then ebb away. The rhythm was relaxing, and she found herself getting sleepy, but when she finally wound up going to bed, she couldn’t fall asleep. Could it be because she was beginning to like this man that Dawson had matched her up with?