Secrets Whispered from the Sea - Emma St. Clair Page 0,67
more relaxing now that I was seated. There was also a chrome handle (or chrome thing that I was using as a handle) that helped.
“I guess you get used to the movement,” I said. “I can’t imagine sleeping like this though.”
Alec turned slowly to face me. It was disconcerting not being able to see his intense eyes behind the glasses, especially since I imagined that I could still feel them searing into me.
“It’s actually great for sleeping.”
“Huh.” Guess I’d have to take his word for it. “Did you always want to live on a boat? I mean, what precipitated doing this?”
“My divorce.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine now.”
I didn’t miss the word now, and made a mental note to keep my mouth shut and not ask nosy questions about his marriage.
“And I guess I didn’t always want to, but the thought was there. And then everything fell apart. It just seemed like … why not?”
Shoving aside the mental note I’d just made, I said, “So, are things amicable now with your ex? I mean, I know you have daughters together, so you probably had to get along to a degree.” And now I was babbling.
Alec ran a hand over his jaw, and I swore that I could hear the sound of it, like the rasp of sandpaper. “Amicable? It is now. Mostly. But it wasn’t for a long time. We’ve been divorced for almost ten years. Things were ugly between us at first, and the girls were the ones who got hurt in the process. I really regret that. It’s better now. Especially since she’s in Asheville, not here.”
“Do you think you’ll ever get married again?”
I wanted to slap a hand over my mouth. And then I wanted to dive overboard and swim underneath the dock. Why had I asked that question?
Alec seemed to wonder the same thing. He tilted his head at me before responding with a clear and curt, “No.”
The disappointment I felt at that one little word was far greater than it should have been. I hadn’t really ever seen marriage in my cards, not after living through my parents’ awful relationship. And it wasn’t like Alec and I were dating, or thinking about dating. We were only having this conversation because I came to pick up plans. Which I still needed to pick up.
I stood. “I really should get going. I’ve got a million things to do at the house. Did you have plans for me?”
Alec lifted the lid on a built-in compartment and pulled out a small, silver flash drive. “Here you go. You know I can’t promise anything from the council, but I feel pretty confident that you’ll have a different outcome.”
“What if we want to make some changes?”
He lifted a shoulder, but I could see the way that question bothered his pride. “I don’t see why you would, but I’m sure a few tweaks wouldn’t make that big of a difference. Probably.”
“Well, thank you again.”
Alec hadn’t seemed to mind talking about his divorce, but he was visibly bothered by the idea that someone might think his plans needed to be tweaked. He stood and walked with me to the edge of the boat where I’d gotten on. I wasn’t quite sure how to navigate what looked like a lot of space between the side of the boat and the dock.
“Hang on,” Alec said. He moved up next to me, not quite as close as we’d been when I got on the boat. I couldn’t say that I wasn’t disappointed. Reaching for a wooden post jutting up from the dock, Alec pulled slowly until the gap between the boat and the pier closed. I jumped lightly across before I lost my nerve, proud of myself when I landed flat-footed without stumbling.
As I turned to say goodbye, I realized that I wouldn’t really have a reason to see Alec again. Not until the next Crud meeting, and that wasn’t for another week or two. I couldn’t quite remember.
Now, all my reasons to be around Alec were gone, and I found myself disappointed. Honestly, it was better that way. He was a dangerous man for me to be around, and the very last thing that should be on my mind right now was a man. Especially an older man who had grown children, an ex that he was slightly amicable with, and who lived on a boat. Not to mention all of his other endearing qualities, like his pride.