Found at Sea - By Anne Marie Duquette Page 0,23
of his slacks and short-sleeved shirt, his recently shaved face and carefully trimmed salt-and-pepper hair spoke of a man who’d spent most of his adult life in uniform. He looked like a man who could hold his own—and often had.
Jordan silently joined him, sitting in the empty seat atop the flying bridge. “How’s she handle?” he asked after a while.
“Sweet. I enjoy hands-on navigation,” Neil said. “Don’t get enough of it.”
“With the size of the cruise ship you command, I imagine not.”
The ship moved slowly through the water, harbor traffic spread out in front of them and behind them. Wakes from various ships made the Dealer Ship pitch about for a bumpy ride.
“The chop’s bad today.”
“Narrow outlet?” Jordan asked.
“No, just more traffic and bigger boats. It’ll smooth out once we hit open water. Oceanside Harbor’s much faster to exit, but until we find who’s after you, Donna and I agree with Aurora that it makes sense to take precautions by coming here and using my boat.”
“I appreciate your help,” Jordan said, ignoring the issue of whose decision it should have been. “I never had a chance to say so in person.” He held out his hand to the other man, who shook it. “Thanks, Captain. I hope there were no repercussions from taking me onto the cruise ship for medical treatment.”
“I’m the captain, and I made the call. It wasn’t challenged then or afterward.”
“Still, I owe you.”
Neil took his eyes off the water traffic and met Jordan’s gaze. “I’d hate to see anything happen to Rory. Keep her safe. That’s all I want.”
“Plan on it.”
Neil turned his attention back to the marine traffic. “Please have someone send me up a coffee. They know how I like it.”
Dismissed, sailor, Jordan thought. You don’t want me on your bridge. Well, I get the message. I don’t care for strangers on mine, either. Neil seems okay—solid, responsible. Could even become a friend. Donna, too. It’s Rory who’s the wild card here.
Aurora volunteered to bring Neil his coffee.
“Here’s yours,” she said when she’d returned, handing Jordan a sturdy ceramic mug. “Neil give you his ‘I’m the captain, don’t screw up’ speech?”
“Donna, too.”
“Sorry about the sermons. They tend to be overprotective.”
“They’re friends. They worry about you.”
“Why? I’m not the one incarcerated in a Mexican jail.”
“You told me you need a big windfall. Is it to pay for their lawyers?”
“No—although I still owe them.” She shook her head. “I’ve tried the lawyer route with virtually no success. I’m planning to buy their freedom.”
Jordan paused, the coffee mug frozen in front of his mouth. “We’re talking...bribes?”
“Whatever it takes. I’m paying Dorian’s guard to smuggle extra food into their cell. And as for breaking them out of jail, that starts with getting Tanya transferred to a work patrol so she and Dori don’t spend twenty-four hours a day in lockup. She found out how much that’s going to cost me.” Aurora named the outrageous amount she had yet to raise. At Jordan’s shocked expression, she lifted her chin defiantly. “You don’t approve?”
“A dangerous business. No wonder your friends are worried.” He took a bigger swallow of coffee. “You aren’t much for rules, are you?”
Her eyes narrowed. “You do disapprove.”
“Running away from home, endangering Neil’s job, bribing prison officials. Frankly, I’ve never had this kind of business partner before.”
“Lucky for you, or you’d be dead in the water.” She studied him closely, not appearing angry in the least. “Does this mean it’s your turn to sermonize? I don’t want to hear it—at least not until I’ve had my coffee.” She grinned.
Jordan actually felt his temper rise. “You find this conversation amusing?”
“No, just the situation. Lectures never work on me. Ask anyone.”
“Maybe you should listen to them,” Jordan said.
Aurora actually laughed. “I haven’t listened to anyone since I was sixteen years old. I’m not about to start now.”
He started to go after her as she headed toward the bow, then stopped himself as he noticed Donna watching.
“Hmm.” She glanced pointedly in Aurora’s direction and then at him. “We’re not even out of the harbor yet, and already Rory has you in ‘protect’ mode.”
“She has a way of getting under my skin. I suspect she causes herself—and others—a lot of grief.”
“She acts first and thinks later. No one’s ever been able to change that. We’ve all tried.” Her narrowed eyes assessed him. “Thinking of having a go yourself?”
“As long as we’re in business together— absolutely.”
“This,” Donna drawled, “should be interesting.”
* * *
BELOWDECKS, AURORA TIDIED the galley. She heard steps and swiveled