getting the right woman.”
“One who’ll let you go sailing on a whim,” Mark helpfully added, and Danae found she didn’t even have to work to maintain her smile. Mostly because Josh had used his hand to stifle his.
“Exactly. The perfect lifestyle, right?”
Vanessa chimed in. “But then we’ll also have that amazing, powerful woman on the boat sipping wine, because she deserves a perfect lifestyle with the man—or woman—she cares for, too.” She’d come up with that twist at the last minute. Neither she nor Danae had been comfortable with the idea of objectifying a woman, even if it helped sell boats. Danae didn’t truly think Mark intended his idea to come off that way, either. He simply wasn’t as sensitive to it as women who’d grown up seeing it done in advertising way too often.
Mark ran his fingers along his freshly shaven jaw. “I’m sure no one will be surprised that I wrote that pitch. And I like what you two have done with it.”
He gave Danae a nod that she returned. As soon as this meeting was over, there would be checkmarks, and she definitely deserved a gold star.
She glanced at Josh, remembering how he’d teased her about her stickers. Some people had gone bug-eyed over her organization skills and detailed planner, while others wished aloud they could be that on top of life. There had been condescension and eye rolls over the supplies required as well, but Josh had managed to joke without insinuating that her system made her uptight or kooky, feedback she’d gotten before.
“Whoa,” Paige said, putting a hand on her stomach. “Is it going to be this rocky for the rest of the trip?”
The gray clouds overhead had been gradually dimming the light of the sun, bringing along with them the scent of rain. As they thickened, the water turned choppy and the swaying of the boat intensified. The sail whipped in the wind, the snap of the fabric loud. Sizzling energy hung in the air, signaling a looming storm.
“Looks like we’re going to get some rain,” Danae said. “I’m sure it’ll be fine, but if anyone wants to go down into the kitchen cabin, feel free. Paige, there are some of those pressure point bracelets and motion sickness pills on the counter if you need them. The cooler is stocked with water and soda, if anyone needs a cold drink.”
“I need more coffee,” Mark said, standing. He gripped the backrest of the bench seat as the boat rocked. “Would you like a refill?”
Danae glanced around, because he couldn’t possibly be talking to her. But Vanessa had already headed into the cabin. “Water would be great, actually. I’m going to go see what our captain thinks about the storm and how long it’ll be before it passes.”
Mark nodded, and Danae gripped the railing and walked toward the helm, where Josh stood at the wheel.
“Hey,” she called, and the wind blew the word back in her face.
“Remember, don’t shoot the driver. Your beef is with Mother Nature, not me.”
“It was with Mother Nature, until you implied I might take it out on you,” she shouted over the roar of the flapping sails, hoping the volume she used to deliver the joke didn’t make him think she was serious. “Any idea how long this storm is going to last? I know that’s a stupid question, since it hasn’t started raining yet, but even a ballpark—”
“Would help you schedule out our delay?”
Warmth trickled through her, fighting the cool air nipping at her skin. Even though they’d just met and hardly saw eye to eye, Josh understood how anxious getting off track left her. “Basically, yeah. If you’re within fifteen minutes, I’ll totally give you a gold star.”
Josh ducked his head as a swell hit and water sprayed both of them. “It should pass soon, but it’s heading the same way we are, so if we keep sailing along this path, we’ll remain in it the entire time. I’m thinking we heave to and wait it out.”
Heave to. Now there was a phrase she hadn’t heard in a while, but memories flickered through her mind. Basically it meant parking in the ocean without having to drop the anchor, and it came in handy when fixing a part on the boat or dealing with a contrary wind or a storm.
“I’m gonna tack the boat.” Josh began to spin the wheel, turning so the headsail was set against the wind. “Then I’ll—”
“…let out some of the mainsheet. I’m on it.”
Satisfaction swelled