Sailing at Sunset - Cindi Madsen Page 0,86

the helm.

Danae meant to head toward the cabin, but her heavy limbs weren’t cooperating, so she plopped onto the bench seat and stared at a twisted gnarl in the wood grain.

Paige sighed as she sat beside her. “Well, that’s a bummer. I’ve never been to a boat christening before, and I was looking forward to it.”

“Me, too,” Franco said. “I even told Justin about it, and he was excited to meet Josh and chat with the rest of you about our trip.”

They continued to talk about trip highlights and what they were anticipating doing once they got home. Meanwhile, Danae tried to avoid thinking about the fact that she probably wouldn’t see Josh ever again after they disembarked. While she told herself it was for the best, it didn’t quite ring true. Not to her gut, which was tied in knots, or her aching heart.

Eventually, they headed toward their cabins and packed them up, along with the kitchen. When the familiar Newport shore came into view, Danae concentrated on all they’d accomplished during the past week.

As they disembarked, Danae foolishly cast one last glance at the helm of the gorgeous sailboat, only to find it forlorn and empty. A tight band constricted her chest, and her feet cemented themselves to the ground for a handful of seconds.

So that she could put one foot in front of the other instead of sprinting back to find Josh and apologize, she shifted her consciousness to where she would be six months from now. Secure in her job, her financial future cemented, a handful of short-term and long-term goals crossed off on the front page of her planner.

This trip would be but a blip—one she’d fondly recall—and she’d be farther down the pathway to checking off more goals.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Nancy beamed at him from the open doorway of her and George’s boat. “Josh! When did you get home?”

“On Monday,” he said, and shame that he hadn’t come over that night catching in his throat. “But I left again shortly before sunrise on Tuesday and spent another week at sea.” In an effort to convince himself that he was happy alone on a boat—although he’d keep that tidbit to himself.

“Well, come on in.” Nancy waved him inside, and George greeted him by patting the couch cushion beside him.

“I brought you fudge from this little candy shop in Cape Cod. It’s sugar free, so safe to eat, and delicious, I hope.” Josh extended the box toward Nancy, but George intercepted it, cracked it open, and shoved one of the chocolate squares in his mouth.

The smile on Josh’s face felt strange enough that it took him a second to realize he was still capable of smiling. Laughing.

That was something he hadn’t done a whole lot of alone on his boat.

“How was your visit with your grandkids?” he asked, doing his best to keep his thoughts from straying into remorseful territory.

Nancy mentioned how fun the birthday party had been, while George grumbled about noisy teenagers. But he added that he’d enjoyed seeing his daughter and her family. “Missed the marina, though.”

See. The marina was where it was at.

Now you’re justifying your actions because George missed the marina?

Still, Josh would be George’s age one day, and he’d be living out his golden years on his boat.

His boat that had been so quiet his ears rang from the silence.

“So, tell us about who was on the trip with you,” Nancy said as she settled in her worn recliner.

Danae’s face flashed in his mind, setting off the sledgehammer that hit him square in the chest every time his brain betrayed him like that.

“Just some company on a corporate retreat.” The white design on the purple and green rug under their feet blurred and sharpened as Josh inspected it. Over the past several days, he had hyper-focused on the inane so he wouldn’t picture a blond woman with a smile that lit up his insides like the stars in the sky.

Don’t think about stars, either.

“I’m going to need more details than that, young man.” Nancy’s chair creaked as she leaned forward to grab a piece of fudge. “Come on, regale me with tales of your adventures.”

This past week’s aimless journey didn’t feel like an adventure. Something must be wrong with him, because he missed having Danae around, waving the itinerary at him. Missed her smile and laugh and doing bizarre activities like alpaca yoga.

Now that he’d experienced a trip with Danae by his side, not having her around emphasized the loneliness he’d occasionally