Beyond the Tide Page 9

  He lifted an eyebrow and replaced it with another bubbly tankard of brown liquid. “Ginger beer. Non-alcoholic.”

  “Thanks.” She dutifully chewed the last piece of fish before leaning forward to catch the burly bartender’s eye. “You know of any honest work for a pirate in these parts?”

  His dark red eyebrow lifted again. “Honest work for a pirate? Isn’t that an oxymoron?”

  She crunched on the chips part of the fish and chips meal and waited for him to answer her question.

  “I’ve got some honest work for a woman if you’re interested.”

  “Do tell.”

  “I have a feeling it’s going to be busy in here tonight.” He nodded toward the door as Caleb and Scott stepped inside. “I could use a barmaid. I won’t be able to pay much, but the riff raff tends to leave generous tips. You’d be welcome to those. Of course, you’d need to take a quick bath and change into a dress.”

  A slow grin spread across her lips. “Sold.”

  Chapter Eight

  Two hours later, Ava slid a basket of fish and chips onto the table in front of Noah. He glanced up to thank her and did a double take. “Ava?”

  “The one and only.”

  Shaking his head, he drawled, “Darlin’, you’ve had more wardrobe changes than Carrie Underwood at the Country Music Awards.”

  Dash grinned from across the table. “This one is definitely my favorite.”

  She just smiled and moved on, chalking the lecherous look in Dash’s eye up to the beers he’d already consumed. She had to agree with him though. This wine-colored dress was one of her favorite gowns so far. It had a square neck with capped sleeves that never quite made it to her shoulders and a white apron that tied at her waist. Best of all, it was clean. She was clean. It was enough to make a woman feel wonderful… and bold.

  She stole a quick glance at Ian who was in a deep conversation with one of the English reenactors. To be honest, she’d been looking for some sort of reaction from Ian to her new dress. She’d hoped it would enable her to determine whether there was any figment of truth to Brian’s speculation. It was a lot of weight to put on one outfit, and the dress had failed her. Ian had entered the tavern, nodded in acknowledgment of her presence, then chatted his way around the tavern like a man on a mission. He probably was and, in doing so, he hadn’t spared her a second glance.

  She swung by to clear the dirty dishes Ian’s English friend left behind at the bar. Not allowing her gaze to stray from her task, she pocketed the golden coins and began loading up the dishes. Ian’s hand touched the back of her waist. She tensed. He leaned closer to speak over the ribald music pumping through the tavern, bringing with him the earthy scent of exotic spices. “Were you able to get a room at the inn before it filled up?”

  Eyes widening, she glanced up at him. “What? No. You mean there aren’t any rooms left?”

  “Apparently, Logan forgot to mention there were only six rooms available.” A mix of concern and frustration filled his voice as he scanned the tavern. “I wasn’t able to secure one, but maybe I can convince one of the other guys to give up their room for you.”

  “No. I don’t want special treatment.”

  “Ava.”

  “I mean it.”

  He frowned. “Then you’ll be stuck camping on the beach with Brian, Noah, and me.”

  “It’s fine. I sleep in a bunk on the ship, anyway. This will be an adventure for me. Now promise me you’ll let it be.” She hid her smile at his stubborn silence. “Ian Sinclair—”

  “OK. At least, go by the inn. The owner will give you some camping supplies. I need to run an errand, but I’ll be back soon. The guys and I are going to scout out a place to make camp. How much longer do you have to work here?”

  She glanced at the bartender who’d barely paid her any mind since she’d started. “I think I can quit whenever I want. I’ll turn in my apron and go by the inn. Meet you out front in a few minutes?”

  “Sounds good.” He left a few coins on the counter for her, then waved as he left.

  She sighed. She was being friend-zoned. That’s all there was to it. She didn’t like it at all, which was dumb. He wasn’t ready for a new relationship. She wasn’t even looking for one. Of course, a couple of the other pirates might be happy to step in if she was. She didn’t want them or their attention. She wanted…

  The cameraman to her right shifted to get a better angle on her face. Reminded her parents and the rest of the world would be watching this; she let her lips tilt into a carefree smile, pocketed the tip Ian had left behind, then got back to the business of playing the game.

  R

  Snooping on the English had given him the information he’d needed in order to achieve the new status of privateer. It would give him a bonus on whatever treasure he secured from any country at war with Spain. With the freshly minted letter of marque safely stowed in his pocket, Ian started setting up camp alongside Ava and Brian. Ava was back in her pirate garb which was a relief in and of itself. He was trying not to be like some of the other guys with their too-appreciative-for-anyone’s-comfort comments and glances at Ava.

  Her barmaid outfit hadn’t made it easy. Her pirate outfit wasn’t much better, but at least he was used to it. He couldn’t help offering her a smile when their eyes met. He was glad she’d opted to camp out with them even if her stubbornness had left her without a roof over her head. She returned his smile with a warm one of her own. “Anything else I can help with?”

  “You can clear the area around the fire.” He used his hands to scoop out a fire pit in the sand. “Keep the small sticks. We’ll need them for kindling.”

  “Sure thing.”

  “Check it out,” Noah called as he wandered back into camp carrying a small barrel of water and a pack of envelopes. “We have snail mail from back home.”

  Ava spun toward Noah with hope lighting her face. “Really?”

  Brian immediately abandoned the rocks he’d been collecting for the firebreak. “Where did you get it from?”

  “Some guy walked into the tavern with it. I brought yours with me. Let’s see.” Noah tucked three letters beneath his arm before sorting through the rest. “Ava. Ava. Brian the rest of them are yours. Sorry, Ian. Nothing this time.”

  “It’s fine.” He hadn’t been expecting any. Brushing off his hands, he stood. “I’m going to see if I can find some wood to get the fire started.”

  “Ok.” Brian was already tearing into one of his letters. “I’ll help as soon as I finish reading this.”

  “Take your time.” Ian glanced at Ava who was watching him in concern. He gave her shrug and a smile to let her know he was ok, then headed into the jungle. The camera guys didn’t bother to follow him. He didn’t blame them. They’d get more compelling footage from the folks on the beach than from him.

  Two hours later, the last flame of the campfire turned to smoke, hastening everyone into their bedrolls as the camera crew left for the night. Sleep swept across the camp and skipped Ian entirely. He stared up at the stars until he couldn’t take the stillness anymore. Easing out of his bedroll, he walked down the beach until it curved into a small cove that hid the campsite from view.

  Midnight blue waves rolled onto shore, then swept back out to sea along a moonlit path toward the horizon. He wasn’t sure how long he stood there watching the foamy waves unfurl before Ava rounded the curve of the cove toward him. They exchanged a wave as Ian watched her trek toward him. It was the most “undone” he’d seen her—hair piled atop her head in a messy knot, white poet shirt untucked from her breeches and hanging like a sleep shirt, barefoot. Kind of unforgettable, to be honest.

  The fact that she was comfortable enough with him to let him see her looking a bit rumpled spoke volumes. A warm glow filled his chest. He gave his head a little shake to ward off whatever that was, then searched her turquoise eyes as she neared. He asked, “Everything ok?”

  “You’re asking me if I�
��m ok?” She gave a soft little laugh. “I came out here to check on you.”

  “I’m fine.” He must have answered a little too quickly because her eyes narrowed, and she tilted her head back to survey him more closely. It was true though. He was feeling better by the second. The effect of being around Ava? Hopefully, not.

  Still, it was comforting to know that he wasn’t completely alone out here. She must have picked up on the melancholy mood he was trying so hard to deny because she stepped forward to give him a hug. He held her close for a few fleeting seconds. When she didn’t pull away, he forced himself to release her. Her hands slid down to rest on his arms as she looked up at him. “I’m sorry you didn’t get any mail.”

  He shrugged. “It doesn’t matter.”

  “I don’t believe you,” she whispered. A hint of a smile touched her lips and caused an answering one to spread across his. He finally admitted, “Ok, it did hit me kind of hard, but I’m getting over it. The hug helped.”

  “Good.” She gave his arms a comforting little squeeze before stepping back. “I’m glad.”

  He wanted nothing more than to pull her back into his arms, but he didn’t. Instead, he slid a hand through his hair. “I thought I was the only one awake in camp. What are you still doing up?”

  She bit her lip. “Honestly? I’m not used to sleeping out in the open like this. It’s kind of freaking me out.”

  “Ava, I told you—”

  “To trade with one of the guys. I know. I know. Oh, well. It is what is it.” She waved away his concern, then sat on the dry sand and patted the spot next to her. “Which way is Texas, do you think?”

  “Mm hmm. Changing the subject. You’re not fooling me.” He settled beside her, bracing his hands behind him as he searched the night sky. “We need to find the North Star… There it is.”

  “Where?”

  He leaned closer to point it out. “If that’s north and Texas is due west or a bit northwest, it should be to the left.”

  “So this way.” She shifted slightly northwest.

  “Yes.” He glanced at her. “Are you feeling homesick?”

  She sighed. “Maybe. I don’t know why though. I’d barely moved back to Austin before I left for this show.”

  “Maybe it’s the people you miss, not the place.”

  “Maybe.”

  He smiled at her reluctant tone. “For all of their expectations, you seem pretty close to your parents. Do you have any siblings?

  “No. I’m close to my cousins, though. They’re almost like siblings.” Crisscrossing her legs, she shifted to face him more fully. “What about you?”

  He shook head. “No siblings. After my mom died, it was just me, my dad, and his various girlfriends.”

  “He had quite a few?”

  “He did, but he never wanted to commit to any of them long-term. He always said my mom was his one, true love. He never got over her death.”

  “He must have really loved her.”

  So much so that his father had lost himself in sorrow and alcohol upon her passing. Sighing, Ian turned to face her completely. “Yeah. He really did.”

  “That’s so tragic,” she whispered. “It doesn’t sound ideal for you growing up, either, to have so many women going in and out of your lives.”

  “It was a mess. For some reasons, his girlfriends kept getting younger. I kept getting older. The summer before…” He hesitated, debating if he should continue. She gave him an encouraging nod. He pulled in a bracing breath. “The summer before I left for college, one of them made a play for me.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “No.”

  A wry smile pulled at his lips. “That’s exactly what I said to her. I tried to tell my dad about it, but she beat me to the punch. Same story. Only the roles were reversed. He believed her over me.”

  “What? Wow.” Her hand covered her forehead as she grimaced. “Weren’t you underage at that point?”

  “I was eighteen. She was in her early twenties. My dad was thirty-six. I mean, I guess she was closer to my age than his.”

  “Ok, but that is still super weird.”

  “It really was. I moved out immediately, stayed with the Holdens until my college dorm was available. My dad and I didn’t talk at all for a few years. Eventually, he apologized for doubting me.”

  She gave an approving nod. “Good.”

  “Lately, he’s been saying he’s turned his life around. I really hope that’s true.”

  “So do I.”

  The ire in her voice made him search her face. “Are you angry at him for me?”

  “Yes, I am.” She pounded her fist into the dirt.

  Holding back a smile, he caught her hand before she did it again. “You’re going to hurt yourself. I’m fine now. I promise. In fact, it was just another step down the path of me becoming a Christian.”

  She stilled. “Really? How?”

  “Well, I got pretty depressed, then I went to school and kind of lost myself in partying, drinking, and girls. I hated myself because I was turning out just like my dad. I knew I couldn’t fix it on my own. I surrendered my life to Christ. My life was never the same. I was never the same. God used it all to bring me to him.”

  Her hand relaxed in his grasp. “Oh, that’s beautiful, Ian.”

  He gave her hand a light squeeze, then let it go. “What about you? What’s your faith story?”

  “Well, mine isn’t quite as intense,” she said with a self-depreciative smile. “My grandmother led me to the Lord. After that, I was raised in the church and stayed in the church. I never really went through a rebellious phase, not even with my parents. I’ve always done what’s expected of me.”

  “Always?” He gave her a disbelieving look. “I bet there’s at least a few times you didn’t.”

  She smiled. “Ok, maybe a few.”

  “Such as?”

  “Hmm. Well… I chose history as my major in college even though my dad wanted me to choose pre-law. He hoped I’d go into politics like him. It just wasn’t for me. Besides, history has always fascinated me. It was a dream come true to study it.”

  That was a prepared statement if he’d ever heard one. He grinned. “Get that question a lot, do you?”

  “You have no idea.” Laughter filled her eyes as she shook her head. Suddenly, she straightened. “Oh, I have one. I was a total rebel. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before.”

  “What did you do?”

  “I signed up for this show. Of course, I didn’t know it would turn out to be this show. I thought it would be a sedate and educational historical reenactment program.”

  “Your parents didn’t approve of sedate educational programming?”

  “No, and I understand why they were so against it now, but I didn’t then. I had to do some serious campaigning to convince them it was acceptable. In fact, they made me promise—” She bit her lip.

  “What did you promise?”

  She lowered her voice to confide, “I promised I wouldn’t get involved with anyone on the show. I guess they were afraid I was going to become the next Bachelorette or something.”

  He gave a short laugh. “That’s funny. My manager made me promise pretty much the same thing.”

  She startled slightly. “What? No way. Why?”

  “My break up with Emily. The whole thing played out on camera.”

  “Oh, no.”

  “Oh, yes.” He shook his head, then grimaced. “Apparently, it isn’t a good look to mislead your girlfriend no matter how well-intentioned you might be. My talent manager is afraid it might impact the sponsorship I have with Swim For Safety.”

  Her mouth dropped open as she pointed at him. “You’re the Swim For Safety guy. I can’t believe I didn’t make the connection. That organization does such great work.”

  “Yes, and I want to keep being a part of it, which is why I’m here—repairing the damage about to be done to my image.”

 
“Image.” She sighed. “I’m starting to hate that word.”

  “Me too.”

  “What are the odds, though? We’re in the same boat—literally and figuratively. No relationships allowed.”

  “It’s a weird coincidence, that’s for sure.” Then, because he couldn’t resist it, he leaned forward and gave her a conspiratorial look. “Just between us, if you could be in a relationship with someone on the show, who would it be?”

  Eyes widening, she laughed and leaned away from him. “I am not answering that question.”

  “What? Why not?”

  “Time for sleep.”

  “No. Wait.” He caught her hand when she started to rise. “You don’t have to tell me a name. Just give me a hint.”

  “I will not.” She laughed even harder. Instead of trying to pull away from him, she pushed his shoulder and sent him careening backward into the sand.

  “Hey,” he protested. He didn’t release her hand soon enough, and she plummeted into his chest. He caught her waist, then deposited her safely onto the sand beside him. Trapping her beneath one arm while he propped himself up with the other, he stared down at her suspiciously. “There is someone, isn’t there?”

  Her thick lashes blinked once, then narrowed. A sultry smile curved her lips, which she proceeded to “zip” and “lock” before “throwing away the key.” Laughter sparkling in her turquoise eyes, she lifted an eyebrow in challenge. Tempting. Very tempting.

  He fought his grin as best he could while attempting his best withering stare. “Not talking, huh?”

  The picture of ease, she tucked her hands beneath her head and crossed her ankles. “Would you tell me?”

  “Tell you what?”

  “If you were interested in someone.”

  He laughed. “Who else would I be interested in? You’re the only woman on the ship.”

  “There’s always Camille.” She surveyed him carefully. “Are you into the older, intimidating type of woman, Ian?”