Free Bermuda Nights - The Boxed Set by Ophelia Sikes Page A

Jeff,” I countered. “They could report you to your captain, get you thrown off the ship, or worse!”
     
    “They threw the first punch,” he pointed out, “and the second. But in any case, they don’t seem to have reported anything. My guess is they’re embarrassed about getting beaten up in a three-on-one fight. Maybe they’ll let it go.”
     
    My voice dropped with worry. “Jeff isn’t the kind to let it go. He’s the kind to find some more friends and a dark alley.”
     
    His mouth quirked into a smile. “I’ll be ready for them,” he promised. He reached into a pocket, bringing out a baggie of fish food. “In the meantime, are you ready for our swim?”
     
    The silver porgies were as enthusiastic as the first time we played with them, the parrot fish crunched away on their coral, and the little sergeant-majors zipped around us, aglow with bright curiosity. This time it was nearly two hours before hunger drove me to reluctantly come up out of the shimmering depths of my Eden.
     
    I glowed with contented delight as we walked up out of the water. “These have been the best two days of my life,” I vowed, sighing. “I never would have thought snorkeling would be so much fun.”
     
    The corner of his mouth quirked up in a smile. “Oh? Is it only the time in the water that has you enjoying these past few days?”
     
    The look in his eyes made me flush with heat. His lips were right there, so ready for kissing, and I had to turn away. There were more people here today, scattered on blankets on the beach, and I couldn’t get him into even more trouble than I already had.
     
    He chuckled, then walked up to the small bar area. He called over to the elderly black woman behind the counter. “Hey there, Suzie. Did Rico drop off that cooler for me?”
     
    She drew a small, soft-sided blue cooler up and put it on the counter. She added a large beach towel to it. “Sure did, Evan. You two have fun.”
     
    He took both and guided me over to the left, to a quieter section of the beach. He laid out the navy blue towel, and in a moment we were sitting on it, facing each other.
     
    His voice was warm. “I hope you like peanut butter and jelly.”
     
    I laughed. “Sure. I suppose it’s one of those comfort food things I never grew out of.”
     
    He pulled out a pair of small bottles of Champagne, and with a quick twist both of them were open. Then he laid out a pair of small white plastic plates, and onto each he placed a wheat-bread sandwich, neatly cut at the diagonal.
     
    He raised his bottle to me, and I took mine up. He clinked the edge of the glass against mine. “To patience.”
     
    I smiled, nodding. “To patience.”
     
    The bubbly was lovely – cool, fresh, with a hint of peach flavor. I smiled and took a bite of my sandwich.
     
    Wow.
     
    I looked up at him in surprise. “This is amazing!”
     
    He grinned, taking a bite of his own. “A local woman makes them. She picks the blueberries fresh from her own back yard, all organic. She grinds her own peanut butter. She even bakes her own bread.”
     
    I savored the flavors in my mouth. “This is better than some of the dishes at my parents’ favorite restaurant!”
     
    The shine in his eyes dimmed, and he looked down at his bottle for a moment. His voice became low. “Amanda, I know things are all confused right now. I can’t treat you the way you deserve. If you can just wait for me, until I get through this tour and am back in Boston –”
     
    I leant forward, putting my hand on his. “God, Evan, I don’t care about any of that. I’ve heard you play. You’re a talented musician. I’m sure once you get back on your feet, and come home, that something will work out.”
     
    His eyes seemed shadowed. “I know it looks bad for me. But I swear, this will all make sense when I come home to you. I’m not one of those wastrels who will crash on your couch and dig through your fridge. I’ll be able to treat you right.”
     
    I