Free By the Bay by Barbara Bartholomew Page A

where she was and who he was and then her mouth relaxed and began to respond, hesitantly at first then with real ardor.
    Afterwards they lay tangled together, her legs caught within his, and he felt that in spite of everything going on including the destruction of his home on Grande Terre , nothing much could be wrong as long as they were in each others arms. A man had to believe in a greater purpose to life, he thought, when love like this could exist.
    Soon morning would come and he must be up on deck to deal with crew members who would put a knife in his back if they were only brave enough and others who trusted their lives to his management each day, but for this moment there was only him and Jillian and a love that would keep them sane through life’s terrors. As long as she was at his side, he could do anything. He was more of a man because of the woman she was.
    Her expression was dreamy, her eyes closed and he wondered if she felt as blissful as he did.
    “Philippe,” she whispered.
    “Yes, dearest?”
    “You really need to teach me to fire a gun. I mean, your kind of gun whatever it is. Uncle Owen taught me to shoot a twenty two when I was just a little girl, but I don’t figure there are many of those around her e .”
    This was so unexpected that it took him a few seconds to take it in.  “You wish to shoot me?”
    She chuckled softly and rested her head against his bare chest. “Never, my darling, but somehow I don’t feel exactly safe in the company we’re keeping. They’re all bigger and stronger than me and a whole lot fiercer. I’m sure some of them are really nice guys at heart . . .”
    “Really nice guys,” he agreed, choking with laughter, “though perhaps sensitivity to women is not their most significant quality.”
    She cuddled against him and the conversation was stopped by a long kiss. When it was finished, she pulled back only slightly. “About the gun thing,” she reminded him. “I’d feel a whole lot better if I could defend myself.”
    “I will keep you safe.”
    “I’m sure you will do your best,” she agreed.”
    He sighed. She was right. He lived a dangerous life. If he were killed, she must have a weapon and the skill to use it.
    “In the morning,” he said. “I will teach you .”
    She rewarded him with a kiss, he returned the kiss and soon they were making love again.
     
    In the morning with the whole crew pretending not to be paying attention, he taught her the basics of loading and firing his pistol . Surprisingly she was not a bad shot and would get better with continued practice. He decided it would be a good thing for the crew to witness that practice.
    It was needful for his men to respect him as captain, but it didn’t hurt for them to respect the captain’s lady as well.

 
    Chapter Twelve
    Florence didn’t know what to do about her sister. Nobody else, not even their friend the police chief, had taken her fears about Jillian’s safety seriously, other than Owen .
    They all smirked and laughed and hinted that you couldn’t keep a pretty girl like Jillian from running off with a good looking guy like the young Frenchman. Everybody knew how Jillian had spent so much of her life looking after her mother and figured she’d just gotten tired of the whole thing.
    “You’ll hear from her in a few days, Florence . ” Roy had told her, “In the meantime I’ll look around a little and see what I can find out just to make you happy.”
    It had become necessary, however, to tell Christine that her daughter was gone. Florence summoned her sisters who lived in the area as support, figuring this was going to be difficult one way or the other. Maggie came from her farm up the valley and Connie from nearby Los Fresnos . The other sister, Dorothea, was notified in a tactful letter that indicated only that her niece had eloped with a man Florence didn’t know very well.
    They were all attached to Jillian , h aving been brought up by her mother . W hen Christi ne