Free Through the Maelstrom by Rebekah Lewis Page A

my name to the mix."
    Josiah pulled an envelope from his back pocket and slid it toward him. "Unlike the two of you, I am actually committing a crime here by forging this documentation to get you on the ship. You think people can just climb aboard from Bermuda without needing clearance to go back to the U.S.? Ha!" He glared. "I wish you'd stayed on the ship instead of risking my neck. I'm only helping to keep my mother out of trouble."
    Christophe understood his concerns. He also approved of Serena's taking charge of her safety. Thankfully she went to the person helping him, albeit reluctantly. He recalled some of the history Mrs. Baker had explained to him the night before as he ate. "Correct me if I am wrong, but...you're saying your country gained independence from the Crown upon a land that was previously inhabited and decided not to let anyone else into it?"
    "I'm not here to discuss the politics on immigration. You think I don't know it's flawed?" Josiah rolled his eyes. "Let me make myself clear, Mr. Jones. If my mother is arrested, I will testify against you and ensure you never get out of prison. They don't hang pirates anymore. You will be trapped like an animal with a bunch of criminals who are in desperate need of a woman. Feel me?"
    Mrs. Baker laughed. "If he tells them he's a pirate from the past they will put him in a looney bin, not prison. Not much better a choice, but still."
    Josiah shot her a look. "Stay out of this, Ma."
    "No." She slapped her hand on the table, rattling the dishes. Other patrons glanced over at the sound, but turned back to their meals. "You will help this man woo his soulmate so he has a place in this time since it's uncertain if he will stay or not. If he stays, he will need to fit in fast. A relationship will give him a starting point."
    Christophe didn't know what to say. Mrs. Baker's unwavering support was touching, but he hated not having modern currency to repay her for the kindness. Josiah didn't like being forced to help him, and the contempt in the scowls he shot his way told him so. Nevertheless, the man respected his mother, and his shoulders sagged in defeat when she wouldn't back down from the staring match they'd fallen into across the table from each other.
    "She doesn't like him." Josiah shook his head. "I could lose my job. Do jail time."
    "Stop being so negative. You would be doing a good deed, and God will reward you for it."
    A bead of sweat rolled slowly down the man's forehead, and he wiped it away. "I cannot believe you are asking me do this."
    "I'll find a way to repay you, sir," Christophe cut in. He opened the envelope and took out a form listing his name and some address he did not recognize. The tension between mother and son was becoming uncomfortable. "I can sell what coin I have to a museum as Mrs. Baker suggested last night." She'd informed him it would be worth more much more than it had been back in his time, but he couldn't do anything with it until they reached the mainland.
    "Getting rid of you is payment enough." He sighed. "Sorry, that came out way harsher than intended." He pointed to the documentation and added in a hushed tone, "That should get you on and off the ship. I've had the captain sign over that you lost your passport in Nassau. I had to retroactively add your name into the list of guests, to the room number you gave me of the woman. I did not provide you a keycard, however, and you will not enter her room uninvited."
    Fair enough. He wouldn’t have done so anyway. Mrs. Baker had set up a small cot in her room for him until he could convince Serena to take a chance on him, much to Josiah's irritation. "I shall seek employment when we dock in the...States." Christophe smiled, remembering the right word this time. "I'm ever indebted to you." If he didn't return to the past again, anyway. He couldn't live his life expecting to return at any moment, and he wouldn't.
    "Your employment starts now." Josiah pushed Serena's untouched salad away