Free FOR THE LOVE OF THE SEA by Jennifer Bohnet

all join me on board. Then we can go out to sea and give Polly a proper send-off.”
    Cassie smiled her thanks at Doug. She had been wondering how she was going to manage to join the flotilla of boats that always followed competitors out to the line at the start of a big race. Going on Doug’s boat she’d certainly be seeing Polly off in some style.
    “My daughter Vanessa,” he inclined his head in the direction of a tall dark haired girl talking to Mai, “will be there. She’s the one you need to talk to Polly, if you want some additional sponsoring.”
    “We could always do with extra money,” Polly said quickly. “And the bank didn’t come back to us about their offer after Tom’s accident. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go and have a word.”
    Doug turned to Cassie. “You’ll have to excuse me too. I think I’d better circulate. I’ll see you later. Help yourself to food.” He waved his hand in the direction of the buffet.
    “Not me thanks,” James said. “I have to be off. I’ll see you tomorrow, Cassie. Two o’clock down on your landing stage, OK?”
    “I’ll be there,” Cassie promised.
    Both Anna and Mai looked at her as the two men left them, waiting for an explanation.
    Cassie sighed.
    “I’m going sailing with James tomorrow. And I’d appreciate it Mai, if you don’t mention it to Tom. I don’t want him jumping to the wrong conclusion.”
     
    Despite getting up at five o’clock the next morning, Cassie still missed saying goodbye to Dexter. According to the thank you note he left, he’d crept out of the house at 4.30 and hoped he hadn’t disturbed anybody.
    “Thanks for having me. Tell Polly to have a good trip and I’ll see her in Plymouth later. Dexter.”
    Drinking her coffee Cassie thought about the day ahead. Polly was planning to leave at noon for her trip to Plymouth.
    Cassie realised Tom was still having a hard time accepting that Polly was taking his place, but he was hiding his feelings well. He’d given his sister all the support and advice he could. And Cassie knew that mentally he’d be with her on every wave of the voyage.
    He even managed to make it to the pontoon to see her off. Polly came across to kiss him goodbye as the shore crew began to untie the moorings.
    “Thanks, bruv. I’ll see you. ‘Bye,” she said gruffly.
    “I’m coming to see you off next week so no goodbyes,” Tom said. “I want to make sure you’ve got Clotted Cream set up properly before we let you loose in the Atlantic.”
    “But…” Polly began, looking at Tom and then the wheelchair.
    “But nothing. I’ll be there,” Tom said, an edge to his voice.
    As Clotted Cream motored down river, Tom sat watching until she was too far away to focus on. Mai came over to move him.
    “I’m fine,” he said quietly. “Leave me for a bit.”
    It was another half hour before he asked Mai to push him back to the house.
    Cassie was back down on the landing stage in good time for her two o’clock meeting with James and nervously watched as he began to bring his small sailing yacht alongside to pick her up. Was she ready for this?
    “I thought we’d go up to Salmon Creek. There’s usually a bit of breeze up there. Do you want to steer whilst I get the sails up or d’you want to do the sails?”
    Cassie took the tiller from him and concentrated on steering the boat out through the mooring trots to the main channel. She was used to this, doing it several times during the course of a working week with the yards launch.
    Salmon Creek though, was different. She rarely ventured that far up river. There were too many memories associated with it. She and Miles had often gone there for an afternoons sailing. Now she was going with James.
    She watched as he pulled up the mainsail and turned the outboard motor off as he hauled the jib sail up.
    When he joined her in the cockpit she released the tiller and moved forward on deck, ready to do her bit with the sails when James changed course to take