Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Thomas Grant and his sailing partner laughing at another table. Grant turned, making sure he had my attention, and winked. I felt a blush sear across my cheeks. I hated that man. When the speaker finished, two males sitting at the table next to us stood and greeted Robbie.
"Hello, Robbie," one of the men said. He was thin and lanky while his partner was short and stout.
"Hi, Jackson," Robbie greeted the tall man warmly, shaking his hand. "You going to be our competition?"
"Hell no! I saw that weather report. They're playing it down, but it looks like a real doozy of a storm. It's too late in the season to be taking risks like this." Jackson shook his head, and the stouter man frowned.
"You two are quitting already?" Robbie asked. "I guess Sam and I here will have the race in the bag. You were our only real competition."
The stouter man laughed. "You seriously crazy enough to try and race this storm, Robbie?"
"We aren't going to race this storm, Burt. We are going to beat it," Robbie replied confidently.
The tall man gave me an appreciative look. "Lady, you got yourself a crazy skipper. He's good as gold, but I think there might be a few screws loose if you know what I'm saying."
I laughed. "I think you're just scared of us. That storm's got nothing on us!"
Jackson grinned. "Robbie, I think you finally found a girl as crazy as you are." Everyone laughed.
"Good luck, you two. We've got to go move the boat from the starting area. We'll be cheering for you," Burt said, and the two men smiled politely and left as Robbie settled back into his chair.
A little apprehension started to worm its way into my head, so I made eye contact with Robbie. "You sure we're going to be all right with the storm?"
Robbie reached across the table and took my hand in his.
"Sam, we are going to knock the socks off this competition. You and me? We're a team. This storm isn't going to be as bad as they seem to think it is. We have this." His green eyes sparkled with certainty and I couldn't help but feel a little better. I knew Robbie liked to push boundaries, but if he thought we could sail through the storm, I believed him. We were a team and I knew we could do anything together.
Chapter 17
The water was dark blue-green, with white dots of cresting waves scattered across the horizon. The lake stretched out before us, endless like an ocean yet contained. The main sail caught the stiff breeze, pushing us out into the race course at a strong speed. White sails filled the air, crackling and humming as the boat surged against the waves.
Little triangles of boats fanned out across the lake, each boat confident and racing to win. The water undulated beneath us, the wind catching in the sails with a gentle whisper. The sun glinted on the water, reflecting into the sky like a giant sapphire. Despite the warnings for the weather, it was a beautiful, sunny day.
Robbie grinned at me, standing at the wheel, the proud skipper of Avery's Hope. His muscles flexed gently under his thin shirt as he turned the wheel slightly, coaxing the Hope for more speed. I grinned back, the wind twisting my ponytail. I wore my lucky racing ball-cap, and my favorite sailing leggings and rash-guard t-shirt. The wind was cold but not unpleasant, and the sunshine was warm upon the deck. The day was off to a wonderful start.
The wind was with us, but it was also with Grant’s boat. His gun metal gray sails seemed to be always just in front of us. His taunting laughter danced across the water as he pulled further ahead. Anger boiled in my stomach, and I kept the sails sheeted in tight; even though it was still early in the race and things could easily change, the fact that he was in front of us annoyed me. The dark looks Robbie cast in Grant's direction told me he felt the same.
Clouds began to pepper the sky, slowly growing bigger and darker the farther we sped along the lake. We had sailed all day, the time flying past without incident. The sun gave one last glimmer of red before disappearing below the horizon and from sight. The clouds quickly filled the space where the warm light had once been, and the deck grew cold and gray. I went down into the galley and brought a late dinner back up to Robbie. It was just a simple breakfast-style burrito we had pre-made for the journey: scrambled eggs, spinach, black beans, and cheese all rolled neatly into a whole wheat tortilla. It was tasty and easy to eat, and we munched happily as the dark of evening surrounded us.
Night settled in like a heavy blanket. The water swished gently at the hull, occasionally sending spray into the air. The waves had a bit of strength to them, but the bouncing of the boat came in a gentle rhythm that was almost soothing. It seemed like the weather prediction was going to be wrong.
We sailed silently into the night, the white sails of our competitors like ghosts in the darkness. I could hear their hulls slapping the waves and occasional soft voices calling out speeds or directions. Grant's boat skipped in front of us, dancing just out of our reach. The entire night had a peaceful, dreamlike quality to it. It wasn't long before I checked the time, my watch glowing a florescent blue: 3:27 AM. With Robbie confident at the wheel, I hopped below deck to check our navigation and speed. We were right on course and making decent time.
"Looking good, Skipper," I told Robbie as I came back on deck. I did my best to stifle a yawn, but he smiled gently when he saw it. "We're making good time."
"Good. I can still see a couple of sails ahead of us, but we still have some time yet. Grant's only a little ahead. It's calm up here, and I know you didn't sleep well last night. Go rest your eyes for an hour or two. I'll shout if I need you, but right now, I'm fine." Robbie grinned as I yawned again.
"All right. I'll be back in an hour to give you a break. When we get to the hotel, though, we're sleeping for a week," I said, covering my mouth as a yawn broke into the tail end of my words.
"Among other things," Robbie said, a naughty grin crossing his face. His smile sent shivers of anticipation down my spine and it was hard not to want to have him right there. But we were racing, and I was exhausted. Robbie was right when he said I hadn't slept well the night before. I never did before a race, but the sheer momentousness of this one had pressed down on me. A quick catnap would do me a world of wonders.
I kissed him, relaying my thanks for the nap. His lips pressed to mine and I could feel him smile.
"Go rest," he said softly, and I headed to the hold opening. I glanced back up onto the deck before I went inside, seeing Robbie's strong silhouette calmly guiding us toward victory. I smiled, set an alarm, and curled up on a bunk for a quick nap.
Chapter 18
I was awakened before my alarm by being thrown out of the bunk and onto the floor. The boat was sloshing from side to side, and I felt like we were suddenly out in the open ocean instead of an inland lake. The radio hissed a Coast Guard warning.