Three times in a row.
She didn’t even think she had that much in her stomach. It felt like she was bringing up dinners from last week. It was unstoppable.
I’m making a great impression, she thought as she lost last Tuesday’s dinner over the side of the boat.
She vaguely noticed Jackson coming to her side. He helped hold her hair back out of her face. He rubbed her back and made soft noises.
Finally, her body stopped. The nausea was still there, but there was nothing left to throw up. She felt like curling up into a ball and dying.
“How you doing?” he asked, still rubbing small circles onto her back.
“Do you have any water?” she asked, her voice raw. She kept her eyes closed and pressed her head against the metal railing, grateful that it was cold.
She heard him take a few steps before coming back with a bottle of water. She sipped at it gingerly, not wanting to give her stomach anything but still wanting to get the taste out of her mouth.
“Thanks,” she mumbled.
Jackson stood there for a moment, watching her.
“Get me the speeder,” Jackson said. Emma turned and looked at him, confused. He had his phone to his ear. “Set up the island house... Yes, the island house. Yes, I know. Do it.”
He hung up the phone and put it in his pocket.
“What’s that about?” she asked, keeping her voice low. She felt like if she opened her mouth too wide or spoke too loudly, her stomach would rebel again.
“Just changing plans,” Jackson replied. He rubbed her back again. “In hindsight, we should have taken the yacht.”
“Or maybe just stayed on land,” Emma agreed. “If we get divorced, at least you don’t have to worry about me taking the boats.”
Jackson chuckled. “I’m not sure if that should make me optimistic or worried,” he replied.
She swallowed hard as a wave knocked them around.
“I’m going to point us into the wind,” Jackson told her. “Are you okay for a minute?”
“I promise not to fall off the boat,” she said, clutching her stomach. “Other than that, I guarantee nothing.”
Concern filled his face as he moved quickly to the various ropes and changed the way the sails hung. She appreciated that he was trying to help her, but every bob of the boat just made things worse. She decided that she hated sailing.
The sound of an engine caught her attention. The last she’d looked, they were the only boat as far as she could see. She cracked open one eye and saw a speed boat coming in. It was headed straight for them.
The speedboat came up alongside the sailboat and tossed Jackson a line.
“You made good time,” Jackson said to the man driving the speedboat.
“You said right away, sir,” the man replied.
“You good to take the Techno back to the marina?” Jackson asked the man.
“Yes, sir.” The man nodded. “I also took the liberty of informing the chef. She’s moved things around to make it easier for you.”
Jackson thanked the man and came over to Emma. “Can you walk?” he asked her. His voice was low and comforting.
“I think so,” Emma whispered. “Why?”
“We’re going to get you off this boat,” Jackson told her. “Fred will sail back and we’ll take the speed boat back to land. I don’t want you to be miserable.”
“But our date,” Emma protested.