“Does Benj know you’re stealing his boat?”
He laughed. “He has given his blessing. He’s out on the trawler tonight, so he let me borrow this one.”
When Ryan chivalrously lifted her onto the rope ladder and she boarded the vessel, she found the deck had been cleared of the nets, lobster pots and coils of rope that would usually cover it and was almost free of the enduring scent of eau de raw haddock. Instead, there was a rich aroma of braising onions and wine emanating from the small cabin.
“Wow,” she said, turning in a circle on the small deck. “What did you do with all the equipment?”
“It’s in one of the sheds round at the marina. I’m under strict instructions to have it all back together by midnight.”
“Soooooo.” She looked around. “What are we doing here?”
“I’m cooking you a meal.”
“Here? On the boat?”
“Yes. Please step this way.”
Ryan ushered her into the cabin, flicking on the small yellow wall lights. The delicious cooking smells were explained by a slow cooker on a butcher’s block gently steaming up the windows, a loaf of sourdough on a board beside it. He motioned her to sit on one of the two camping chairs set up around a wooden crate laid with bowls, cutlery and an unlit jar candle. She did as she was told, sinking down into the fabric chair and feeling like a queen in her own private restaurant.
The boat rocked gently. Ryan plucked a bottle of wine from a large crate by the door and poured them each a glass and then lit the candle. An old CD player sat on a shelf beside the fishing radio, held secure with cable ties; he reached over and pressed “play,” and film scores by John Williams filled the silence.
“I think this is the best date I’ve ever been on,” she said, watching as he unclipped a cool box and tipped bags of fresh prawns and mussels into the hot stew.
“Already?” he said, smiling at her as he stirred the pot and replaced the lid. “You seemed kind of haunted by the events of the last time we were on a boat together. I wanted to replace those memories with some positive ones.”
She laughed. “Well, since you already let me kiss you, I guess I won’t need to throw worms at you this time.”
“I specifically made sure there was no bait left on this boat before I let you on board, just in case.”
He sliced the bread and placed it between them with a small dish of butter and sea salt flakes. Fred spread a slice thickly with the butter and sprinkled over some salt and bit into it hungrily.
“Oh my god, that’s good!” she said. “Eadie’s bakery?”
“Of course. Although, these days, Bettina makes most of the loaves. And the sea salt is made by the Sampsons, they’ve just started selling it in bags at the shack. I said I’d stock some at the shop, and Mary’s using it in her handmade chocolate bars at Cocoa Me.”
“Wow, they’re making their own sea salt, that’s a great idea. Kind of you to offer to sell it.”
He shrugged and tore off a piece of bread, dropping it into his mouth. “Just paying it forward. They sell my coffee in the shack. The least you can hope is that your own community supports your endeavors.” He got up and went to check on the stew. “Almost ready,” he said. “Just another couple of minutes for the last mussels to open and we’re good to go.”
“I should’ve just brought Warren here for his article,” she said, and then kicked herself for bringing him up.
His expression tensed, but he hid it well and asked, “Have you heard from him?”
“No. I don’t expect to. I think I turned out to be something of a disappointment for him.”
“Are you sad about that?”
“No, not at all.” She caught his eye, and smiled. “I was already falling for someone else; I just didn’t know it for a while.”
“That’s because I was in stealth mode. I crept up on you without you realizing, and then made my sniper love move.”
She laughed. “How romantic.”
“In all seriousness, after a panic attack wasn’t how I’d planned to ask you out. If I’d thought you were really set on making a go of it with Warren, I never would have interfered. I guess I caught a break on him being a total dickweed.”
“I think I was flattered that he’d be interested in someone like me.”
“Someone like you?”
