Today they’ve learned that Gwen would make a strong sailor, Beth gets seasick, and Cunningham has never quite gotten his sea legs. Parker, however, dances along the deck as though he’s been at sea all his life.
“You all right?” Bobby asks Beth, feeling like he has to shout through the wind.
They’re really clipping along for aleisurely little sail. Gwen’s not the mitigating factor he thinks James probably hoped she would be against Cunningham and Parker, who are absolutely living out stolen glory, pretending they could be part of the heat later in the morning.
“Fine,” Beth yells. “Don’t let go.”
“Never,” he assures her, catching James’ eye as he swings back around them, heading to relieve Cunningham from the rudder. “Are we almost done?”
James looks between Bobby and Beth and gives Bobby a soft smile. “We’ll head in. And I think the Demerovens may make this just... our tradition next year, yeah?”
“Yeah,” Bobby and Beth say together, clinging to one another in their sea-sprayed sailing outfits. At least Beth’s hoop is small enough he can actually hold on to her.
She looks like an adorably drowned rat as she peers up at him imploringly. “You promise me we won’t do this again?”
“The Masons don’t sail,” he says. She laughs a little wetly.
Then they both groan as the boat lists, James finally at the rudder with a disgruntled Cunningham pouting beside him. Gwen makes her way over to them, holding on to the guard line with one hand.
“Oh, darling,” she says, plunking down beside Beth.
“I truly hate you,” Beth tells her.
Gwen snorts and takes her hand as they glide toward the first jetty at the mouth of the River Medina, just down the street from their hotel. Bobby spots Albie and Meredith watching them come in along the boardwalk, looking refreshed, coifed, and rested. He’s never letting James force him out of bed before nine again.
The yacht comes to a halt at their dock and Cunningham and Parker begin tossing ropes and securing the vessel. Bobby and Gwen get Beth up to standing and James hops onto the dock. Together they pass Beth over into his arms. Gwen’s snickering quietly and Bobby has half a mind to leave her onboard, but Albie gives him a look from the top of the docks and he sighs, passing Gwen over before hopping off the nauseating ship and onto solid, stable wood.
His legs sway beneath him and James has to catch his elbow while Gwen holds Beth steady.
“I suppose cruising to America might be out of the question,” James says, reluctantly releasing Bobby as Meredith and Albie stroll down to meet them.
“The Masons don’t sail,” Beth and Bobby repeat together.
James, Gwen, Meredith, and Albie laugh. Beth huffs and grabs Bobby’s hand, marching them away from their little circle. Bobby hides his own laughter and lets her tow him up to the boardwalk.
“We’re just teasing,” Gwen calls.
They turn to find Gwen and James close behind, Meredith and Albie having gone on to chat with Cunningham and Parker while they finish tying off the yacht.
“Well, it isn’t funny,” Beth says, but there’s a tilt to her mouth, and Bobby can see her color coming back. “That was miserable.”
“I’m sorry,” Gwen says, the four of them turning to stand close against the railing at the top of the stairs down to the docks.
The boardwalk is still mostly empty this early. The yachts won’t set out for another hour, and it’ll be one o’clock before the first heat of the day. It’s peaceful like this, just the four of them by the marina, now that they’re not being pelted with sea spray and wind.
“We won’t make you go sailing again. It can be a Demeroven-only activity,” Gwen assures Beth.
“Hear, hear,” Bobby says.
“It’s still strange that you’ll be a Demeroven now,” Beth admits, looking over at Gwen.
“It would be pretty improper if you were about to become a Demerovenagain,” Gwen says with a laugh.
James wrinkles his nose at the thought and Beth glares at him. “Hey! I’m going to be an excellent wife. You would be lucky to have me.”
“I’ve laid claim to you already, no need to get combative,” Bobby puts in.
“Is that all you’ve laid, then?”
