“Right back atcha.” Millie chuckled. “You’re one of the most fearless people I know. This will be a piece of cake.”
“As long as I don’t look down.” Gloria climbed the ladder one step at a time. Reaching the top, she waited for the crew members to help her inside.
“It’s your turn, Millie.” Sharky playfully punched her in the arm. “Show ‘em how it’s done.”
“Easy breezy.” She scanned the upper decks, lined with passengers glued to the railing, watching the scene unfold. Shifting her gaze, Millie could see the bridge wings and knew Nic was watching. She blew a kiss in his direction, sucked in a breath, and grabbed hold of the rubber rung.
Heeding Sharky’s advice, Millie kept her gaze slightly elevated. Step by step she steadily climbed to the top.
Millie’s final step brought her eye level with the entrance. Strong hands grabbed hold of her and pulled her to safety.
Donovan, Patterson, Andy, Annette, Amit, Cat, a slew of friends and fellow crew members who were on hand for the dramatic reboarding, cheered, hooted, and hollered.
Suharto rushed to her side. “You made it, Miss Millie.”
“I did, and I don’t think I want a repeat of a tender embarkation ever again, at least not like this one.” Millie hung out with the others, waiting until Sharky, the last person to board, appeared.
Working quickly, the team lifted the empty Zodiac and secured it. The hatch had barely closed when the ship began moving full steam ahead out into open water.
Millie looked around. “Where’s Lucy?”
“Already at the medical center,” Gloria said.
The Garden Girls left to check on their friend while the spectators drifted away.
Sharky stood talking to Suharto. Millie waited for him to finish before tapping him on the shoulder. “What an adventure.”
He grinned, flicking droplets of water from his hair. “We did it. Everyone made it back on board.”
“Thanks to you and Nic.” Millie impulsively hugged him. “I’m sure Reef told you about my keycard getting stolen and being used to sneak into the storage room.”
“He did.” Sharky told her he’d confirmed that only the contraband CBD was missing. “You think it’s the jokesters we rescued from the yacht?”
“I do, although I can’t prove it. I had better get back to work.” Millie thanked him again and ran upstairs for a quick change of clothes.
After changing, she returned to the main floor of the apartment where she found Nic waiting for her, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “How was the climb up the side of the ship?”
“On a scale of one to ten? A two.”
He pulled her into his arms and placed a light kiss on top of her forehead. “It was a nailbiter there for a minute. You even had a cheering section.”
“More like the entire ship was watching.”
Nic sobered. “How is your friend, the one who got hurt?”
“Lucy is being checked out by Doctor Gundervan. Her ankle is swelling, but I think she’ll be all right.” Millie slid her lanyard over her neck, placed Scout in his stroller, and accompanied her husband to the bridge. “I’m still ticked about having my keycard and cash stolen.”
“Sharky filed a report. The only thing missing from the storage room was the CBD gummies.”
“Who would know they were in there?” Millie didn’t wait for her husband to answer. “Jeremy and his friends. The guy has a drug problem.”
“Because he tried breaking into the cabinet and stealing energy drinks and had CBD on him?”
“Not to mention Tohan confided Jeremy planned to stop in Nassau to score drugs,” Millie reminded him. “I wish his father had paid to fly them back to Miami instead of leaving them on the ship for the entire voyage.”
“Disembarking in Grand Turk would have been the optimal resultifthey’re responsible for the vandalism and theft of your keycard and money. We have no proof,” Nic said.
“Has Donovan gotten word from corporate?”
