Smokey waved to him in obvious friendship as they pulled easily ahead. Dallas could not wipe the grin from his face; he didn"t know when he"d had such fun. Like a diamond in the rough, there seemed to be more to Smokey Simmons than he ever considered possible. In fact, that very evening he was to see yet one more facet.
"Dallas," Da.r.s.ey approached him on the deck where he was repairing some line, "Smokey wants to see you in her cabin."
"Right." Dallas put his work aside and went directly below.
He knocked on her door and waited for her to acknowledge him before going inside.
Smokey was at her desk when he stepped in. She motioned him to a chair.
"How is everything?" she wanted to know as soon as he was seated "Fine"
"Good," Smokey said, taking him at his word. "The rest of the crew has known me for some time, and they would never hesitate to voice a complaint or concern. I wanted to be certain you felt the same."
Smokey paused long enough to pick up a sheaf of rolled papers from her desk "I found these in my files, and I thought you might like to study them. You can"t have them, but as long as you"re on board you can look at them. They"re the plans for theAramis"
Dallas took the pages she offered to hfm and slowly unrolled them. His eyes drank in the lines and measurements with the ease of an experienced builder.
"These are excellent," Dallas spoke, almost to himself.
95.
"It"s a fine vessel," Smokey agreed, causing Dallas to look up. He studied her across the small s.p.a.ce for a long moment.
She was as relaxed and confident as she could be behind I the desk. She smiled easily, transforming her entire face whenever she did, and there was nothing forced about her voice or movements.
"I hope I"m not out of line to say that you"re different on your ship than when you"re at Jenny"s."
"Or at Buck"s, when I"m dumping water on myself?"
Smokey said dryly and laughed, freeing Dallas to join her.
"How long have you been sailing?" Dallas was suddenly overcome with curiosity about this unique woman.
"My father was a sailor, so I"ve been at sea all my life, but as an actual captain, just a few years."
"How old are you--19, 20?"
Smokey laughed again, and Dallas found he liked the sound "I"m 25, and I"ve been the captain of the Aramis since I was 23."
"Twenty-five?" Dallas face showed his shock. "You look younger," he admitted softly, and even though he knew he was a crewman under her authority, he allowed his gaze to become rather warm.
Smokey, still so attracted to him she had to work at keeping her composure, wanted very much to ask him what he was thinking, but Da.r.s.ey knocked and entered His stern gaze pinned Dallas to the seat for a moment, making him feel closer to 15 than 28.
"Here"s your supper, la.s.s--and yours is waiting in the galley, lad" Da.r.s.ey stood expectantly on these words until Dallas stood and moved toward the door.
"Thank you, Smokey," he told her before exiting.
He stowed the papers in his bunk and then made his way topside, wishing for the first time that he was in command of this vessel, a position that would allow him to sit and talk with the fascinating Smokey Simmons for hours if he so desired.
98.
Scully, Da.r.s.ey, Mic, Dallas, and Robby were crowded into the galley having supper and swapping stories when Smokey entered Dallas watched in amazement as she slammed her plate on the table, slopping some of its contents onto the wood surface.
"This has spinach in it, Scully," Smokey spoke between clenched teeth, her face bright pink with anger. "I told you in Florida to get some decent food"
"Now, missy," he tried to placate her. "You need spinach.
Remember what your father used to say, he--"
"You have got exactly 15 minutes to get a decent supper to my cabin," she cut him off ruthlessly. "Or I"ll have you keelhauled"
She slammed out in a fury to match the storm they had just been through, and Dallas spoke.
"What was that all about?"
"She hates green vegetables, always has. And Scully always tries to get her to eat them. You shouldn"t have tried it, Scully,"
Da.r.s.ey now said to the old cook. "She can always tell."
"She doesn"t eat right," he insisted "I don"t know how she tasted them. If only she would--"
"Oh, stow it, Scully," Mic told him. "Just make her something and take it down."
After a fierce glare at Mic, Scully went to work, grumbling the entire time. After just ten minutes, he set a fresh plate on the table and turned to Robby.
"Take that to her, Rob."
"No way, Scully; you made her mad, you take it down."
Scully tried Mic, pushing the plate in his direction. "Take this down."
Mic didn"t even acknowledge him, so Scully looked to Da.r.s.ey.
"Don"t look at me. I won"t go near her when she"s been kept from her dinner."
Dallas suddenly found the entire table staring at him.
"Now wait a minute," he protested but was cut off.
"Go on, lad," Da.r.s.ey said with a huge grin. "You"re low man this voyage, so get moving."
97.
Dallas rolled his eyes, scooped up the plate, and walked low. He thought the lot of them were overreacting./MS? like bunchofoldwomen.Sbe"sprobablyforgottenallabout.i.tby v. Nevertheless, he knocked very softly on her door.
"Come in." Smokey"s curt reply brought Dallas through ithe door.
He set the food down, and she examined the contents as though looking for clues to a crime. When she stayed silent, Dallas took that to mean she was satisfied; he couldn"t have been more wrong. As soon as he started toward the door, he found himself getting the sharp side of her tongue.
"Dallas, this cabin may be your idea of clean, but it"s not mine. See to it first thing in the morning."
Dallas turned back and stared at her for the s.p.a.ce of several heartbeats. Her eyes were still flashing with fire, turning them from gray to black. The top of her head didn"t even reach his shoulder, and yet she rose to give him orders like a giant. He wanted to laugh so badly that it hurt to hold it in.
"Yes, Captain," he finally said "Will there be anything else?"
"No." Her reply was short, and her eyes narrowed, daring him to make one move out of line. "You"re dismissed"
Dallas obeyed, letting himself slowly out of the room.
After shutting the door softly, he paused in the pa.s.sageway and grinned, his mind"s eye still seeing the darkness in her eyes and the flush on her face. Dallas slowly shook his head, his grin still in place. He could honestly say he"d never met another woman quite like her.
99.
"On the island. Along with Mic and Pete."
"I think I"ll swim over."
"All right," Robby agreed easily enough, figuring that the id was large enough to guarantee the captain"s privacy.
Since Dallas was dressed only in pants, there was no need go below for anything. He stepped to the railing, and >bby"s brows rose with appreciation when a perfect dive was ited, one that caused little more than a ripple on the " urface of the water. Impressed, Robby watched as Dallas Surfaced and struck out with long, clean stokes. In no time at all, he was walking ash.o.r.e. Robby only hoped that Smokey was in a secluded place.
abouta week after the spinach incident, Dallas woke one morning and realized something was amiss. It was early, and without taking time to pull on anything more than his pants, he went topside.
He found the Aramis docked near a small island. This voyage had been something of a pleasure trip for Dallas, and he"d had no need to keep track of their location. Now he wished he had paid a little more attention.
Robby was the only one about, and he was standing calmly on the deck watching Dallas approach. The ship felt so deserted it was eerie "Where are we?"
"China bland," Robby answered "I"ve never heard of it."
"Not many have. Smokey"s pa used to bring her here; it"s where she learned to swim."
"Is she over there now?"
"Um hmm. Along with most of the crew."
Dallas" gaze turned to the small island and lingered on the rowboats that were pulled up on the beach. He knew the ship boasted several rowboats, but it was an easy swim and the thought of walking on terra firma strongly appealed to him at the moment.
"Is Da.r.s.ey about?"
"What does it say next?" Smokey wanted to know as she watched her first mate from across the table.
Da.r.s.ey turned another page. "A lady must keep her knees pressed together at all times; her legs should be gracefully crossed at the ankles. Ah, la.s.s, do we have to go on with this?"
Da.r.s.ey put the book down and frowned at her.
"Yes. Now keep reading."
"Why didn"t you do this at home with Willa?" Da.r.s.ey asked, ignoring her order.
Seeing that she was going to have to explain, Smokey sighed "She would have asked what kind of people my new friends were, that they expected me to put on airs in their company. She just wouldn"t have understood."
"I"m not sure I do," Da.r.s.ey admitted There was no censure in his tone, only tenderness, and Smokey tried to make herself understood "I"m not ashamed of who I am or where I"ve been, Dars, but I don"t fit into the world outside of a ship. I don"t know how to hold my fork or cup, and I"m so nervous and uncomfortable that I end up dropping things and spilling water in my lap."
100.
"You"re exaggerating, Smokey; those things aren"t going to happen."
"They already have," Smokey told him with tears in her eyes. Da.r.s.ey"s heart melted. She didn"t cry easily, and those tears made him see how much she hurt over this.
When she had explained why she wanted to stop at China Island, Da.r.s.ey had looked at her as though she"d taken leave of her senses. Even that morning as he had loaded a small table, two chairs, and a china tea set aboard the rowboat, he"d thought it was too fantastic to be real.
Then they had gone ash.o.r.e and found a secluded area, set things up according to Smokey"s wishes, and she"d handed him a book on etiquette. That was two hours ago, and until he saw those tears pooling in her eyes, Da.r.s.ey had begun to think it was all rather silly.
Without so much as a sigh of resignation, Da.r.s.ey opened the book and began to read again. He would have loved to hand this job over to someone who was better qualified, but he was all Smokey had If they had to sit there for a week, he would see her through this.
Once on the island, Dallas found a shallow pool and took a quick dip to wash the salt from his pants and hair. The water was cool and refreshing, and he started on a tour of the island after he"d bathed.
There appeared to be more birds than other wildlife, but he did spot a few snakes and lizards amid the fronds and leaves of bushes and trees. He was making his way through a rather dense section of bushes when he came across Da.r.s.ey and Smokey.