Real Deep by Susan Saxx

Author:Susan Saxx
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Susan Saxx

16

The cruise ship groaned and listed to the right. Dare gripped the brass railing inside the atrium and watched as anything not fastened down slid.

Canned music was at a near standstill as instructions from the captain were piped through the vessel in an effort to keep everyone calm.

“Pity the poor slobs outside.” The old man hunkered down next to Dare, gnarly hands around the railing too, bumping against his. “Not fit for man nor beast. We’re lucky to be inside.”

Dare nodded, as his gaze combed the wild breakers outside. People hung on to the tiniest bit of human connection in uncertain conditions, forged bonds they never would otherwise. “Damn straight.”

“She’s building,” the old man pronounced, as the world inside the cabin tilted again. “You have family, son?”

“Um, no. Not anyone on board.” Though a weird tingle flew through him as he’d almost said yeah.

Yeah. But she’s not here.

She’s out there in that garbage.

“My wife’s here. Below.” The old man sighed. “Mouthiest thing this side of the international date line, I tell you.” The lines of his face deepened. “I couldn’t stand listening to her yapping up here about everything going wrong, ya know? Sent her downstairs, put my foot down.” He mimicked his wife’s voice. “Why did we come now. Why did you pick this cruise. Call them, Charlie, get us a refund. I’m not spending good money on this. Yap, yap, yap.”

He shot a quick look to the man’s grizzled face, searched his rheumy eyes but somehow the words didn’t fit the expression. He must have stared a few seconds too long because the old-timer glanced up at him sharply. “What?”

“Nothing. Just…nothing.” Oh hell. Now the old dude was calling him out. He peeled his eyes back outside, trying to see, but the door was closed and the tiny window was lashed with water and blurry.

Charlie snorted. “You’re just as bad as she is. Always on my case. Always, god, always…” His voice faded and he went silent.

The ship listed again, and the old man heaved up against him. The scent of tobacco and medicine filtered over him, mingled with the ever-present smell of fishy seawater. Everything was being tossed up, out there in that storm.

Suddenly, even though they listed back to the left, the old man didn’t leave his side. Dare looked down at him, just in time to see the old hands grip the fabric of his jacket and suddenly he was concerned. “Pops?”

The abrupt sheen in the old man’s eyes wasn’t from old age.

His words were barely recognizable, hushed out as a whisper, and Dare had to bend to make them out. “If anything happened…to my Clara…”

The cacophony inside mounted, passengers worried, the wind screaming. He had to bend close to hear him, but the old man was talking, and he knew intuitively, it was important. “Yeah, Pops?”

“…I wouldn’t want to live.”

A lump rose in his throat, and he got him. Regardless of feeling he was standing beside some weird caricature of the Old Man and the Sea, he got him.

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