They geysered from their spouts, causing the children to applaud madly. Megan was laughing as she hauled Jenny up for a better view and the three of them took impatient turns with the binoculars.
She pressed herself to the window as eagerly as the children while the boat cruised, following the glossy humps as they speared through the sea. Then the whales sounded, diving deep with a flap of their enormous tails. Below, people laughed and shouted as they were drenched with water.
Twice more the
Mariner
sought out and found pods, giving her passengers the show of a lifetime. Long after they turned and headed for home, Megan stayed at the window, hoping for one more glimpse.
Beautiful, aren't they?
She looked back at Nathaniel, eyes glowing.
Incredible. I had no idea. Photographs and movies don't quite do it.
Nothing quite like seeing and doing for yourself.
He cocked a brow.
Still steady?
With a laugh, she glanced down at her wrists.
Another minor miracle. I would never
have put stock in anything like this.
'There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio.'
A black-suited pirate quoting Hamlet.
So it seems,
she murmured.
There's The
Towers.
She smiled.
Off the port side.
You're learning, sugar.
He gave orders briskly and eased the
Mariner
into the calm
waters of the bay.
How long have you been sailing?
All my life. But I ran off and joined the merchant marine when I was eighteen.
Ran off?
She smiled again.
Looking for adventure.
For freedom.
He turned away then, to ease the boat into its slip as smoothly as a foot slides into an old, comfortable shoe.
She wondered why a boy of eighteen would have to search for freedom. And she thought of herself at that age, a child with a child. She'd cast her freedom away.
Now, more than nine years later, she could hardly regret it. Not when the price of her freedom had been a son.
Can we go down and get a drink?
Kevin rugged on his mother's hand.
We're all
thirsty.
Sure. I'll take you.
We can go by ourselves,
Alex said earnestly. He knew they were much too big to need an overseer.
I got money and everything. We just want to sit downstairs and watch everybody get off.
All right, then, but stay inside.
She watched them rush off.
They start spreading
their wings so soon.
Your boy's going to be flying back to you for a long time yet.