He could try to believe that all he wanted was for the real world not to interfere, but it would. Reality was exactly what was waiting for them once she went back home. He reached for his cold coffee, checked his gauges. It looked like it was clear sailing ahead, straight through to High Tide Harbor.
And that, David tried to convince himself, was most definitely good news.
Bonnie left the bow of the ship and went to her favorite spot below the wheelhouse. Sitting down, she scanned through the photos she’d been taking, deleting and tweaking them. It was a small task, but big enough to keep her from focusing on what she’d be dealing with once they docked in High Tide Harbor… and she was excited about it.
“Squawk! Guaca-mooleeee!”
Bonnie yelped and shot up in her seat. The phone toppled out of her hand and clanged onto the deck. She swung her legs down and, shielding her eyes, searched the boat. There, on the wheelhouse railing, was Duchess, perched in all her festooned, parroted glory.
“Duchess! What are you doing here?”
Bonnie stood up, wondering if she’d gone half-crazy by asking a bird a question.
“Squawk. Give us a kiss.”
Bonnie snort-laughed, covering her mouth as David emerged from below deck, wiping his hands on a rag.
“What’s going on?”
Bonnie couldn’t do anything but point.
“Oh, for the love of Pete.” David planted his hands on his waist and glared up at the bird. “I’ve only got room for one stowaway this trip, you silly bird. Shoo, Duchess.”
“Shoes, glorious shoes!” Duchess sang in that high-pitched falsetto, then tilted her head almost upside down. “Work it. Work it. Squawk. Give us a kiss.”
“I don’t think so.” David turned grumpy eyes on Bonnie. “You’re not helping at all, you know.”
“I know.” Bonnie couldn’t stop laughing.
“Come on, David. This is too funny. You’re beginning to attract stowaways now. Duch-ess, come here.” Bonnie put up her hand. “You need to come down.”
Instead of complying, Duchess stretched out her wings, flapping them a good three times before settling where she was. “Kiss, kiss, kiss.” She made smooching sounds, then turned her back to both of them.
“I’m not set up for birds,” David grumbled.
“I don’t think she cares. She came on her own. I wonder how she found us?”
“A trail of bread crumbs, perhaps?”
“Don’t be such a grump. You’ve got a mascot now. Maybe she’ll come with us all the way to High Tide Harbor.”
“If she does I’m giving her out to someone as a gift.”
.
“I’ll see if I can get her to leave,” Bonnie said, starting for the ladder. “You have to admit, she’s pretty cute up there. Take a picture. At least one. Go on. Go get your phone.”
She kept her distance from Duchess while David did as she suggested. Personally, she was thrilled to have another living being around. Hanging out in close quarters with David was proving more difficult than she’d anticipated. Especially after that almost-kiss yesterday in the internet café.
Not that he’d given any indication of wanting to repeat the scenario. If anything, he seemed a bit more standoffish. Was he not attracted to her or was he giving her space because he thought she was still hung up on Marcus? Oh, now she wished she hadn't talked to him about Marcus
Marcus. Ugh.
“Marcus, ugh,” Duchess repeated.
“Oh, no.” Bonnie flapped her hands wildly at the bird. She’d said that out loud? “No, no, don’t repeat that, Duchess. I shouldn’t have—”
“Marcus, oh, no.”
“No, Duchess. Marcus bad. Very, very bad.”
“Bad. Bad, bad, baaaaaaad!” It was like the parrot was writing her own opera.
“Do they make muzzles for birds?” Bonnie muttered to herself. She peered down and saw David standing there with his phone, snapping pictures. She stayed out of view as Duchess turned in slow circles, preening and showing off as if she knew exactly what was going on.
“You want something to eat? I bet you’re hungry, aren’t you, Duchess?”
“Guaca-moleee!”
“Sorry, no can do. How about some strawberries?”
“Yum. Duchess Queen. Berries, berries.” Duchess bent down and clanked her beak against the railing.
“Don’t go pecking at his boat. It’s got enough problems already,” Bonnie warned as she headed back down. “Or he really will kick you off.”
Duchess let out what sounded oddly like a raspberry. All that was missing were crossed eyes and a tongue sticking out.
“Do you think she’s normal for a bird?” David asked when Bonnie had two feet on the deck.
“You are asking the wrong person. But maybe our best bet is to ignore her. If she gets bored, she’ll leave.”
“One can only hope. What are you doing?”
“Getting her something to eat.”
“Isn’t that counterproductive to us getting her to leave? She’s a wild animal. She can find food."
“What kind of hosts would we be if we let a guest starve?” She dug out one of the containers of strawberries from the back of the small fridge. “By the way, when you start working on this remodel, please install good appliances. This boat really could be amazing if it’s outfitted right.”
“Gee, if only I’d thought of that before I’d bought her,” David said. “Don’t worry. I’ve got plenty of ideas for what to do with her.”
Why that statement made her blush, she didn’t know. “Just an observation,” she said. “What’s wrong? I thought you were less grumpy than you were this morning.”
“I’m not grumpy,” David countered as he shut the electrical closet door with more force than was necessary. “I’m frustrated.”
“Obviously,” she said, and rinsed off a couple of berries before she sliced them. “You’re the one who’s worried about burning out the engine.”
“That’s not what I’m frustrated about.”
“Then what’s the—oh!” She blinked up at him. All rational thought evaporated like steam when she caught the sweet, humble look in his eyes. “David?”
“Bonnie?”
She searched for an answer. Her life had taken so many turns lately, so many unexpected detours, what was one more? Besides, it was an answer she wanted, wasn’t it? She wanted to know—needed to know—if what she was feeling for David was real or if it was merely a reaction to his kindness to her.
“I don’t not want you to do this, or…yes.” She slipped her fingers over his broad chest and felt her breath hitch in her own.