Page 27 of Captain's Orders
Dani's face had gone an alarming shade of hot.
"I don't think she's badly hurt, honey," Lindsay said. "She was probably just uhm—wrestling—with the captain last night."
"What's wrestling?" Bea asked through a mouthful.
"It's a sport," Lindsay explained in all seriousness. "Two people roll around on the floor and the one who's still on top at the end wins."
"Oh." Bea considered this, then turned to Dani. "Did you win?"
Dani just forced a smile because there was genuinely no answer.
"That's between Dani and the captain," Lindsay said. "Eat your ice cream, Bea."
Dani leaned against the counter and covered her face in her hands. Lindsay was humming 'Love is in the air'.
"I'm going to kill you," she whispered to her.
"Mm-hm."
"I am going to throw you overboard and you'll be eaten by a seagull."
"Worth it." She started slicing scallions and continued to hum the damn tune. And that, apparently, was that. There was nowhere else for Dani to go because she had to stay and keep an eye on Bea who was working through her ice cream at a leisurely pace.
Dani slid into the booth beside her and Lindsay glanced up every minute or so with a fresh teasing grin. After what felt like an hour, Lindsay set her knife down.
"Don't worry," she said. "I won't tell anyone."
"Thank you."
Lindsay winked. "Come on, we're friends." She wiped her hands on a tea towel. "And actually, I have something to tell you too. A secret for a secret. How does that sound?"
Dani shrugged. Whatever Lindsay had, it couldn't possibly compete with what she'd just figured out about her.
"Sunset Café," she said. "When we get back. Let's meet a little earlier than the others, just the two of us." She picked her knife back up and went on slicing.
Bea finally tipped her bowl up and drank the last of the sauce and melted ice cream. Dani held out a damp cloth and she offered her chocolate-smeared face up to be wiped.
"Ready?" Dani asked her.
"Yes. Thank you for the ice cream." She looked at Lindsay, then at Dani, and Dani gave her cheek a squeeze.
"You're very welcome, honey." Dani took her back to the sun deck where all the adults had gathered on the loungers now. Gerald had woken up and Mark was drying his hair with a towel.
"There she is," Mark said. "Better?"
"Much better." Bea climbed into Sarah's lap. "I had a mermaid."
"A mermaid. How nice. Did you say thank you?"
"Yes."
"Good girl. Dani's very nice for getting you ice cream, isn't she?"
"Mm-hm." Bea leaned against Sarah's shoulder. "Dani was wrestling with the captain last night."
Dani was refilling Caroline's wine as she said it. The bottle jerked in her hand and a splash of rosé hit the rim of the glass and ran down the side. She righted the bottle and grabbed a napkin.
"Sorry," she murmured.
