Page 10 of Terminal Voyage

"Get a room!” Tommy shouted. "What kind of establishment do you think I'm running here?"

Tyson and I stared at each other for a moment. I didn't want to climb off, but I did.

Tyson sprang to his feet. "I think that concludes the lesson for today."

"I feel like I've got so much more to learn," I said, batting my eyelashes at him.

“Practice everything you learned today.”

“Will there be a test?” I said with a little sass.

“Yes. There will be a test.”

“Well, I’m going to need some more mat time.” I was definitely a little hot and bothered. I’d take all the mat time with Tyson I could get.

6

The Vasper was a nice boat.

Vanessa wasn't lying. With a Navy blue hull, Arctic white trim, and windswept lines, it wasn’t a bad place to spend a few weeks, or a month, or a lifetime.

Tyson escorted me down the dock to see me off. We stood at the stern of the massive boat, admiring it for a moment. “Have fun. Don’t worry about anything here. I’ve got everything under control.”

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

He chuckled. “I’ll be just fine. Take as long as you need.”

“You’re the best.” I gave him a hug and squeezed tight.

“You call me if you need anything. Or if you get homesick.”

“I miss you guys already.”

“Something tells me you’ll forget all about Coconut Key the minute you step on that boat.”

“Thank you,” I whispered. “You saved my life.”

“Jack saved your life.”

We broke apart and shared an awkward moment.

“I’ll see you in a few weeks. Have fun. That’s an order.”

I gave him a mock salute before grabbing my bag and crossing the passerelle.

A cute deckhand greeted me as I stepped into the beach club. It was spacious with a full bar. When underway, it retracted. The deckhand took my luggage. It wasn't much, just a large roller case. I had obsessively whittled it down to the basic necessities, while still bringing enough to cover every possible situation.

“I’m Pete,” he said with a smile. “You must be Teagan.”

“That’s me.”

“Welcome aboard. If there is anything you need, just ask. The crew is here to serve.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ll take this to your cabin. It will be waiting for you.”

I climbed the molded-in steps to the aft deck. It was a sprawling space with an alfresco dining area, a bar, a TV, and a hard sunshade.