Salt Spray And Sweet Trouble Ch 04

Jack woke up when the sun came up. The boat felt different today. He lay in his bed and thought about last night. The other people on their boat. Dancing under the stars. What happened after. Then going to sleep in different beds.

He kept thinking about their talk. Cassie told him about her music. She looked sad when she talked about Nashville. He told her about Eliza and the hospital. About the patient he could not save.

Jack sat up. He ran his hand through his hair. He could hear Cassie sleeping in her bed. He looked toward her bed but did not check on her. After what happened last night, he thought he might feel bad. But he felt happy. That scared him.

He got up quietly. He got ready for their last day on the water. He let Cassie sleep.

When Cassie came up, Jack had already planned their trip back to Key West. The weather was good. The wind was steady. The sky was clear. The water was calm. He made coffee. He saved a cup for her. Black with two sugars. The way she always made it.

"Morning, Captain," she said. Her voice was still sleepy. Her hair was messy. She wore old clothes. She looked good for someone who had been up late last night.

Jack looked up. Something squeezed in his chest when he saw her. "You slept late."

"Some loud sailors kept me up," she said with a big smile. She took the coffee he made. She took a sip. "Good. You remembered how I like it."

"Hard to forget when you take my coffee every day."

Cassie held up the cup. "I like to share."

Jack almost smiled. "We go back to Key West today," he said. He tried to sound normal. "We should get there this afternoon if the wind stays good."

Something changed in Cassie's eyes. She quickly hid it with her usual smile. "Right. The end." She took another sip of coffee. She looked at the water. "Back to real life."

Jack studied her. He tried to read her face. "That was our deal."

Cassie nodded. Her smile did not reach her eyes. "Yes. A deal is a deal." She stretched. She tried to look like she did not care. "You probably want your quiet back anyway. I have caused enough trouble."

Her words were light. But something in her voice caught Jack's attention. Real worry under the brave act. Before he could say anything, she walked away. She went to the front of the boat. She looked at the water. She tried to look casual.

Jack looked back at his maps. His jaw got tight. This was always the plan. Go to Key West. Say goodbye. It was simple. But watching her walk away felt wrong.

They got ready to sail. Cassie tried to keep up her usual joking. But Jack saw moments when the act slipped. Times when she got quiet looking at the water. A sad look when she thought he was not watching.

They worked well together. They had learned each other's rhythms. Cassie moved around the boat with more confidence. Her hands found the right ropes. She remembered the right words. Jack missed the chaos from before. Her mistakes and jokes had been replaced by something real but distant. Like she was already leaving.

"You got better," he said as she tied a rope well.

Cassie looked up. Surprise crossed her face. Then her usual grin came back. "Don't sound so shocked, Captain. I learn fast when I want to." She finished with the rope. "But I still think your system is crazy."

Jack looked at the neat deck. It was so different from their first days. "I like things neat."

"And I am not neat," Cassie said lightly. But something in her voice caught Jack. Before he could answer, she moved on. "So, Key West. Any ideas for a girl with no money? Cheap places to stay?"

Jack frowned. "You do not have a plan, do you?"

Cassie shrugged. Her casual act seemed fake. "I make things up as I go, Captain. Plans are for people who cannot change." She put on her sunglasses. "Do not worry about me. I will figure it out. I always do."

Her confident voice did not match her tense shoulders. Jack studied her. He could see past her act to the worry underneath. For all her chaos, Cassie was facing an uncertain future. It bothered him more than he wanted.

"You said you sold your guitar?" he asked suddenly.

Cassie got stiff. The question surprised her. "Yes. When I needed money in Key West." Her fingers touched the music tattoo on her wrist. "Just a cheap one. Nothing special."

Her soft voice told him it was not cheap. It was special.

"What about your family?" Jack pushed. "In Indiana. You said you could not go back as a failure, but--"

"Let's not talk about this," Cassie cut him off. Her smile was tight. "Let's enjoy our last sail without the deep stuff. We have work to do anyway."

She walked away before he could answer. She messed with the front sail. Jack watched her. He knew she was avoiding the topic. He had done the same thing. Avoiding questions about his past. About Eliza. About the life he left behind. He realized they were alike. Both running from failures.

Jack knew about those questions. The constant "what happened?" and "why did you leave?" from people. The pitying looks. The judgment hidden under concern. Those questions had driven him to this boat. To this life alone. The sea did not ask why you came. It only cared if you respected it.

He had money from his job to escape. To buy a boat. To fix it. To get away from people's expectations without worrying about food. Cassie did not have that. Her running was messier. More desperate. With fewer choices. He chose to be alone. She was forced to be alone.

This made him feel sorry for her. Whatever her story was, she deserved the same peace he found. The chance to escape the questions. To rebuild away from expectations and judgment.

The day passed strangely. Familiar routines but unspoken tension. They sailed smoothly. The wind pushed them toward Key West. Talk stayed light. Neither wanted to go deeper.

The afternoon sun shone bright. Key West appeared ahead. First just a spot where sea met sky. Then buildings and docks. Jack felt strange reluctance as he steered toward the harbor. His hands were sure on the wheel but his mind did not want to go there.

Cassie stood at the front. Her back to him. Wind blew her hair. Her shoulders were set but something in her posture looked like giving up.

Jack cleared his throat. "We will dock at A-Marina. It is quieter."

Cassie turned. She smiled but it did not reach her eyes. "Sounds good. I should get my stuff." She paused. "What little I have."

"No rush," Jack said. He sounded gruffer than he meant. "We still have an hour."

She nodded. She came to stand by him at the wheel. They sailed quietly. They watched Key West get bigger. They could see the old lighthouse. Mallory Square. The busy marina where tourists and locals mixed.

"It's weird," Cassie said finally. Her voice was soft. "A week ago, I wanted to escape this place. Now..." She did not finish.

Jack looked at her. He caught a moment when she looked vulnerable before she hid it with a smile.

"Not that I'm getting sentimental about your boat," she added quickly. "I probably took years off your life with my help."

Jack smiled despite the tight feeling in his chest. "You have been a disaster."

"The absolute worst," she agreed, her eyes crinkling with genuine amusement. "A nautical nightmare."

"A maritime menace," Jack countered, the corner of his mouth twitching upward.

"A captain's calamity!" Cassie declared with theatrical pride.

"A sailing scourge," Jack returned, actually smiling now.

"A tidal troublemaker!" Cassie shot back, her eyes sparkling with delight.

"A vessel vandal," Jack replied, shaking his head but unable to hide his amusement.

"An oceanic outlaw," Cassie grinned, clearly thrilled that he was playing along.

They both laughed. The tension went away briefly. Cassie's shoulder touched his as the boat rocked. Neither moved away. For a moment, they were just two people sharing a joke.

Then Cassie's smile faded. Something more serious took its place. "Hey, Jack?"

He looked down at her. She rarely used his real name. "Yeah?"

She opened her mouth. Then closed it. She seemed to change her mind. "Never mind." She stepped back. "I should check my stuff."

Before Jack could answer, she went below deck. She left him alone with the wheel. He let out a big breath. He felt heavy in his chest as he steered the boat toward Key West docks. One trip would end here. Maybe another would start.

The marina came into view. Boats of all sizes floated in their spots. Jack steered his boat carefully through the narrow water paths toward his usual place. He could see Key West spread out in front of them. Colorful buildings. Busy streets. Tourists walking by the water. They did not know about the small drama on one boat coming back.

"Ready to dock?" Jack called out. This broke the quiet between them.

Cassie came up from below deck. She had her small bag over her shoulder. She had changed into the clothes she wore when he first found her. Cut-off shorts. A faded tank top. Old flip-flops. Seeing her like this hit Jack hard. It reminded him that their time together was ending.

"Yes sir, Captain," she said. She tried to sound cheerful. "But I should warn you that docking is my worst skill. Well, that and not starting kitchen fires."

Jack's mouth almost smiled. "Just don't drop the bumper in the water this time."

"That was one time!" she said. She moved to the side of the boat to get the bumpers ready. She moved with more confidence now. Her hands knew where to go. "Besides, I still say that bumper jumped."

"Right. Just like the winch handle attacked you."

"Exactly! See, you finally get how these things hate me."

Their joking felt normal. Comfortable. Like the rhythm they had made over their days together. For a moment, Jack could almost forget this was goodbye.

As they got close to the dock, Cassie handled the ropes well. She tied the boat down as Jack steered it into place. She focused completely. Her face was set as she worked. When the boat was safely docked, she stood up straight. She brushed her hands on her shorts.

"Well," she said. She tried to smile but it did not reach her eyes. "Mission done. One stowaway delivered to Key West. Boat mostly in one piece."

Jack stepped onto the dock. He tied the last rope. "You did good."

Cassie looked genuinely surprised before she hid it with a teasing grin. "High praise from Captain Grumpy. I'm honored."

They stood facing each other on the dock. An awkward quiet stretched between them. Around them, the marina went about its usual business. Dock workers called to each other. Tourists laughed as they got on charter boats. Seagulls cried overhead.

"So," Cassie said finally. She shifted from one foot to the other. "This is where we say goodbye, huh?"

Jack's jaw got tight. "Where will you go?"

She shrugged. Too casual to be real. "Oh, you know. Around. I've got... options."

The pause told him everything he needed to know. She had nowhere to go. They both knew it.

"Cassie--"

"Look, it's fine," she cut him off. She waved her hand dismissively. "I'm resourceful, remember? I got onto your boat, didn't I? I'll figure something out." Her chin lifted in familiar defiance. "Besides, you need your peace and quiet back. Too much chaos isn't good for a man your age."

The joke fell flat. Neither of them smiled. Jack studied her face. He could see past the brave front to the uncertainty underneath. In that moment, he made a decision that surprised even himself.

"Come with me," he said suddenly.

Cassie blinked. "What?"

"Before you go," Jack said as they finished tying the boat to the dock. "There's something I want you to do."

Cassie looked at him suspiciously. "Is this where you finally murder me and dump my body? Because doing it in daylight at a public marina shows bad planning."

"Just stay a while longer," Jack repeated. He ignored her joke. "Consider it payment for your trip."

Cassie hesitated. Then she nodded slowly. "Okay, Captain. One last adventure."

They stayed on the boat. The familiar place now felt different knowing Cassie would soon leave. The early evening air was thick and humid. The smell of salt hung heavy around them. From the deck, they could see crowds of tourists filling the streets of Key West. A mix of colors and sounds that was different from the quiet of their days at sea.

Jack pulled his cellphone from his pocket, the device having regained service now that they were back in range of Key West's cell towers.

"Now that we're back in civilization," he said, holding it out to her. "You can make a call."

"A phone?" Cassie asked, her expression suddenly guarded as she eyed the cellphone in his hand. "For what?"

"To call your father."

The color drained from Cassie's face. "What? No. Absolutely not." She took a step back, shaking her head. "If this is your idea of a joke--"

"It's not a joke," Jack said, his voice gentler than usual. "You need to talk to him, Cassie."

"I don't need to do anything," she shot back, anger flashing in her eyes. "You don't get to decide that for me."

Jack held her gaze steadily. "You're right. I don't. But running hasn't solved anything, has it? You're still carrying all of it--Nashville, your ex, your family's expectations. You're just carrying it in different places."

Cassie's defiance faltered, vulnerability bleeding through the cracks. "You don't understand--"

"I understand running," Jack interrupted, his voice low and intense. "I understand what it's like to leave everything behind because facing it feels impossible. To build walls so thick that nothing can get through--not pain, not failure, not disappointment." He paused, the words feeling raw in his throat. "But it doesn't work, Cassie. The walls keep everything out, including the good stuff."

She stared at him, her eyes wide and unguarded. "Why do you care? Why does it matter to you what I do?"

The question hit him with unexpected force. Why did he care? When had this chaotic stowaway become someone whose future mattered to him?

"Because," he said finally, the words coming from somewhere deeper than he'd expected, "I see too much of myself in you. And I don't want you to waste years figuring out what I already know--that running just means you take your ghosts with you."

Cassie's breath caught, her usual witty retorts abandoned in the face of his honesty. For a long moment, they stood in silence, the gentle rocking of the boat at dock the only movement between them.

"I can't," she whispered finally, her voice small. "I wouldn't even know what to say."

"Start with hello," Jack suggested, the corner of his mouth lifting in a half-smile. "The rest usually follows."

She chewed her lip nervously, a gesture so unlike her usual confident demeanor that it tugged at something in Jack's chest.

"What if he's disappointed? What if he doesn't want to hear from me?"

Jack remembered the day he'd found The Wandering Tide, listing and neglected, seen past her damaged exterior to what she could become. "Sometimes people just need a chance to show you they care."

Cassie searched his face, perhaps looking for any sign of insincerity. Finally, she exhaled shakily. "One phone call. That's it."

"That's all I'm asking."

She nodded, squaring her shoulders like she was preparing for battle. "Fine. But you're pouring me a drink afterward. A strong one."

Jack handed her his cellphone. "Take all the time you need. I'll be up on deck."

Cassie accepted the phone with trembling fingers. "You're really not going to let this go, are you?"

"Nope."

A reluctant smile tugged at her lips. "Stubborn old sea captain."

"Chaotic stowaway."

She took a deep breath, then looked up at him with eyes that held both fear and determination. "Okay. I'm doing this."

Jack squeezed her shoulder gently, then moved to climb the ladder to the deck, giving her privacy while remaining close enough to offer silent support.

As he sat in the cockpit, adjusting lines that didn't need adjusting, he could hear the muffled sound of Cassie's voice from below deck. At first, her tone was hesitant, halting, but as minutes passed, he caught fragments of conversation carried up through the open hatch -- occasional laughter, soft serious tones, once what sounded like a stifled sob.

The sun began its descent toward the horizon, painting the marina in golds and oranges. Jack busied himself with unnecessary tasks, keeping his hands occupied while his mind remained fixed on the woman below deck, facing ghosts he'd encouraged her to confront.

Nearly an hour passed before he heard movement from the cabin. When Cassie emerged up the ladder, her eyes were red-rimmed but clear, her face showing the complex aftermath of emotional release--exhaustion mixed with relief.

"So," she said, her voice slightly raspy as she settled beside him in the cockpit. "That happened."

Jack reached into the small cooler and handed her a bottle of water. "How'd it go?"

Cassie took a long breath before answering. "They've been worried sick. Dad hired a private investigator when I stopped answering calls. My phone got cut off months ago when I couldn't pay the bill, and they've been looking for me ever since." She shook her head in disbelief. "All this time, I thought they'd be disappointed, but they just wanted to know I was alive."

Jack nodded, letting her continue at her own pace. The gentle rocking of the boat seemed to match the emotional waves passing through her.

"He cried, Jack," she said, her voice breaking slightly. "My dad, who I've seen cry exactly twice in my life--when my grandmother died and when I graduated high school. He said he doesn't care about Nashville or music careers or any of it. He just wants to know I'm safe and happy--wherever that might be."

The sunset cast long shadows across the deck as they sat together, the familiar space of the boat now containing this new, fragile moment of vulnerability between them.

"What are you going to do?" Jack asked quietly. "Go back to Indiana?"

"I don't know," Cassie admitted, meeting his eyes with unexpected directness. "A week ago, I would have said no. That there was nothing back there for me. But now..." She trailed off, her gaze searching his face. "He asked if I was okay. If I was safe. I told him I was with someone who..." She paused, color rising in her cheeks. "Someone who looks out for me. Who made me call home."

Something shifted in the air between them, a current that had nothing to do with the gentle evening breeze coming off the water.

"He said he'd like to meet you someday," Cassie continued, her voice softer. "To thank you."

Jack's chest tightened with an emotion he couldn't quite name. "I didn't do anything."

"You did," she insisted, holding his gaze. "You made me face something I was scared of. And you were right--it wasn't as bad as I'd built it up to be." She took a shaky breath. "So, thank you, Captain Grumpypants. For being brave enough to push me."

The rawness of her gratitude made Jack uncomfortable, unused to such direct emotional honesty after years of solitude. He cleared his throat. "It was just a phone call. I needed to show you that you still had people out there that love you unconditionally. I needed you to know you didn't have to keep running, you have other choices." His voice softened slightly. "Whatever you decide next should be because it's what you want, not because you feel trapped."

Cassie's lips curved into a knowing smile. "Now who's deflecting?"

Before Jack could respond, she leaned forward, her expression turning serious. "Your turn."

He blinked. "My turn for what?"

"To face your fears," Cassie said simply. "That's how this works, right? You push me to make a scary call, and now I get to push you." Her eyes held his, unflinching. "What are you running from, Jack? What's keeping you on this boat all alone?"