"We'd better at least pretend"

"So...you’re stuck with me Captain." The words were simple but Brenan breathed a giant sigh of relief when he heard them. “If we are supposed to have strong feelings for each other, I pretty much have to accept your offer.”

Brenan picked up his shirt and pulled it over his scarred back. "So you'll sign on as my mate?" He felt himself blushing like a teen at the choice of words and quickly added "That is as my first officer." Red nodded, and told him to make himself useful by building a fire in the pit.

The rest of the evening went by faster than liberty in a festival port. By the time he stretched out (inside on the floor, not out on the deck) Brenan had the better part of a bottle of wine, a roast chicken and three roast tubers burnt on the thick outer skin, but creamy and white on the inside.

He did well he decided as he stretched out on the floor. The first officer he wanted, and an excellent deck hand as well. He wished Red could come back with him to see Davy's recommendations, but she was adamant that she and Cindy had several days worth of work to see to before leaving her cottage to weather the seasonal changes unattended. Soon after that Cindy stood and stretched her lean body like a cat and with a wink at her aunt told them she was going to bed.

"I imagine you two have some catching up to do Aunt Claire." Then she knelt at Brenan's side and surprised him by throwing her arms around him and pressing her warm breasts against his shoulder as she drunkenly kissed his cheek and mumbled quietly into his ear:

"Thank-you Captain. I guess this is as much thanks as you'll take from me, but you deserve much, much, more." The closeness of her body combined with the effects of the **** almost made him regret his earlier decision but then Red placed a smart smack across Cindy's raised backside and sent her giggling into the cottage.

“Claire?” Asked Brenan, never until now considering that Red had a given name other than her nick-name.

“Red” corrected Red, “only my family gets to call me Claire, and that’s not you.” The night sky was clear and the stars seemed brighter than he remembered. Familiar constellations filled the dark heavens and Brenan watched the stars move across the sky.

"Can you use the skiff?" Red finally asked after several awkward minutes of silence. Brenan had been thinking about what he could say to get Red talking and it took a minute to realize what she had asked. It was a fine boat, and he he should have a ship's boat big enough to carry his crew if needed.

No sooner than he agreed that Red told him what was going to happen the next few days. Brenan would ride back to Freeport with Davy's horse, and Red and Cindy would follow in a few days sailing around the island's north face.

Her plan was sound, but he wished he could find a reason to stay out here on the beach for a few more days. Pushing that thought away with a swallow of wine, he sat and talked to Red about his hopes for the schooner. "Damn" Brenan swore several minutes into the conversation. "I need a name for that boat or I'm going to have to stop talking about her."

"I'll have Cindy start thinking Bren, she's good with that kind of thing." The two had sat together leaning against the same log, but not quite touching for close to an hour mostly in silence watching the embers turn from yellow to red to mostly grey, it was the most time Brenan remembered ever spending alone with Red and it felt good.

Next thing Brenan knew it was morning and Red and Cindy were laughing at him as he struggled to deal with his throbbing head. He felt a little better after his morning coffee and breakfast and soon he was handed his bedroll and a bag of food and shuffled off to Davy’s horse.

Cindy was watching as Red and Brenan stood by the horse.

“I’ll see you soon.” Brenan said gruffly, and then when he saw Cindy’s interested gaze he added “She’s still watching.”

“Then we’d better make this look good.” Said Red and she stepped closer to Brenan resting her hand on his chest. Brenan nodded nervously and lowered his face to hers. He smiled a little as he saw Red take a deep breath before tilting her head to meet his. She was as nervous as he was. Even after everything that had happened yesterday Brenan didn't feel any more comfortable kissing her than he had four years ago on the Kranderkill. Brenan had kissed over a hundred different women over the past ten years, and never once had as much trouble as he did now.

Their noses bumped in his first attempt, after both had adjusted the angles of their heads his lips found hers. They were soft and warm and suddenly he felt her lips open and her tongue slipped between his, he jerked back momentarily as her tongue teased the gap in his lips; it felt like magic. He stiffened as he fought the urge to drive his tongue past hers and taste her, sensing his unease Red immediately sealed her lips turning her lips from his and whispered

“Sorry.” Brenan was sorry too, sorry he had not welcomed her kiss with the passion that he truly felt. Then Red pulled out of his arms. “See you in a few days, Captain.”

Brenan was on Davy’s horse and starting his long ride back to his new ship, even more confused than he had been yesterday afternoon when he first had to deal with Red and her very pretty niece.