Captain's Choice Ch. 07-08

She smiled then, an easy, comfortable smile, one that carried a message. She pulled me in for a warm, passionate kiss that seemed to last forever.

"You've never been in love, before, have you?" she murmured, looking into my eyes intently.

"No ... I guess not. Is that what this is?"

"It sure sounds like it to me. The trouble is, I don't think I've ever been in love before either. I might have married a guy, but I know I didn't feel about him the way I feel about you."

"You didn't? You do?"

"We were so careful not to get involved. You didn't want to mess up our working relationship and I didn't want to get hurt again. We've already proven we can separate work from our relationship. Your old rule doesn't seem to apply to us. So maybe if I told you I'm sure you would never do what Kurt did to me, would that help you?"

I kissed her once more, again trying to express just how deeply I felt about her.

"I guess," I said carefully, "that if we don't take a chance, we'll never know."

"That's right," she smiled lovingly again. "Now why don't we take this to the bedroom and spend some time proving what we already know."

Chapter 8 A Month to Remember

"Boats are females, Del. You know that. The name makes sense and I like it," I said strongly, hoping to put an end to the discussion.

"I give up. Go ahead and do what you want," she said, resigned.

"Good, it's decided then. Del's Choice it is," I announced, trying not to sound triumphant.

I glanced toward Ardele and saw that she wasn't pouting or looking unhappy, so I decided I had achieved what I wanted. My argument had been that she had found the boat, organized the transfer and engine installation, and been totally involved choosing the interior fitments and décor. It really was her choice as much as mine. I just happened to agree with much of what she did. I wasn't sure, but I suspected she was very proud of my support.

Our love life was wonderful. As our moods shifted, so did our lovemaking. There were times when it was slow and soulful, others when it was fun and rambunctious, and other times when it was wild and crazy. We seldom went more than a couple of days without having sex, and often that was because of Del's monthly visitor or we had been so aggressive that she was sore and needed a day or so to recover.

I'd made up my mind that I wanted to make this permanent, but I hadn't quite decided how to broach the subject. On my own, I had been looking at rings and when I found one I knew was just exactly what I wanted, I bought it and stashed it away until the time was right.

The completion of the work on the boat was a little behind schedule, but it would still be done in early December. We agreed we would enter the Parade of Carol Ships this year and I notified the organizers of our intention and the dates we would be participating. We decided not to charter this year since we hadn't had our sea trials yet and didn't want a problem to crop up that would force us to cancel on our clients.

The finishing touch on Del's Choice was the lettering on the transom and some minor interior and exterior painting. I had installed some propane heaters in the boat shed to allow the work to be done in the otherwise cold, damp air of the harbour. When we pulled the boat out to view it in its final form, I was smiling from ear to ear. It looked terrific and Del was taking pictures from every angle.

"So, there we are," I said to her. "We're back on the water. Hell, we're back in business. What a great day!"

She hugged me to her and nodded, herself a picture of happiness at the product of our efforts.

"Baldur will be along for sea trials," I said. "Said he wouldn't miss that."

"What about Tom Thompson? Is he coming too?" she asked.

"I should have thought of that," I said, angry with myself for forgetting my friend. I pulled my cell out of my pocket and punched in his number.

"Tom, It's Pat. Sea trials are tomorrow. Can you make it?"

"Of course. What time?"

"Ten o'clock to about one or two, depending on weather."

"Perfect. See you then. I'm anxious to see the finished boat."

"I think you'll be impressed with it. Del's done a hell of a job with the interior."

"I'm sure she did. See you tomorrow."

I ended the call and nodded to Del. "He'll be there."

"Should we get some food for lunch?" she asked.

"Good idea. A couple of those trays they sell at the deli counter would be perfect. We can graze as we sail."

***

Tuesday morning dawned with some overcast, but signs of blue sky to the north and west. Better still, little wind. The temperature might make eight or ten degrees by early afternoon, but not more. We would need to dress for a chilly three or four hours.

Baldur arrived early, almost twenty minutes before departure.

"You're early. Would you like some coffee?" I asked.

"Thank you. I wasn't sure about the traffic and I didn't want to be late. I'm very interested in your new boat. The last time I saw it in Astoria, I saw promise, so I want to see what you have accomplished in the last three months."

"Come aboard and Del will show you what we've done."

Del welcomed Baldur with a hug and then stepped back as he looked around the refurbished cabin. He paid particular attention to the galley and staterooms, nodding his approval with each step. Then he spent a few minutes in the engine room, checking the new Volvo power and genset.

"It looks very good, Ardele. You must be very proud of your accomplishment."

"Thank you, Baldur. I'm happy with it. We'll be spending a lot of time on this boat, so I wanted it to be just right."

Baldur nodded and showed his approval with his smile. I poured his coffee, waiting for Tom to show up. I was sure he would be on time.

"Mornin' everyone," Tom said, stepping aboard. "Hello, Baldur. Good to see you again. Ah, coffee. Just what I need."

"Help yourself, Tom. Have a look around. I'll get the engines warmed up, then we'll head out."

I had been practicing for a few days on getting used to the throttles and rudder response, but I had yet to use the bow thruster. Both Tom and Baldur had experience with that device and I decided I needed a tutorial before I played with it. For now, I would use my cautious skills to get us away from the dock and into the harbour.

The command bridge had both side and back curtains as well as a heater, so I decided to work from there to begin with since it gave me better visibility. I carefully powered aft from the shed into the narrow slipway before putting the transmissions into forward. Slowly we motored out of the marina.

The engines had been dynamometer tested and were showing their expected 330 horsepower and plenty of torque to turn the big bronze props. The trim tabs were at zero degree pitch to begin with and I soon found I wanted some lift in the aft section and moved the tabs fifteen degrees to measure the effect. Immediately the engines sounded less laboured and I shifted the revs up to bring the boat to its cruise setting.

Tom was watching the gauges and noticed that the starboard engine was running at 100 rpm less than the port. I dropped the port engine back to match and found the wheel was free from pull. It was going to take some experimenting to find the ideal settings. I could tell right from the start that this boat felt more lively than Captain's Choice and handled much more nimbly. Whether it was the shape of the hull or the weight distribution or something else entirely, it just felt lighter and quicker.

I handed the boat over to Baldur and he began to put it through its paces. Nothing extreme, mind you, but I could see he was enjoying himself. After fifteen minutes of fun, he handed it over to Tom for his turn. After Tom, Ardele took over and I could tell by the look on her face that she was in love with this craft. It was so completely different from my previous boat that it didn't bear comparison.

We had left the aft curtain open and the bridge was still warm enough with the heater on. There was a light chop on English Bay and that seemed to be exactly what this boat wanted. It rode through the small waves without pounding or bucking. At thirty metric tonnes, I didn't expect any. As our trial continued, I knew I had the boat I wanted. This was exactly what I imagined and more. I could tell that Del felt the same way.

We rounded the corner at Point Atkinson, passed Whytecliff Park, and then hooked back into Horseshoe Bay for lunch. Aside from the ferry traffic, it was quiet in the bay. December wasn't much of a month for boating other than a few hardy fishermen and the odd sailor. The snack trays were soon emptied as we chatted about Del's Choice and compared notes, searching for any shortfall to address.

"Very stable," Baldur said. "Handles very well for a boat of this size. Before we leave, you should get some experience with the bow thrusters. They are very helpful, but require practice to use them effectively."

"I agree," Tom chimed in. "I'm a sail type guy myself, but compared to our previous experience together, this boat is more responsive, Pat. The engines don't seem to be working hard to maintain cruise at 1800 rpm. I made it to between twelve and fourteen knots by my reckoning."

"That's better than we expected," Ardele said. "It will be interesting to see what the fuel consumption is. The tanks were full when we left, so we can top them up and see what we used. The Hobbs meter is logging the engine hours."

Baldur nodded. "Good. Pat, have you checked all the electronics?"

"Yes," I said. "All tested and working fine. Radar, sonar, GPS, and VHS radios. The collision avoidance system and sounder were tested as we moved out into English Bay and then again when we came in here. Everything seems right on the money."

"Noise level was good," Tom said, "considering it's a stink pot."

The got a laugh from all of us. Sailors always bragged about how quiet their boats were.

Ardele had turned on the stereo system and had some soft rock station playing in the background. She came and sat beside me, her arm wrapped inside mine.

"Happy?" she whispered.

"Very," I replied, kissing her cheek.

"Me too."

"When are you two love birds going to tie the knot?" Tom asked brashly.

I wasn't ready for that question and Ardele's reaction said she wasn't either.

I stammered and stuttered to find an answer. "When we do, you'll be among the first to know," I finally managed.

That seemed to satisfy Tom and I felt Ardele relax somewhat, although I still think she didn't know quite how to react to the blunt question.

We took turns cruising Del's Choice back to Coal Harbour. After I had been given some instruction on the bow thrusters by Baldur, I would put his lesson to use when we arrived at the marina. It turned out to be less difficult than I expected and I was satisfied that with a little more practice I could really take advantage of the docking device.

The cruise debriefing was positive on all fronts. The boat looked good, both inside and out, but more importantly, it ran and handled well. True, we didn't have any bad weather or strong winds to contend with, but the big cruiser felt sound and responded very well to our inputs. We all agreed we had a very good craft that suited our needs.

***

In the back of my mind, Tom's abrupt question to us about our relationship was still gnawing at me. I had bought the ring and it presently was in my little safe in the bedroom closet. I'd had it for a couple of weeks now, but still hadn't worked up either the courage or confidence to present it to Ardele. It wasn't that I was in doubt about my feelings for her. No, it was more my uncertainty about her feelings for me. But Tom had set the cat among the pigeons today and perhaps that was the stimulant I needed.

I extracted the jeweler's box from the safe after we arrived back at the apartment and put it in my pocket. We were both in an upbeat mood, chatting about decorating the boat for the Carol Ship Parade taking place in a few days.

After dinner, I poured each of us a second glass of wine as moved to the sofa, supposedly to decide what we needed to decorate the boat. Sitting side by side I wondered if I was going to keep my supper down. I was that nervous.

"Del," I began shakily, reaching into my pocket for the little box, "you know how I feel about you. You must by now know I love you. I may not have known what love was before, but I do now. I want to know ... ahhhh, I want to ask you ... will you marry me?"

I opened the little box and took out the ring, almost dropping it as my hands trembled. I stole a look at Ardele and saw surprise, but more importantly, I saw a smile and soon tears.

"Yes, Patrick," she said, sniffing and wiping the tears with her fingertips. "Yes."

I placed the ring on the finger she held out to me and slipped it on. It was a bit snug, but that could be adjusted later.

"It's beautiful. I know you didn't buy it today. How long have you had it?"

"I've been trying to work up the nerve to ask you for several weeks. I've known for a lot longer than that how I felt about you. This is all new for me. I've never proposed before."

"You did it beautifully, Pat. I love you and I will happily be your wife. This time I know I'm right."

I had an enormous sense of relief and pleasure come over me. All my worry was for nothing. She had said yes and there wasn't a hint of doubt or hesitancy whatsoever. I could feel the tension drain out of me. I had what I wanted. What a perfect day. The new boat and soon, a new life partner. A wife. I never would have thought.

"Was it what Tom said that made you ask me to marry you?" Del asked as we lay in bed later that evening.

"Yes, I suppose it was. I knew I wanted to ask you and my only worry was whether you felt the same about me that I felt about you. I wasn't so sure about that, and that's why I was hesitant."

"You shouldn't have been. I know the difference between lust and love. I've been there and have the scars to prove it. You've proven yourself, Pat. You act like a husband around me. You ask my opinion. You listen to me. You let me do things that other men might want to do themselves. Most of all, your actions tell me how you feel about me. It was easy to fall in love with you. Very easy."

"I'm glad. That's all I really wanted to hear. So that leaves us with a couple of questions that haven't been asked yet. One is about children."

I felt Del stiffen beside me and wondered if I was going to get a negative response.

"How do you feel about our having children?" she asked carefully after a long pause.

"I hope you want one or two," I said. "But, it's really your decision."

"Well, that's good news, then," she sighed. "I'm pretty sure I'm pregnant."

"What! Are you kidding me?" I said, rising up in surprise.

"No. It's not for sure, but I've missed my period and I haven't been feeling great in the mornings. That's the usual sign, isn't it?" she giggled.

"I guess so. Oh, Del, I'm the luckiest guy in the world. This is so perfect. I guess we'd better plan on a wedding pretty soon, then."

"I'm so relieved you feel that way. You were afraid to ask me to marry you, and I was afraid to tell you I might be pregnant. Don't we make a pair of goofs?"

I pulled her close to me and kissed her deeply. "You're my kind of goof. We are going to have a beautiful baby, I just know it."

"I hope it's a boy," she said quietly. "That way the Hamelin name will carry on."

"Yeah. Hadn't thought of that, but you're right. Here I was thinking the family name would die out with me. Looks like there's a fifty-fifty chance it might carry on."

"We could always help the odds if we have another one in a year or two," she smiled.

"That would be perfect, especially if we had one of each. Oh, God, Del, I love you so much. Our life is going to be so good."

"Shall we have a civil ceremony?" she asked. "We don't have any relatives nearby."

"I don't have any relatives at all. Why don't we invite your mother and your sisters? We'll have a civil ceremony, but a nice reception for them and our friends. In fact, we'll post a notice in the newspapers announcing our engagement. We'll get a nice picture of the two of us together and let everyone know we're getting married. How about that?"

Del was laughing at my enthusiasm. "Whatever you want, my love. Whatever you want."

***

The first weekend of the Christmas parade of carol ships had come and gone. As in the past, I chose not to participate until mid-December and this year, we booked no charters. This year I was celebrating something very special. I had found my wife and I would be a father next year. I was so energized by the thought that it consumed my every waking moment for the first few days.

I placed a notice in the personals section of both daily papers announcing our engagement and including a picture of us that Tom had taken. We had chosen Friday, January 20th for our civil wedding and Saturday the 21st for the reception at the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, adjacent to our Coal harbour marina. I was surprised at how many calls we received from friends and old classmates of mine, congratulating us and naming me the last hold-out of our group.

It didn't take any effort to put together a list of almost fifty people for the reception. Between Ardele's family and friends, my friends and associates, it would be a great chance for us to reconnect with them. In fact, we invited several of them to join us for one of the carol ship parades - many accepted.

It was Wednesday before our first cruise of the second weekend. We were relaxing in the living room after a light lunch, trying to decide what to do with the rest of our day.

"Happy?" I asked.

"Yes ... very," she crooned, leaning over and giving me one of her passionate kisses.

I put my hand on her tummy and rubbed it gently.

"How long before it will show?" I asked.

She laughed. "Another couple of months I guess. Then I'll get big as a house."

"I can't wait. I don't want to know if it's a boy or a girl. Even if you know, don't tell me. Agree?"

"Okay. Old fashioned, huh?"

"I guess so," I admitted. "Say, how long can we keep having sex?"

"As long as you want me. We might have to make some adjustments in position, but I've heard we can have sex up until a month before our baby is born."

"Really? Man, I've got so much to learn. What about those classes we have to go to?"

"Lamaze? You want to be with me all the way, huh?" She seemed surprised at my interest.

"Of course. It's my baby too. I want to make sure everything is just right for you and our baby."

She turned toward me and held me tight. "I love you, Pat. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me."

"I love you too, Ardele. You've made me understand what love really is."

The knock at the door surprised both of us. No one had buzzed the intercom to gain entrance, so I assumed it must be one of our neighbours. I walked to the door and opened it. A middle-age woman stood there, looking very nervous. She was well dressed in what I took to be a business suit. I was hoping this wasn't a door-to-door canvasser who had sneaked into the building.

"Yes, can I help you?" I asked.

"Hello, Patrick," she said very timidly.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" She didn't look at all familiar.

"I ... I'm your mother."

To Be Continued