What I found most surprising was his continued will to live. I wouldn’t have expected him to give up – he never gave up – but finding the motivation to endure beyond the norm? That was most unexpected, and now that I had seen the two of them in the same room, I understood the true reason. How in the world did the daughter of Henry Gayle end up on his schooner? The odds were just too astronomical. I didn’t believe in coincidences – not on that kind of scale. This one approximated divine intervention. I didn’t believe in that, either.
He never let the woman far from his sight. That much was obvious as well. He kept very close tabs on her and was clearly agitated when yet another male approached her. I wondered why he wasn’t standing with her while she was interrogated by the press and considered the possibility he had already confronted one or two of them before my arrival and had subsequently been banished to the table on his own. I wouldn’t have been shocked to hear he had had an altercation with the press. His temper was both his greatest asset and greatest vice. The idea of the woman sending him into a “time-out” for his tantrum, though – that was intriguing. I found it both out of character and mildly amusing that he would allow himself to be instructed to behave in such a way. I also had to admit I was a little shocked that he would even allow another woman into his life at all, considering the disastrous end to his last relationship.
He shoved himself out of his seat suddenly and reached for the pocket inside his jacket. I tensed reflexively, my hand reaching inside my own coat pocket. Had he spotted me? I let out my held breath when I realized he was only bringing out a pack of cigarettes. His eyes swiveled over and met the woman’s briefly, their non-verbal exchange speaking volumes to me. He lit the cigarette while still in the smoke-free building, long before he actually reached the entrance to the outdoor smoking area.
Obviously, we were going to have to have a little talk, as much as I hated to do it. I had hoped life on the sea would be enough to take him to some reasonably natural end, but it was not to be. I only hoped this woman he had chosen was going to be up for what was to come.
I guess I wasn’t completely retired after all.