“What? Are you insane?” Bethany put her hands on her hips.
“Jury’s still out on that one,” Alexei admitted. “But I don’t see any reason why your father can’t go out on the water for a bit, if he misses it. I can handle a boat.” That was one of the benefits of a long, long life - eventually, you get good at just about everything you have any interest in. “Come with us, if you don’t trust me to handle both him and the boat. We can leave the chair on the dock and I’ll just carry him around on board.”
Since Alexei had been carrying Calum in and out of the bathroom, bed, and numerous other places with ease, Bethany could hardly argue with him.
“Well…”
“Are you serious?” Calum’s face brightened for the first time since Alexei had met him. “You’d take me out on the ocean for the day?”
“For a few hours, maybe, dad. Not the whole day.” But Alexei could tell Bethany saw the longing in her father’s eyes.
She bit her lip. “You’ll do your exercises? And listen to me and Alexei out on the boat, even though you’ll want to do everything yourself because you know better?”
Calum laughed, displaying rarely used smile lines running through the deep groves worn by pain and unhappiness. “To get back to the sea, I’d let you dress me in pink and call me a pig, darlin’.”
Bethany’s lips quirked up in answer to her father’s rare good humor. “Well, I don’t think that will be necessary, dad. But don’t think I’m not tempted.”
*
They spent a pleasant few hours out on the boat, which was as old and worn as its owner, but in much better shape. Calum, once he was comfortably ensconced in a seat on the aft side, a blanket tucked around his legs and a thermos of coffee at his elbow, contently ordered Alexei and Bethany around as if they were his crew. Bethany took it surprisingly well, probably used to it from a childhood spent on her father’s boats.
Alexei followed orders cheerfully, just happy to be out in the fresh air again, doing something more active than carving a table leg or mending a crooked cabinet. The pregnant dog had been right, damn it. He wasn’t made for sitting around.
The wind in his face made him nostalgic for his days riding his motorcycle across the country. He’d loved the feeling of freedom he’d gotten, even back in the old, old days in Russia when it had been an enchanted horse, covering the miles much faster than any normal equine could. It had transformed itself to keep up with modern times, much as the Baba Yagas and their huts did, but to Alexei, it was still his faithful steed. Maybe it was time to saddle up again and ride, even if he didn’t know where he was going or what he’d do when he got there.
A musical giggle rang out across the boat as Bethany teased her father about something Alexei couldn’t make out from where he stood. The sound seemed to call forth an answering chime in his chest and he laughed for no particular reason other than happiness in the moment.
Bethany glanced in his direction and grinned, her red hair blowing wild in the breeze and her eyes alight with pleasure instead of their usual shadows of worry and responsibility.
Maybe the motorcycle would have to wait for just a little longer.
Not because of her, of course. Although there had been a moment earlier when a random wave had rocked the boat and knocked them together. He’d put his arm around her to steady them, and it had felt oddly…right. That was be foolish, since there was no chance of a future between a broken Rider with a hidden past and nothing to offer anyone and a feisty Human who lived her entire life out in the open with her heart on her sleeve. But he couldn’t just abandon her and her father until they got another aide from the agency. Besides, there was a mystery to solve.
Mind you, he hadn’t spotted anything interesting or helpful all day, but maybe now that Calum had watched Alexei handle the boat, he’d let Alexei take it out again on his own. It would be better with two people, one to steer and one to keep watch, but Bethany would be busy with the bar the rest of the week, so he’d just have to manage.
With that in mind, Alexei was extra careful steering back into harbor, keeping all his attention on the task at hand so that he docked the boat back in her berth with nary a bump or bobble. Which is probably why he didn’t see what was waiting for him on shore.
“Alexei! Alexei!” an excited cry greeted him as he carried Calum off the boat and deposited him gently onto his waiting wheelchair.
“Who’s that?” asked Bethany, an odd look on her face.
Alexei glanced up and saw a gorgeous blonde racing down the dock in his direction, her long hair streaming out behind her. At first he thought he must be mistaken, since the only woman he knew who looked like that should be all the way across the country, on the California coast. But then he saw the gigantic black Newfoundland bounding along in her wake. There was only one pair in the world like that.
“Beka!” he shouted, forgetting for a moment that he was hiding out from all his friends in shame and sorrow, and simply reacting to the joy of seeing her. “What are you doing here?”
“I might ask you the same thing, you great big idiot,” the blonde said, throwing her arms around him. “No one has heard from you since you left. We’ve all been worried sick.”
Obviously Gregori hadn’t told the others Alexei had called. Of course, Gregori always was the honorable one. If he said he wouldn’t tell, his lips were sealed. “Hey, I sent postcards,” Alexei protested, hugging her back. “Some of them even had pretty pictures on them.”
“Most of them smelled like beer,” said the Newfoundland, wrinkling his nose. Of course, to anyone else it would have sounded just like barking, since the dog was really a Chudo Yudo - a Baba Yaga’s dragon companion - in disguise, and could make himself understood, or not, to whomever he chose.
“Nice to see you too, Chewie.” Alexei bent down and scratched the dragon-dog behind the ears. He didn’t have to bend far, since Chewie came up to his waist. “What on earth are you two doing on this coast?”
“I got a Call from the local Paranormal community. The Merpeople and Selkies have an issue, and while Barbara usually handles problems on this side of the country, since it is ocean related, it made more sense for me to come.” She reached up and hugged him again, her normally sunny disposition even more shining than usual. “Oh, wait until Barbara and Bella find out you’re here! They’re going to be so happy I found you.”
Alexei sighed. So much for hiding out. “I don’t suppose your issue has anything to do with a sea monster,” he said. “I was actually just out looking for one.”
Beka’s blue eyes widened. “That’s great. You’re already on it. It will be just like old times.”
Hardly. “I’m not a Rider anymore,” he reminded her gently. “I’m not anything. Just your average mortal.”