Calamity Jayne Heads West (28 page)

Townsend grinned. “Maybe you’re right,” he said. “Maybe what I need is a long vacation at sea and some-one to nurse me back to proper mental health.” He put his hand on top of mine and pressed it against his forehead. “You know anyone willing to keep a lonely, ailing sailor company?” he asked.

“I suppose that depends on the compensation,” I said with a teasing taunt.

“I’ve never had any complaints about my benefit package,” he said, and I felt my cheeks grow warm. “And I guarantee you’ll love the sign-on bonus,” he added with a wicked wink.

“Guess what! Guess what!”

I was saved a hasty response by the excited arrival of Townsend’s niece and nephew.

“Guess what, Tressa! We’re going to Disney World!” Kelsey said, and I looked at her and her brother.

“Disney World? I thought the two of you were spending the week with your mother’s folks while your parents were on the cruise,” I said.

“We were,” Nick said. “But after everything that hap-pened, Mom and Dad decided that we needed to go on a family vacation instead. So, we’re going to go to Disney World together! Yippee!”

“But won’t your parents lose all their money?” I asked. “These cruise package deals are usually non-refundable.” “Grandpa Joe and Gramma Hannah found another couple to take Mom and Dad’s place, and Raphael is helping to get all the paperwork through so it’s like al-most a done deal,” Nick said.

I frowned. The only
couple
Joe and Hannah knew back home was Devlin and Kurt from the Uptown Florist and Gift Shoppe.

I looked at Townsend. He just shrugged.

I felt eyes on me—other than Ranger Rick’s, that is—and I glanced over to find Joe Townsend looking at me and grinning from ear to ear like a dementedwitch doctor. I gave him my version of the evil eye in return, thinking he’d been uncharacteristically silent about my wedding gift.

When Joe started to hum the song about love being a ship on the ocean and not rocking the boat or tip-ping it over, I started to get a queasy, uneasy sensation in my stomach. What was the old fart up to, anyway?

Icy knuckles made their way up and down my back-bone, reminding me that paybacks could very well be hazardous to one’s health.

I took a long, shaky breath and watched as Joltin’ Joe performed a snappy sailor’s salute for my benefit.

Bring it on, old man, I mouthed. Bring it on.

Shiver me timbers, mates! Batten down the hatches! Looks like choppy waters ahead!

Anchors away!