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would be bringing it aboard El Lobo with them.
    Richard poked his head out the door, menu in hand. "Chinese okay?"
    "Whatever. Just no MSG."
    "Ruby Chen's doesn't use it, says so on the menu. Are you in the mood for something hot?"
    "As long as you're referring to food and not some blond chick." Richard's look required a response. "My cousin Phoebe called. She and a few of her friends will be joining us tomorrow for the trip."
    "To London?"
    "No, thank God. Just to Paradise Island. I didn't know how to say no."
    "Why would you want to? Your cousin and her friends are --"
    "I know what they are," I cut him off. "I just need a break. I'm ready for something real. Like a thousand foot drop miles offshore."
    "Like a lit-up sail dancing at the end of some twenty-pound test?"
    "That's exactly the kind of reality I'm craving." I took a moment to remember the unbelievable run of sailfish in the Keys during the January tournament season. What a rush. One day, out with Richard on a chartered sport fishing boat, we'd caught and released a dozen sails. We had chartered Calex and she was the perfect size boat to maneuver through the choppy water and bring in the fish. El Lobo was no sporty little fishing boat, but a catch here and there while we were underway was still quite possible and always good.
    The sea wasn't just calling to me, she was screaming in my ear.
     

Chapter 3--Lara
     
    I strolled back to the boat as the last daylight glowed pink on the horizon behind me. My first day had flown by.  Richard had stayed with me for several hours as we went over previous menus and talked about the kinds of things Morgan Wolf did and didn't like to eat.
    "He likes seafood, of course. All kinds of European cuisines. Asian, too. He's not a particularly picky eater, as far as I know, but very . . . exacting. To the extent that you can, use organic everything. Emphasize healthy eating."
    I sighed and mentally cut my butter and cream order in half.
    "Have you got something against healthy?"
    "It has its limitations."
    "I know what you're thinking, but you don't have to go to extremes. Just keep everything as pure as possible. Butter is okay as long as it's not full of chemicals and hormones."
    "Mind reader." I had wrinkled my nose at him and made him chuckle. He had a cute, slightly crooked smile that was quick and genuine. I managed to get calls made to suppliers but it was close to six before I was able to slip from El Lobo to do some last minute retail shopping. There were items I wanted on my shelves that I could only find in specialty shops. Thankfully, Richard had made it clear that I wouldn't be expected to do lunch or dinner that day.
    The last daylight of the long summer day illuminated the shadow of a man on the foredeck of El Lobo. I already recognized the tall silhouette belonging to Morgan Wolf. I couldn't see his face or his features as he leaned with his hands against the rail. The vast outline of the boat dwarfed the big man. It was a lonely image.
    By the time I had stowed my precious oils and spices away night had fallen completely and the stars danced in the moonless sky over the Atlantic Ocean. I barely had the energy to drag myself into the stateroom marked "Chef" at the back of the kitchen. It was a very nice room, considering what I had been prepared to live with on a cruise ship. There was even a view. The small window above my bed looked out over the deck where the swimming pool and hot tub sparkled invitingly.
    Richard had assured me that, as staff accommodations went, El Lobo was at the top.
    "We even have a friggin' pool table down in our common room!" he had told me with pride.
    After a quick shower, I climbed into bed with a book on my ereader I knew I wasn't going to finish that night. It didn't matter how quickly sleep came. I needed all I could get for the busy day ahead. The gentle sway of the boat rocked me and the faint slap of the water against her hull was a soft lullaby.
    Within a few hours, I woke and