Between The Vows

Chapter Fifteen

The next morning, we were ready to relax. It was going to be a hectic week and we wanted to have some fun before buckling down on the last-minute wedding preparation. We met Anna and Andrew at Luxury Boat Rentals at ten thirty sharp. Liam has set everything up, but there was still some paperwork that had to be signed, along with a safety check and a review of the sailing basics. This was nothing that Liam and Andrew didn't already know, but all sailors were required to participate. They had captains for hire and crews as well, for larger vessels and for those without sailing experience. We were happy to be able to go out by ourselves and enjoy a private excursion. I learned that Andrew had done some sailing when he was younger as well and I'm sure Liam was glad to have a helping hand.

The boat was beautiful; all white with chrome rails and was about twenty-six feet in length. We learned that we needed to stay out of the way of the sails when they were being maneuvered or it was highly likely we would be knocked overboard. Liam felt confident that he could man the boat by himself if need be but having a partner in Andrew made it a little easier.

We came fully prepared for a beautiful day with beach bags packed full of sunscreen and bug spray, towels, extra cloths for temperature changes and even a first aid kid, just in case. Our coolers were backed with water and refreshments, fresh fruit and delightful gourmet sandwiches that Anna had prepared. I brought snacks and blankets and cushions to lounge on. Liam had his great playlists ready to go and had also helped me make a crunchy broccoli salad that we packed neatly in Chinese carry-out containers.

We loaded all our belongings, putting most of it down below in the little cabin, which included a small kitchenette, a bathroom and a sleeping chamber. Liam started the motor and we headed out to sea. Once we were a safe distance from the marina, Liam cut the engine, and he and Andrew adjusted the sails to set us on course for a nice, easy sail. The wind was cooperating today, so they said, and things moved along effortlessly. I had a sneaking suspicion that this was a little harder than they made it look.

We didn't head out extremely far but had to stay in deep water as the hulls of sailboats were very deep, to help stabilize the boat. The was another thing that I had learned. We sailed for a few hours and I wasn't feeling the effects of the sun because the breeze made it perfectly comfortable, but I noticed that Anna's shoulders were looking a bit read, so we refreshed our sunscreen and put on t-shirts to provide a little cover. I had to put my hair up in a clip because of the hair blowing in my face had gotten annoying.

We approached the little bay where several boats had dropped anchor, some of them occupied and were awaiting their passengers to return, as they had taken their dingy into shore to enjoy some of the beachfront restaurants. We were getting hungry ourselves, so this was a perfect place to stop and enjoy our picnic. We enjoyed a little bit of everything and had great conversation. Andrew ribbed Liam about some of their escapades from years ago. Liam was so relaxed in Andrew and Anna's company and it was nice to hear a little bit about a younger Liam and Andrew.

Anna and Andrew sort of paired off after lunch and snuggled up together. Liam grabbed my hand and took me up to the front of the boat where we settled in on our cushions. This was another marvelous day, and we were thrilled to be with Anna and Andrew, but we were also excited to steal away by ourselves for a little while. I leaned my head on his shoulder and he ran his fingers across the outside of my arm. He showed me a picture on his phone of his old sailing team and their boat, and he even came across a picture of the team holding their first-place trophy. When we were looking through his pictures, we came across a picture of Liam and his family, on Christmas a few years ago.

This begged me to question, "How do you typically spend the holidays?" He told me that he usually went to his parents' house in Holly Springs, a suburb right outside of Raleigh, which involved a lot of eggnog spiked with bourbon and fights involving politics. He said that slightly in gest, but you could tell there was a little bit of truth to it.