Liv Constantine - The Last Mrs. Parrish

But this year was different. Quite different. Amber sat with Daphne on the back deck of the Parrishes’ sixty-five-foot Hatteras as it sped across the Sound. They were spending the entire weekend on the boat, and Amber was over the moon. She’d gone shopping with Daphne and spent more than she had planned, but she wanted to look her absolute best every moment since she’d be near Jackson twenty-four/seven. She bought a new white bikini and then splurged on a one-piece black suit with a long, low V in the front and cutouts on the sides. It was one of the sexiest suits she’d ever seen, and Daphne had nodded her approval when Amber walked out from the dressing room. Her cover-up was sheer, so her body would never be hidden from him. For when they went ashore, she’d gotten white shorts that barely covered her buttocks and tank tops that clung just a bit. She’d brought skinny white pants for evening, a few T-shirts, and a casual navy sweater to throw over her shoulders. She’d even gotten a spray tan. This was her time to shine.

Jackson stood at the controls, his legs tanned and muscular, in a pair of khaki shorts and white golf shirt. He moved with utter confidence and mastery. He turned to where Daphne and Amber sat and called to them over the noise, “Hey, sweetheart, can you get me a beer?”

Daphne reached into the cooler and brought out a can of Gordon Ale, dripping with cold water. She had to admit, Daphne’s black bikini showed off her perfect body to its best advantage. She had hoped Daphne would be wearing something more matronly, but no such luck. Daphne handed it to Amber. “Here, why don’t you give it to him? You can get a lesson on how to handle a boat.”

Amber took the can from Daphne and jumped up. “Sure…. Hey.” She tapped Jackson on the shoulder. “Here’s your beer.”

“Thanks.” He opened it, took a sip, and Amber noticed his long fingers and fine hands, immediately imagining them on her body.

“Daphne said you’d give me a boat-driving lesson,” she said coyly.

“Boat driving. Is that what she called it?” He laughed.

“Well, maybe not. I can’t remember.”

“Here,” he said, moving slightly to the right. “Take the wheel.”

“What? No. What if we crash?”

“You’re cute. What are we going to crash into? You really don’t have to move it much. Just point the end of the bow in the direction you want to go and don’t make any sudden jerking moves.”

She put her hands on the wheel and concentrated on the water, her nerves subsiding a bit as she got the feel of it.

“Good,” he said. “Steady as you go.”

“This is fun,” she said, throwing her head back and laughing. “I could do this all day.”

Jackson patted her on the back. “Great. It’s good to have a partner up here. Daphne isn’t crazy about the boat. Prefers the kayak.”

Amber widened her eyes. “Really? I can’t imagine that. This is way better than kayaking.”

“Maybe you can convince my wife of that.” He took another sip of ale and looked back to where Daphne sat, quietly reading The Portrait of a Lady .

Amber followed his gaze and put a reassuring hand on his arm. “I’m sure she likes it more than you think. I know I would.”

She stayed at the wheel for the next hour, asking questions and praising Jackson for his depth of navigation knowledge. She made him promise to show her the charts later, so she could study them and learn about the waters around Connecticut. And every now and then, she’d move close enough that her body would barely touch his. When she thought it might be too obvious, she turned the wheel back over to Jackson and went back to sit with Daphne. They were approaching Mystic, and the sun was beginning to set.

Daphne looked up from her book. “Well, you seemed to be enjoying yourself. Did you learn a lot?”

Amber searched Daphne’s face for any sign of annoyance, but she seemed genuinely delighted that Amber was having a good time. “I liked it,” she said. “Jackson knows so much.”

“This boat is his favorite thing. He’d be on it every weekend if I let him.”

“You don’t love it, do you?”

“I like it. I just don’t like spending all my time on it. We have a beautiful home, the beach, and a pool. I like being there. On the boat there’s just endless water, and it takes so much time to get anywhere. I start to get bored. And the girls begin to get antsy too. It’s a small space, and it’s hard to keep everything in order.”

Amber wondered again at Daphne’s obsession with neatness. Did she ever lighten up and relax?

“Well, you have to admit it’s pretty exciting. The wind rushing through your hair and ripping through the water,” Amber said.

“I especially don’t enjoy speeding. To tell you the truth, I prefer sailing. It’s quiet. I feel much more connected to nature when I’m on a sailboat.”

“Does Jackson like it?” Amber asked.

“Not much. Don’t get me wrong — he’s a good sailor. Knows his stuff. But he can fly at top speed on this, and he likes fishing too.” She pushed her hair back from her face. “My boyfriend in college grew up sailing, so we spent a lot of time on his family’s sailboat. That’s where I learned.”

“I guess I can understand why you’d like that better,” Amber said.

“It’s fine, really. I make sure to bring a good book, and the girls bring games. And of course it’s always fun to have a friend like you aboard.”

“Thanks for asking me, Daph. It’s a real treat for me.”

“You’re welcome,” Daphne said, yawning and rising from her chair. “I’m going below to check on the girls. You don’t mind if I lie down for a few minutes before dinner, do you?”

“Of course not. Go ahead and rest.” Amber watched her go down the stairs and immediately took up her position next to Jackson again. “Daphne’s taking a nap. I think she was getting bored.”

She watched his face for a reaction, but if he had any irritation, he certainly didn’t show it.

“She’s a good sport about it.”

“She is. She was telling me about all the fun she had in college when she and her old boyfriend would go sailing together.” Amber noticed a slight twitch in Jackson’s cheek. “I don’t know. That seems so tame compared to this.”

“Why don’t you have another go? I’ll grab us a couple of drinks.”

She gripped the wheel and felt like she might finally, slowly, be taking control of the helm.

Later that night, after a leisurely dinner in Mystic, the five of them walked back to the marina under a warm, star-studded sky.

“Daddy,” Tallulah said as they ambled. “Are we going to anchor out and watch the fireworks tomorrow night?”

“Absolutely. Just like we always do.”

“Goody,” Bella said. “I want to sit way up on the fly bridge all by myself. I’m old enough now.”

“Not so fast, little one.” Jackson took one of her hands and Daphne grabbed the other, and they swung her between them. “You can’t go alone yet.”

“I want to lie down on the forward deck like I did last year and watch from there,” Tallulah piped up.

“Daddy will sit on the bridge with you, Bella, and I’ll be on deck with Tallulah.” She turned to Amber. “And you should go up with Jackson and Bella. It’s a great place to watch from, especially since this is your first time.”

That’s fine with me, Amber thought.

It was a little past ten when they got back to the boat, and once again, Amber found herself alone with Jackson as Daphne took the children below to get them ready for bed. He had gotten some wine from the galley and was back with three glasses in one hand and the bottle of muscat in the other.