Page 1 of Come Sail Away

Chapter One

“Don’t get lost,” Max called to her, his voice rising over the rumble of the boat’s motor.

Harper Aldworth waved farewell to her friend as he shoved the boat free of its moorings. “Not a chance,” she exclaimed, steering his twenty-six-foot cabin cruiser toward the channel and the Gulf of Mexico.

“And call me when you get there,” he said, showing off his handsome smile. He didn’t seem at all nervous about her borrowing his boat, and she was grateful for it.

“Will do!”

Harper idled through the inland channel, taking in all the big, glitzy houses and manicured lawns along the way. She’d never aspired to that sort of glamorous, over-the-top lifestyle, the fame or fakeness. She’d had enough of it growing up on an elite island near Fort Walton Beach in the Florida Panhandle. Her dad worked for a prestigious law firm based out of Montgomery, and her mom was a trophy wife. They thought more of the smile on her face than the brain in her head. Even her high school had been like a clone ofHigh School Musical, and much to her mother’s dismay, Harper had been the outsider geek.

Then there was college, which her mom thought was all about having a social life and finding a husband instead of getting a real education. But Harper loved math and science—especially biology—and figuring out how things worked. Needless to say she’d been a huge disappointment to her mom when she’d graduated.

Yet she worked hard and developed a career in which she made a difference. The genetic-engineering breakthrough she and her team had made would change the lives of multiple sclerosis patients for the better, and hopefully cure the awful disease eventually. Perhaps it would even aid science in the cancer fight. She hoped so. She was very grateful for the opportunity to be part of it all, but lately things had turned dark, with everybody and his brother fighting to lay claim to the results.

Now she’d bought herself a peaceful few days on the water away from everyone and everything. A few days island-hopping would be just the ticket. Her first stop would be Cayo Costa, a Florida state park seventy-three miles south of Bradenton that was only accessible by boat or ferry and known for its quaint cabins and quiet beaches.

When the boat motored into the Gulf, she opened the throttle, bringing theSundancerup onto a plane. The wind tore through her hair, whipping strands from her ponytail. It felt so good, freeing and exhilarating. No job, no boss, no men. No being compared to other people. Nothing but blue sky and blue water.

The boat took a couple of rogue swells, causing the hull to slam hard against the waves. She backed down the throttle, slowing the boat to a cruising speed. It would take about three hours to get to where she was going.

Halfway through the ride, Harper looked around for a spot to break for lunch. Not far off, a pod of dolphins made themselves known, and she slowed and cut the motor. It was the perfect place to just sit and eat and breathe.

Silence permeated the air. Only the slap and slosh of the water drifted on the warm breeze. She breathed deeply, filling her lungs with the salty air. There wasn’t a boat in sight, and only the tiniest thread of land could be seen to the east.

She went below deck to the cabin and dug around inside the cooler she’d packed. She retrieved her PB&J sandwich and an apple. With a toss and catch of the fruit, she headed back topside and took a seat at the back of the boat.

The dolphins were circling, making passes, getting curious. As she unwrapped her lunch, she watched the animals ease closer. Their curiosity was evident, especially one bold gal who broke from the group.

For some reason Harper identified with her. Actually, she didn’t know its gender, but she’d dubbed it female. The mammal repeatedly lifted its snout as if trying to communicate something. Harper’s girlfriends Laura and Abby back home in Baja would have appreciated this encounter. They occasionally took boating excursions together to whale watch.

She grabbed her cell phone from the console and snapped a selfie with the dolphins nearby in the background. She smiled as she typed her friends a message, only realizing she had no service when she hit “send.”

Guess I’ll have to send them later.

She finished her lunch and stood, wiping the crumbs from her shorts. It was time to move along. Besides, the sun was getting hot without the breeze she’d had while underway.

At the steering wheel, she turned the key to start the engine. It remained silent and still. Tipping her head forward, she confirmed that the shift lever was in neutral. The throttle was at the proper idle position, too.

She turned the key and tried again.

Nothing.

Just great…

She moved to the rear of the boat and lifted the engine hatch to inspect for any obvious problems—loose wiring or anything else she could think of, though she admittedly wasn’t a mechanic.

Everything seemed to be in order. But obviously appearances were faulty.

Damn. There went her peaceful day.

She reached for the VHF radio and flipped the power switch.

Nada.

That didn’t work, either? What the heck? She hadn’t noticed when that stopped working. Shucks.

With a sharp exhale of breath, she sat back and squinted at the shoreline. She could barely make it out. Well, hopefully she’d drift inland until she either picked up cell service or Max realized she hadn’t called as they’d agreed and came looking for her.