Page 47 of Not-So-Perfect Princess
Alejandro thought she could do it, but the man exuded confidence. He thought he could do anything. He seemed to believe the same of her, too. Jules wished she was as certain, but all she felt were…misgivings.
At the top of the hill, she stopped.
The sun broke through the horizon casting beautiful golden rays of light through the sky. She inhaled, filling her lungs with the briny air.
Dawn brought a new day, a new beginning. This was hers. She needed to grab it with both hands.
Freedom.
Excitement shot all the way to the tips of her toes.
Alejandro needed her. Well, she needed him and La Rueca. Jules would do whatever she had to do until the Med Cup was over to create memories that would last a lifetime, ones she could share with her children, and she hoped, someday, with her husband.
Not even thinking about Enrique could burst the enthusiasm energizing her now. Jules wiggled her toes inside her boat shoes. She wanted to be down on the dock. She wanted to sail.
Jules removed the headlamp, switched off the power and shoved the device in her windbreaker’s pocket. She hurried down the path, eager to climb aboard La Rueca.
Men stood on the dock and in the boat. Navy, black, red and white seemed to be the colors of choice for their clothing. Two wore baseball caps. Good, she wanted to fit in.
Still butterflies filled her stomach. She kept descending moving closer to the boat.
A few men glanced her way, gave her the once-over, but not in the way she was used to. That was okay. She didn’t want them looking at her too closely.
She studied each and every one of the faces. The crew contained a mix of nationalities and ages. But she didn’t see Alejandro with them.
Anxiety rocketed through her.
Where was he? Alejandro hadn’t mentioned not being here on his note. She couldn’t do this without him. Jules wanted to stop moving, but that would look odd. She didn’t want to make the crew suspicious. She forced one foot in front of the other.
Please be here.
A familiar head with dark hair popped up from below deck. Alejandro.
Relief washed over her. She quickened her pace to reach him—the boat—faster.
With the dark stubble on his face, he looked very much like a pirate captain and king. His smile made her breath catch in her throat. “Good morning, J.V.”
The rich, deep sound of his voice made her heart turn over.
Jules acknowledged him with a nod. The less she said, the better. She kept her hands at her sides, too. She didn’t want to wave back like a girl, or worse, a princess.
“This is J.V.,” Alejandro announced. “The one I told you about. Wait until you see him at the helm. La Rueca turns as if she’s sailing on rails.”
Jules straightened, pleased by his compliment. Living up to his words might be hard. What if she’d gotten lucky the other night with a perfect combination of wind and sea?
The others didn’t say anything. They eyed her warily.
Jules wasn’t offended. She understood their caution. Alejandro had given her the nod of approval, but she was an unknown quantity. She would have to earn their respect with her sailing. She only hoped she could.
“Hi,” Jules said in the deepest voice she could manage.
She shoved her bare hands in her jacket pockets. Shaking hands with anyone would be a bad idea. She’d trimmed her nails and removed the polish, but her hands still looked feminine. Maybe she needed a pair of sailing gloves.
“I’m Phillipe.” The bald man with clear, blue eyes spoke with a French accent. She recognized him from races she’d watched on television. “Tactician.”
Before she could acknowledge him, Phillipe walked away, unimpressed by her. Uh-oh. This could be interesting since they would have to work closely together.
“I’m Mike. One of the grinders.” The burly, brown-haired man, whose job was to crank the winch, sounded like an American. He yawned. “I hope all our practices aren’t going to be at the crack of dawn.”
Wanting to say as little as possible, Jules glanced at Alejandro.
“J.V. can’t miss any of his classes at the university,” he answered. “The wind is good in the morning.”
“This morning,” Mike agreed. “But these early wake-up calls are going to mess with my social life, skipper.”
