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Authors: Nancy J. Cohen
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“there’s no reason for you to be snippy. Your grandmother means well.”
“Sorry.” Her sullen face said otherwise.
“Have you seen the Pirate’s Grotto?” Marla asked brightly. “The entrance is on deck four, outside the casino. We popped in there last night. It has rock like walls, so you feel like you’re in a cave; strobe lighting; and disco music. The noise chased us away.”
“I believe you have to be eighteen to get in,” Kate cut in before Brianna could reply. According to the ship’s rules, eighteen-year-olds could drink beer and wine with their parents’ signed waiver but not hard liquor.
“Tomorrow night, we have a dance party in the Grotto,” Brianna said, with a superior smirk. “Grown-ups won’t be allowed inside.” After shoving her chair away, she jumped up. “May I be excused? I’m done eating. See ya.”
“Wait,” Vail called. “It’s not polite to leave before everyone’s finished.”
Brianna paused, her ponytail swinging. “Stop treating me like a baby, Dad. It’s time you realized that I can be on my own. Gosh, you guys are so embarrassing! I can’t stand being near you.” With a flounce, she loped away.
“You’ll have your hands full as her stepmother,” Kate said to Marla, with a sympathetic smile. “Are you prepared to deal with teenage behavior? She’s bound to get rowdier as she gets older.” Lines of concern etched the older woman’s forehead.
“I think she’s just spreading her wings while we’re on the ship. We have to give her some freedom so she can learn how to deal with different situations. It’s good that she’s made friends already.”
“That’s true.” Kate put down her fork. “You know, it’s not the best example for her that you two are sharing a cabin and aren’t married. When are you going to set a date? I’m happy to help with the wedding plans.”
Vail gave Marla a quizzical glance, clearly landing the ball in her field. “Uh, we’re not quite sure yet,” she hedged.
Kate tapped a finger on her chin. “Will you have a priest and a rabbi officiate together? I suppose you’ll have the ceremony at a hotel where you can do the reception. A sit-down dinner works so much better than a buffet, don’t you think? And it’s okay to get chicken to keep costs down, although you’ll still pay more than sixty dollars a head. We’ll help out by paying for our guests, won’t we, John?”
“Huh?” Staring into space, he refocused his attention. “Oh, yeah, whatever. Just make sure to let us know ahead of time so I don’t make other plans.” He gave his wife a challenging glare, making Marla wonder if those plans included Kate.
Another thought troubled her. Could Brianna’s defiant behavior be a reflection of turmoil between her grandparents?
CHAPTER 5
Sunday afternoon, Marla joined the bridge tour, where she ran into Martha Shore, the lady who ran the gift shop at the art museum. Martha hovered in the rear ranks of visitors while a uniformed officer described the controls spanning the ship’s command center.
“Hi there,” Marla said to the other woman, with a friendly grin. “This is amazing, isn’t it? We could be on the bridge of a spaceship with so many flashing dials. Look at this safety console. Do you think one officer mans all six stations at the same time?”
She noted buttons for fire and watertight doors, the public-address system, machinery controls, deck lighting, and a fire alarm. Oh, and another for ceiling panel surveillance cameras. Hmm. Where were those located? Probably in the casino.
“Quiet, I’m listening to the talk.” Martha adjusted the turquoise top that matched her floral capri pants.
Well, excuse me for being nice . Switching her attention to the officer, she wondered if Martha was actually enthralled by his technobabble or admiring his wavy blond hair, ocean blue eyes, and lanky build. No wonder women fell for men in uniform.
“Our multipilot displays can be changed between radar,
“Sorry.” Her sullen face said otherwise.
“Have you seen the Pirate’s Grotto?” Marla asked brightly. “The entrance is on deck four, outside the casino. We popped in there last night. It has rock like walls, so you feel like you’re in a cave; strobe lighting; and disco music. The noise chased us away.”
“I believe you have to be eighteen to get in,” Kate cut in before Brianna could reply. According to the ship’s rules, eighteen-year-olds could drink beer and wine with their parents’ signed waiver but not hard liquor.
“Tomorrow night, we have a dance party in the Grotto,” Brianna said, with a superior smirk. “Grown-ups won’t be allowed inside.” After shoving her chair away, she jumped up. “May I be excused? I’m done eating. See ya.”
“Wait,” Vail called. “It’s not polite to leave before everyone’s finished.”
Brianna paused, her ponytail swinging. “Stop treating me like a baby, Dad. It’s time you realized that I can be on my own. Gosh, you guys are so embarrassing! I can’t stand being near you.” With a flounce, she loped away.
“You’ll have your hands full as her stepmother,” Kate said to Marla, with a sympathetic smile. “Are you prepared to deal with teenage behavior? She’s bound to get rowdier as she gets older.” Lines of concern etched the older woman’s forehead.
“I think she’s just spreading her wings while we’re on the ship. We have to give her some freedom so she can learn how to deal with different situations. It’s good that she’s made friends already.”
“That’s true.” Kate put down her fork. “You know, it’s not the best example for her that you two are sharing a cabin and aren’t married. When are you going to set a date? I’m happy to help with the wedding plans.”
Vail gave Marla a quizzical glance, clearly landing the ball in her field. “Uh, we’re not quite sure yet,” she hedged.
Kate tapped a finger on her chin. “Will you have a priest and a rabbi officiate together? I suppose you’ll have the ceremony at a hotel where you can do the reception. A sit-down dinner works so much better than a buffet, don’t you think? And it’s okay to get chicken to keep costs down, although you’ll still pay more than sixty dollars a head. We’ll help out by paying for our guests, won’t we, John?”
“Huh?” Staring into space, he refocused his attention. “Oh, yeah, whatever. Just make sure to let us know ahead of time so I don’t make other plans.” He gave his wife a challenging glare, making Marla wonder if those plans included Kate.
Another thought troubled her. Could Brianna’s defiant behavior be a reflection of turmoil between her grandparents?
CHAPTER 5
Sunday afternoon, Marla joined the bridge tour, where she ran into Martha Shore, the lady who ran the gift shop at the art museum. Martha hovered in the rear ranks of visitors while a uniformed officer described the controls spanning the ship’s command center.
“Hi there,” Marla said to the other woman, with a friendly grin. “This is amazing, isn’t it? We could be on the bridge of a spaceship with so many flashing dials. Look at this safety console. Do you think one officer mans all six stations at the same time?”
She noted buttons for fire and watertight doors, the public-address system, machinery controls, deck lighting, and a fire alarm. Oh, and another for ceiling panel surveillance cameras. Hmm. Where were those located? Probably in the casino.
“Quiet, I’m listening to the talk.” Martha adjusted the turquoise top that matched her floral capri pants.
Well, excuse me for being nice . Switching her attention to the officer, she wondered if Martha was actually enthralled by his technobabble or admiring his wavy blond hair, ocean blue eyes, and lanky build. No wonder women fell for men in uniform.
“Our multipilot displays can be changed between radar,
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