Read Online Portside Peril (Cruise Ship Christian Cozy Mysteries Series Book 2) by Hope Callaghan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Hope Callaghan
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deftly sidestepped Millie and headed up the stairs on the opposite side of the room. Stairs Millie hadn’t even noticed.
Her eyes followed him up. The wonder of it all! This place had a second floor!
She watched him stroll across the open loft and disappear behind a door. If he was going to fire her, he was being nice about it. Maybe this was some sort of test. Then she remembered Andy saying that the captain had never asked an assistant cruise director to come to the bridge.
Millie nervously shifted from foot to foot. He was taking forever! The minutes dragged by. Maybe something happened to him. Like he suddenly became ill. She wondered if she should go check on him.
Millie took a step in the direction when the upper door suddenly opened. The captain was back – and he wasn’t alone. There, trotting along beside him was one of the cutest little dogs Millie had ever seen. He wasn’t much bigger than a doggie dish.
“Yip!” The little ball of fur eyed Millie before he scooted down the stairs and darted to her. He raced around her feet a few times before stepping on her shoes and lifting his front legs. He pawed at her shins.
The captain looked down at the bundle of fur sitting on Millie’s feet. “This is Scout.”
Millie bent over and stuck her hand out so Scout could sniff it. Then she reached out to rub the tip of Scout’s ear.
Captain Armati sighed. “The dog is a gift from my daughter, Fiona.”
Scout ran over to the captain who promptly picked him up. The dog nuzzled his neck. Millie did a mental shake. This man loved that little dog. But the ship didn’t allow dogs - or any animals for that matter. That was, of course, unless you were the captain.
“Scout is a birthday present,” he explained.
He set the wisp of a dog down. The dog ran back to Millie and pawed at her ankle. She picked him up and held him close. Close enough for him to lick the end of her nose. The dog was adorable.
Scout was a cute name. She remembered her dog, Daisy. Sudden tears welled in the back of her eyes. Millie blinked rapidly.
She hoped the Captain hadn’t noticed, but he had. “You don’t like dogs?”
Millie sucked in a breath. “I love dogs. My dog, Daisy, died a few months back. Daisy’s death was the last straw. She was the reason I decided to apply for a job on the ship. Once she was gone, nobody back home needed me.”
Captain Armati stepped close to Millie. “I’m sorry.”
Millie nodded. “Me, too.”
Scout was trying to climb the front of Millie. He got hold of a chunk of her hair that had come loose from the tidy bun and began to gnaw on it. The crazy thing was cuter than a button. How could anyone not become attached?
“I was hoping you could help me out,” he said.
Millie set Scout on the floor. He ran over to a small box of stuffed animals in the corner of the room and proceeded to drag a stuffed monkey – twice as big as he was – across the floor. He stopped in front of Millie and looked up. “Ruff!”
“Scout gets lonely in here all day. I need someone who can take him around. You know, keep him company. I thought of you.”
Millie nodded. Perhaps it was because she was the most “grandmotherly” of the staff and crew.
Captain Armati studied her face. “Of course, only if you’re interested.”
Was she ever interested! Millie interrupted. “Oh, I would love to help out! Take Scout for walks, take him around the ship.” She paused. “Can I take him with me around the ship?”
Scout could be her sidekick, her partner in crime…her miniature sleuth!
Captain Armati nodded. “Of course. I have permission to keep the dog on board with me. I guess you could say corporate bent a rule or two on my behalf. As long as Scout doesn’t become a nuisance,” he warned.
That meant Millie would be responsible for making sure the dog didn’t get in trouble.
Her eyes followed him up. The wonder of it all! This place had a second floor!
She watched him stroll across the open loft and disappear behind a door. If he was going to fire her, he was being nice about it. Maybe this was some sort of test. Then she remembered Andy saying that the captain had never asked an assistant cruise director to come to the bridge.
Millie nervously shifted from foot to foot. He was taking forever! The minutes dragged by. Maybe something happened to him. Like he suddenly became ill. She wondered if she should go check on him.
Millie took a step in the direction when the upper door suddenly opened. The captain was back – and he wasn’t alone. There, trotting along beside him was one of the cutest little dogs Millie had ever seen. He wasn’t much bigger than a doggie dish.
“Yip!” The little ball of fur eyed Millie before he scooted down the stairs and darted to her. He raced around her feet a few times before stepping on her shoes and lifting his front legs. He pawed at her shins.
The captain looked down at the bundle of fur sitting on Millie’s feet. “This is Scout.”
Millie bent over and stuck her hand out so Scout could sniff it. Then she reached out to rub the tip of Scout’s ear.
Captain Armati sighed. “The dog is a gift from my daughter, Fiona.”
Scout ran over to the captain who promptly picked him up. The dog nuzzled his neck. Millie did a mental shake. This man loved that little dog. But the ship didn’t allow dogs - or any animals for that matter. That was, of course, unless you were the captain.
“Scout is a birthday present,” he explained.
He set the wisp of a dog down. The dog ran back to Millie and pawed at her ankle. She picked him up and held him close. Close enough for him to lick the end of her nose. The dog was adorable.
Scout was a cute name. She remembered her dog, Daisy. Sudden tears welled in the back of her eyes. Millie blinked rapidly.
She hoped the Captain hadn’t noticed, but he had. “You don’t like dogs?”
Millie sucked in a breath. “I love dogs. My dog, Daisy, died a few months back. Daisy’s death was the last straw. She was the reason I decided to apply for a job on the ship. Once she was gone, nobody back home needed me.”
Captain Armati stepped close to Millie. “I’m sorry.”
Millie nodded. “Me, too.”
Scout was trying to climb the front of Millie. He got hold of a chunk of her hair that had come loose from the tidy bun and began to gnaw on it. The crazy thing was cuter than a button. How could anyone not become attached?
“I was hoping you could help me out,” he said.
Millie set Scout on the floor. He ran over to a small box of stuffed animals in the corner of the room and proceeded to drag a stuffed monkey – twice as big as he was – across the floor. He stopped in front of Millie and looked up. “Ruff!”
“Scout gets lonely in here all day. I need someone who can take him around. You know, keep him company. I thought of you.”
Millie nodded. Perhaps it was because she was the most “grandmotherly” of the staff and crew.
Captain Armati studied her face. “Of course, only if you’re interested.”
Was she ever interested! Millie interrupted. “Oh, I would love to help out! Take Scout for walks, take him around the ship.” She paused. “Can I take him with me around the ship?”
Scout could be her sidekick, her partner in crime…her miniature sleuth!
Captain Armati nodded. “Of course. I have permission to keep the dog on board with me. I guess you could say corporate bent a rule or two on my behalf. As long as Scout doesn’t become a nuisance,” he warned.
That meant Millie would be responsible for making sure the dog didn’t get in trouble.
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