The Journalist (37 page)

“I know, baloney sandwiches.”

“Besides that.”

“Oh, what?”

“Later.” She went back to her reading.

Zack watched a school of dolphins breaking
the water’s surface. He remembered the many dreams he had of
swimming with Mary.

He looked at a cigar Joe Case had given him
last week. He lit the cigar. Puffing, he thought maybe he should
write some of this strange recent history down for a future essay.
He retrieved an eight-by-twelve yellow pad from the cabin, went
back to his trolling chair, sat then stopped.

“Tweedledum. The hell with it,” he said.
“Nobody would believe it anyway.”

He tossed the tablet down and guzzled some
beer. “Think I’ll do some fishing.”

He puffed his cigar, picked up his fishing
pole, reeled in and prepared to cast.

“What is that?” Mary looked over the edge of
the cabin roof.

“A fishing pole.”

“In your mouth.”

“Cigar. Want one?”

“No.” She looked at his baitless fishing hook
and pointed. “You’ll need some bait on that hook.”

“Maybe we’ll get lucky.” He threw the line
out and secured the pole. A clap of thunder rumbled the air and the
wind came up, gusting over
Veracity
. The storm he had
smelled earlier had moved in more quickly than anticipated and now
began to encompass the ocean around them.

“Better come down,” he said to Mary.

She did, and in a moment, she was next to
him. He sensed a calming oneness with her, himself, and the
sea.

“You feel that?” he said.

“Yes.”

“Epiphany.” Zack held her close and a
presence surrounded them like a sweater on a chilly night. He
wanted to stay there forever, to be gone from the lie, to sleep in
a deep peace, but he heard the voice again.
No, you don’t.
And he wasn’t sure about anything except that he knew he had to go
back to the chaos. The truth, like the invisible shoreline, must be
in there somewhere.

Lightning and thunder increased. He began to
pull his baitless hook in but stopped at a tugging on the line. He
looked with hope at Mary. “I think we got something.”

“You think?”

“Yes.” He pulled the line in but there was
nothing. “I thought

”

She squeezed his hand. “We better go in.”

He went forward with her, started the engines
and headed east toward Pompano Marina.

Chapter Sixty Two

Veracity
safely moored in her slip at
Pompano Marina, the storm passed, the sun shining, Zack secured the
last stern line and joined Mary on the aft deck.

He said, “Well, that’s that, better get you
home. Maybe we can stop at The Tea Company, get something to
eat.”

Mary smiled. “Remember, I said I had
something for you?”

“I don’t feel like a baloney sandwich, let’s
go to The Tea Company.”

She rolled her eyes and presented Zack a
small black box.

“What’s this?”

“Open it.”

He did and looked at two gold bands. “What’s
this?”

“I’m proposing.”

“You’re what?”

“You heard me.”

“You’re insane.”

“We’re getting married.”

“You just can’t

”

“Not ‘you’—we.”

“But you just can’t

it isn’t a boat ride, you know.”

“Why?”

“Don’t you have to have a license or
something?”

“Ninty-five bucks, check, cash, money
order

”

“I’m not walking down any aisle

the aisle roof will cave in.”

“No aisle, Clerk of Court.”

“Isn’t there some kind of waiting
period?”

“I’m in with the Court Clerk, cousin of Chief
Manny.”

“But

”

“You’re going to have to come up with another
thirty-dollar fee, plus you might want to tip the clerk.”

“But

”

“Have to take a four-hour premarital course,
but they might waive it since you’re, you know

former cloth.”

“But

”

“I’ve already made an appointment, tomorrow,
nine in the morning.

“What about

?”

“What?”

“Don’t you have to

isn’t there a blood test?”

“Abolished 1986

and
we don’t need parental consent.”

“But

where will we
live?”

She looked around
Veracity
and
smiled.

The End

GL Rockey books also published by Books We Love

Truths of the Heart

Time and Chance

Bats in the Belfry, Bells in the Attic

About the Author

G. L. Rockey has three other works published
by Books We Love. TIME & CHANCE, a mystery/suspense set in
Nashville; TRUTH’S OF THE HEART a literary romance and Bats in the
Belfry, Bells in the Attic, a collection of short stories.

GL Rockey has also published a nonfiction
book entitled, From The Back Of The House: Memories Of A Steak
House Clan.

Reviews/more at
www.glrockey.com

Rockey is currently at work on a fourth
romance novel, FIVE STAR REVIEW.

From the Publisher