Read Ember Flowers for Free Online

over the clack of the boardwalk. A
dark haired figure was walking around the edge of the white yacht,
checking ropes fastened to the main sail. The logo from the hire
business on its side. She looked up as Jo approached, the
sunglasses above a broad smile.
    “Morning Jean.”
She looked over the boat, it looked smaller in the pictures.
    “Morning
Joanne, climb aboard, I was just getting her ready to go.”
    The cop reached
her arms up and handed the cooler to the woman. A sharp nod and
long legs were stepping over the chrome railing and onto the deck.
A wobble as her feet adjusted to the rocking of the boat. Jean
smiled at her, smelling like coconut sunscreen.
    The older woman
dusted her hands together as she looked at her. “So, never been
sailing before?”
    A shake of her
head.
    A good natured
smile in return. “Great, well you’re in for a treat.”
    It turned out
that Jean was a patient and thorough teacher. Jo found herself far
less nervous around the large chrome wheel and the creaking boom as
it wove back and forth across the deck. Of course, she put up a
confident front, she wasn’t sure if the older woman could see
through it or not.
    They sailed
around the cove, with Jean pointing out landmarks as they traded
turns at the wheel. When they slowed down, the gardener would take
time to explain what the different ropes and fixtures did. Joanne
nodded, taking mental notes.
    Presently, her
hands were rested on the wheel, steering them around a couple of
nautical miles offshore. Jean stood beside her and pointed her
toward a leafy looking part of the bay dotted with picturesque
scenery.
    “Hungry Jo?”
She hadn’t even noticed that she’d abbreviated her name.
    The blonde had,
however. “Sure Jean, do we need to do anything?”
    Another grin.
“Nope, swing into that flat bit of water over there and we’ll drop
anchor.”
    She found
herself smiling too, she was feeling confident, the sun was
shining. The boat slipped through the water like a graceful
bird.
     
    ***
     
    The older woman
dangled her legs over the back of the boat. The blonde was looking
through the cooler and setting lunch aside for the both of them. A
cold can of diet soda was passed to the brunette, along with a
plate loaded with suspiciously healthy looking contents.
    Jean rested her
sunglasses beside her, and found Jo doing the same. The policewoman
joined her, they watched the blue ripples move along the tide.
    The dark eyes
met hers as Jo pointed to different things. “Coleslaw, salad,
grilled chicken.” Jo moved her lunch around with a fork.
    “Like to live
healthy, don’t you?”
    A nod because
her mouth was full. Jo swallowed. “Yes, it helps me relax, time in
the gym, running some mornings.”
    “Fair point.” A
mouthful of food, a sip of her drink.
    “So what do you
do on an average day Jean?” The grey eyes looked blue with the sky
reflected in them.
    She placed her
plate to the side, taking a few sips of the icy cold beverage. The
day had grown warmer.
    “I wake up
early and feed the horses, then I get organised and make the daily
commute. After that, it’s all shrubbery and shovels.”
    The blonde
smiled gently as she watched the waves. “Horses huh? How many?”
    “Two, both
girls. Recent additions.”
    A nod as she
took a bite of chicken, musing as she stared out at the waves. “I
always wanted to ride, so much of the countryside is beautiful,
just waiting to be explored.”
    “That’s what I
thought, besides, the two of them keep each other company when I’m
not there, and there are worse places for an animal like that to
get around.”
    Jean leant her
elbow on a bent knee. It was tempting to jump into that cool
refreshing water. The horizon stretching out into a sparkling
carpet of crystal blue.
    “And yourself
Joanne? When you’re not out saving the world?”

    The blonde
looked at her with a droll raised brow. Her life was pretty busy at
the moment just getting by. “Huh. Saving the world? No. Well,