Leaning against the railing at the bow, Jamie let the spray of the ocean hit him fully in the face without so much as a flinch. He mulled over his conversation with Cori, thinking that it had gone better than he expected, but not quite certain it had gone well either. She didn't cry, she didn't scream at him, she didn't throw anything at him. She really didn't say much of anything other than she didn't know if she and Thane would be waiting should he ever decide to return. To say he was stunned would be an understatement, but his first love called to him continuously, and she was a highly jealous lover. She fired his blood, and he had to heed her call.
With a shake of his unkempt hair, he shifted his thoughts to more pressing matters. He knew the season was drawing to a close, but there had to be someone headed for southern seas. If not, he'd stay in Rhydin through the winter and build the relationships necessary to have a place come springtime.
The last captain he had sailed under before working for Amy had been Cannibal Cane, and he preferred not to work for the likes of him again. He'd definitely learned special skills under him that had aided him in his employment at The Exchange, and if necessary, he would use them again. After all, he'd be hard-pressed to find an honest sailor these days.
He could plainly see Rhydin ahead when Cul approached him from behind and clasped a meaty hand to his shoulder, "Ya sure about this, boss?"
All the time Cul had worked under Jamie, and the older man still called him 'boss' without batting an eye, even though Jamie knew it must have galled him at times to do so. They'd developed a respectful friendship aside from their working relationship, and he gave Cul his lopsided grin before answering, "I can't remember a time I've been less sure, Cul."
Cul simply nodded and clapped him on the back, "You can always come back, if ya want." He'd known many sailors, and the call of the sea always seemed to take them back. He just never figured Jamie would be one to give in to the wanderlust again.
His whiskey-colored gaze slid to Cul once more before returning to the teeming docks of Rhydin and taking a deep, calming breath, then that wry grin curled his lips once more, "Let's see what the lovely lady wants with me first."
