The Ghost and Mrs. Muir characters belong to 20th Century Fox and are only borrowed. The Sea Skimmer belongs to the author and may not be used without her permission. Many thanks to Susan for editing.
A Summer of Fun story
The Sea Skimmer
Daniel gave the boat one last loving stroke with a polishing cloth and declared it finished. A shout went up from the boy and girl crouched beside it.
"Finally," the boy spoke. "Can we take it out now?"
Daniel looked at the clock, seeing that it was a quarter till 12 - midnight. Carolyn, seeing the gleam in his eye, shook her head slightly. "No," Daniel replied sadly, giving her one last pleading look. "I guess not, But we will take her out tomorrow and give her a proper run."
The children cast wounded looks to their mother who remained firm. Knowing they were beaten, they sulkily went to bed. Carolyn knelt beside the boat and stroked it, finding it sanded smooth as silk.
"I can hardly believe this is the same old piece of junk Jonathan dragged home," she said in wonder.
Indeed, Daniel recollected the day early in the summer that Jonathan had come home from playing, dragging an old wreck of a row boat he had found in one of the many caves at the water's edge. Daniel had not seen how they could make her seaworthy. (All boats, however small, were her. Jonathan would understand someday.) But looking into the boy's shining eyes, Daniel knew he could not let the lad down. He had spend most of his spare time this summer rebuilding the boat, aided by the children, and he was as eager to take it out as they were.
They had named the boat Sea Skimmer, although secretly Daniel thought it more suited to a sail boat than a rowboat. He fitted the oars into the oarlocks and sat in the boat, pretending to row.
Carolyn watched for a moment, contemplating, before getting up to go to bed. "Um…" she began.
"Yes?" he looked at her, still rowing.
"After you put that in the water," she hesitated "you're not bringing it back into the house." This was said as half statement, half question.
"I promise," he stopped rowing long enough to raise his hand in a mock salute.
The morning dawned bright and clear. Captain Gregg, true to his word, was ready and waiting with a lunch that Martha had packed. Carolyn walked down to watch them launch but declined to join them.
"Ah, Mom," Jonathan said, disappointed. "You said we weren't doing any work this summer.'
"Well, some things just have to be done, but we still have plenty of summer. I'll come some other time."
"Ok," he sighed.
Carolyn walked back to the house and took care of those pesky, unavoidable things that must be done, even during a summer of fun. She paid some bills and made some phone calls.
"Mrs. Muir." Martha said coming out of the kitchen. "Would you please take this thermos of lemonade out to the Captain and the children? They'll be thirsty when they get back."
Carolyn was glad to have an excuse to go outside for a while, and leave her work. "Of course I will," she smiled.
She was surprised at how warm it had gotten since this morning and wondered how the seafarers were doing in this heat. Probably splashing each other and having a marvelous time doing it. She sincerely hoped they hadn't gone in for an unplanned swim.
Reaching the water's edge, she looked for but didn't see them. Deciding to wait for them, she went into the cave where Jonathan had found the boat, and which they now used to keep "treasures." She got an blanket and a book and settled down to read. She was soon lost in the book and oblivious to everything else.
Slowly the sounds of laughter broke into her consciousness. She heard Daniel's booming voice singing. "Thirty-three bottles of beer on the wall, Thirty Three bottles of beer…"
The children joined in "if one of those bottles should happened to fall, thirty -two bottles of beer on the wall."
She looked up, annoyed, not from the noise but because the children knew she didn't like them to sing that song. But as she looked she saw a sight that swept away all annoyance. Daniel was rowing, making it look effortless. Apparently the heat was too much even for a ghost, because he had removed his shirt, displaying a glorious tanned chest. His muscles pulled as he rowed, his abdomen, flat and firm, was also working with effort. Even from a distance, she could see him beaded with sweat and could imagine it rolling down his arms and chest.
She sat open-mouthed, watching the sight, wishing with all her heart she had gone out with him and children, or better yet, gone out with him and left the children at home.
"Twenty-two bottles of beer on the wall." she heard, calculating that she had daydreamed through at least 10 bottles of beer. She also noticed they were much closer, in fact they were getting ready to dock. She watched as they disembarked and Daniel tied the boat securely.
"My dear." he called to her enthusiastically. "How nice to see you! I thought you were staying in today." he smiled delightfully and walked over to her. He took her hands in his and looked into her eyes.
"Ewwww, they're gonna get mushy," Jonathan groaned and walked towards the house. Candy rolled her eyes and followed.
"I thought you were going to be out all day." Carolyn challenged Daniel, her green eyes blazing into his blue ones.
"We nearly were, but really it was no fun without you."
"Oh, you mean the children didn't have fun?"
"The children had a marvelous time." he said softly.
He gathered her in his arms and she rested against his naked chest, completely happy.