Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, Stephanie Meyers does. However, I do own this plot and storyline. I also own my own original characters.
All publicly recognizable characters, settings, products, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any franchise. No copyright infringement intended.
Author's Note: Christening ceremony used with permission from Commander Bob. In addition, a special thanks to Tonya Manning for her help with the Cajun dialogue.
Chapter 20: Makin' Waves
EPOV
I awaken Friday morning to Bella humming as she finishes getting ready for the day. Making my way into the bathroom we're sharing, I kiss her head as I pass the dressing area where she's applying her makeup. Taking a quick shower and getting ready myself, I join her and Billy so we can eat breakfast before going to our class. Although Billy's already taken a boating class, he wants a refresher, so he'll be joining Bella and me. It's three classes over two days, and I'm excited to be sharing this with Bella.
We make it to the marina next to the dealer where Bella purchased the boat; the same marina where her boat was docked yesterday. As we're unloading from the SUV, a truck pulls up to the gate leading to the back of the warehouse and Howard gets out. The jet ski Bella purchased is in the back of the truck.
"Morning." Howard shouts, and we reply with our own greetings. "Just picked it up, perfect color by the way," he praises, waving toward the back of the truck.
"We have some stuff we'd like to go ahead and put in the boat, if that's all right?" Bella inquires as she walks over to look in the back of Howard's truck, smiling.
"Put it in the back of the truck," Howard offers, "the boats in rigging right now; I can take that stuff with this." He gestures toward the jet ski.
The four of us switch the bags from the rental to Howard's truck before he tells us to wait inside and he'll see us in a few minutes.
We walk into the showroom and just wander around a few minutes before Howard walks over to us with a younger man, who's wearing cargo shorts, flip-flops, and a collared shirt sporting the MarineMax logo.
"Hey, guys," Howard starts, "I'd like you to meet Reggie; he's the instructor for your classes."
"It's nice to meet you," Reggie welcomes, shaking our hands. "The other two who signed up cancelled, so you three are it. If you'd like, we could do all three classes today."
"Really?" Bella squeaks out, making us laugh. "That would be great."
"Howard tells me you bought an Azimut Sport. We can use a demo for class today, that way you'll be more comfortable with your own boat."
By the time Reggie finishes his words, Bella is bouncing on her feet in excitement. "Awesome," she whispers as I wrap my arm around her, kissing her temple.
"Let's get started," Reggie remarks, motioning for us to follow him. "Oh, and thanks for wearing the appropriate shoes and clothes. You should always wear shoes you can take on and off easily on a motor yacht. Barefoot is best because you don't want sand and gravel tracked onto the boat."
He leads us into a conference room near the back of the building, handing us each a MarineMax canvas tote filled with goodies. "Those are from Howard and the sales team," he states. "They stuffed them full of captain's essentials; your books and charts are from me. Go ahead and check them out while I get the video set up."
He's right; the bags are stuffed full. The bags are grey, but Bella's has red handles, while Billy's and mine have navy. There's a visor with "Captain" embossed across the front, COSTA sunglasses with a floating retainer strap, insulated tumbler, Polo shirt with an anchor logo, first aid kit, sunscreen, sea sickness band, towel, waterproof case, maps, charts, and a couple of books.
"Wow," I hear Bella whisper and look over to see her catch a tear before it falls. "This is really great. Will we be able to thank them?" she questions Reggie.
"Oh, yeah," he laughs. "They'll be around, and the whole group will be there for the christening ceremony before you leave. Have you thought of a name yet?"
"I have," Bella announces, looking shyly at us. "I want to see if y'all can have it painted on before the ceremony."
Few know that Bella loves to draw and is good at it, too. Therefore, when she pulls an envelope out of her bag, I'm not surprised. Slipping the paper out, she slides it across the table toward Reggie.
"Wow!" he gasps with wide eyes. "This is amazing! Who designed it?"
"Um … me," Bella stutters out. "My mom and dad use to call me their sea rider," she whispers, blinking back tears.
"Bella owns a horse ranch in Texas," Billy interrupts as he stands to get a better look at the drawing. "Her mother trained her in riding dressage. Both of her parents have passed on, so this is her way of having them be a part of this."
I wrap my arm around her, pulling her close to me and kissing her temple, as Reggie slides the piece of art back to her. It's breathtaking: a mermaid horse with an English saddle in blues, greens, and gold with "SEA HORSE" in dark, watery blue around it.
I look up when Reggie picks up the receiver from the phone sitting on the table. He dials a few numbers before speaking. "Hey, Collin. Can you come to the conference room for a minute? I have something I need done." I assume the guy agreed because Reggie hangs the phone up.
Reggie finishes setting up the video while we look through the books and charts that are included in the totes. There's a quick rap on the door before it opens and a surfer dude with tattoos walks in.
"Thanks for coming, Collin," Reggie greets. "This is Ms. Bella, her boyfriend Edward, and Billy. They purchased the Azimut 55 Sport that's in rigging right now. I want to show you something and see if you can have it done before the ceremony Wednesday."
Bella hands Reggie the envelope and he passes it to Collin. "Holy shit! That's awesome. Who did this?" Collin exclaims after looking at the drawing he pulled from the envelope.
"Bella did," Reggie quips. "That's what she wants to name her boat. You think you can get it done?"
"Hell, yeah," Collin proclaims. "I'll give this back to you Wednesday, Ms. Bella. Do you mind if I lighten the color of the letters? I don't want to take away from the horse."
"Sure, whatever you think looks best," Bella agrees with a bright smile. "I had to use my daughter's markers and those are the only colors she had."
"Gotcha," Collin snorts. "I'll go check out the boat and make sure the colors complement each other."
After Collin leaves, we watch three videos: The Coast Guard License, Rules of the Water, and Heavy Weather Handling. Then we spend over an hour going through our textbooks, reading, asking questions, and doing the pre-exams in the back of both books. It takes longer since he's combining all three classes. We take an hour break for lunch, which is included in the class, and consists of sandwiches and salads.
Once all the bookwork is complete, we pack everything in our totes and head to the marina. The boat we board is similar to Bella's, just not as nice; a stripped-down version or demo boat as Reggie calls it.
"All right," Reggie calls in excitement. "Who's first?"
Bella looks a little nervous, so I step forward and take the captain's chair while Reggie sits in the co-captain seat and instructs Bella and Billy to sit in the observer chairs.
Reggie places a checklist in front of me. "That's everything you'll do and in that order. I'm going to observe and only step in at the last minute, if you need me to. If you have a question or need direction, just ask. There's no need to be nervous; so take a deep breath, calm yourself, and whenever you're ready, you can start."
I take a deep breath, make myself comfortable with my surroundings, and begin following my checklist. I do everything myself from untying the vessel, raising the anchor, and checking all the gauges, to making sure there is safety equipment and life vests on board. I make sure my passengers are comfortable then begin my adventure around the sound.
I'm feeling comfortable until it's time to do a mock fuel stop and I have to use the radio in order to call the participating marina and ask permission to moor for fuel and supplies.
I stutter through the call causing Bella to giggle, which has me narrowing my eyes at her. My girl knows what she's doing because her smile calms me, and I regain my confidence.
I make it back to MarineMax and dock the boat, securing it in the same slip. As soon as I hand my checklist to Reggie, Bella is in my arms giving me a hug and sweet kiss, considering we have an audience. "You did it!"
"So will you, pretty girl," I state firmly. "Take me for a cruise, babe."
And she does, with the same take-charge manner she uses on the ranch. My girl is in full captain mode and nothing is going to deter her.
Lastly, Billy does the same, and it's dark by the time he docks the boat for the final time today. We follow Reggie back inside to the conference room and it's full of people, Howard standing in front.
"Congratulations," he greets with a wide smile. "I've never met a more humbled family then the three of you. So on behalf of the entire MarineMax team, I present to you, your official captain's bag. It has your yacht logbook, some DVDs, reference cards, captain's license, and certificate."
"Thanks, guys," I tell them in complete appreciation, as does Bella and Billy.
"The official christening ceremony will be Wednesday at ten in the morning," Howard proclaims. "You're welcome to invite anyone important to you as this is a special occasion. If you need anything or want to get things organized on the boat prior to that, come by anytime."
We're in the SUV heading to dinner when I noticed how quiet Bella is. "What's on your mind, pretty girl?" I ask, looking over the seat at her.
She sighs deeply before facing me. "I wish Cassie and a couple of other people could be here for the ceremony. This is as much for her as it is for us."
"Who do you want here, sweetheart?" Billy inquiries from the driver's seat.
"Um, Cassie, Jessica, Sarah, Carlisle, and Esme," she states, her voice quavering. "I consider everyone my family, but those are the ones, besides you and Edward, that I wouldn't want to do this without. They'd appreciate the meaning of it. Maybe even Jasper; he loves the water as much as we do."
Billy glances at me out of the corner of his eye as a smile plays on his lips. "Me too, sweetheart."
When we arrive back at the hotel after dinner, I ask Bella to go to the pool with me, knowing Billy wants to make a phone call. Moreover, I just want some alone time with her.
As we walk back into our room after an hour of playing in the pool, I catch Billy's eye, and he nods slightly. That man will do anything for the girl we all love, and if she wants some of her family here for the ceremony, then he'll make it happen.
Saturday, Bella's moping around the hotel room, much to the amusement of Billy and myself. The two of us are looking at all the charts and maps provided to us. There's a knock on the door and Billy's smile grows as Bella stomps over and yanks the door open; her gasp, and then following sobs echo through the room.
By the time, I make it to the door, Jessica and Sarah have her in their arms, whispering, trying to calm her down.
Emmett is usually the one to lighten the mood, but I guess since he's not here, Jasper takes on the responsibility. "Enough with the tears, Swan; get your ass in gear and show me around Florida."
She laughs, picking up her daughter and planting kisses all over her face, both of them laughing. I help get their luggage in the room before Billy pulls Bella down on the couch beside him, Cassie in her lap.
"This is an important event in all our lives, so I made a call and asked them to come," he tells her, kissing her head. "We're all proud of you and want to celebrate this new adventure in your life. Tomorrow the guys are goin' offshore fishin' while you ladies go shoppin'."
"Thank you so much," she sniffles. "Let's get y'all rooms and then have some dinner at that beach grill Billy has me hooked on."
After the rest of the greetings, Bella and Jessica go get three more rooms. Jessica will stay with us while the rest have their own rooms since there aren't any suites available.
Jessica advises Bella that Monday morning the two of them are going to the courthouse to get the tags and licenses squared away for the boat and jet ski. She already has the insurance paperwork and just needs to take some pictures of the watercrafts to email to the agent.
That's how we spend the three days leading up the ceremony. The girls shop while the boys fish, Cassie is fitted for a special life vest, paperwork is completed, and we show the boat to the others as they help us organize all the purchases. My mother and Sarah take all the linens back to the hotel to wash them, so they'll be ready for the trip home, before making up the beds.
We spend time on the beach, rent jet skis again, which Cassie loves. We even take Cassie to the aquarium on Tuesday; she and Jasper run around like the children they are.
My parents, Jessica, Sarah, and Cassie will fly back to Texas Wednesday evening, while the rest of usl take to the water for the three-day trip back home. Bella wants to make sure everything is okay and we're comfortable with the boat before having Cassie on it for a long trip. Jessica's going to handle leasing the boat slip Bella found at a private marina in Kemah, which is about an hour from the apartment in Houston.
Wednesday morning, we're up early. Breakfast is a loud affair, full of excitement for this new adventure. We pull into the marina around nine and grab our luggage; Jessica will be taking our rental back to the airport while my father takes their rental to turn in as well.
Howard greets us with a huge smile. He helps us get our bags on board before taking the lead into the building, where everyone is smiling and excited for Bella, offering their congratulations as we pass. Reggie and Collin are the most enthusiastic. I can't wait until the name is unveiled; they have been keeping it covered every time we've been here. We're standing in the middle of the showroom when an announcement comes over the paging system, "If everyone participating in the christening ceremony would please head to the marina, we'll be starting in a few minutes."
We follow Howard to the marina with me carrying Cassie so she doesn't trip or fall into the water. I'm surprised by the amount of people gathered around the boat, even spotting Lee standing off to the side. Howard leads us to the front where an older man in a navy suit and captain's hat is standing on a platform next to where Bella's boat is docked.
"Bella," Howard calls, getting her attention in order to make introductions. "This is Captain Brad Harrison, the owner of MarineMax. Brad, this is Ms. Bella Swan, owner of the Sea Horse and her family."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, dear," the captain greets, shaking all of our hands. "I'm honored to perform the ceremony for this beautiful watercraft."
"Likewise," Bella assures him, her tears already starting. "The MarineMax crew has been so accommodating to us, and I appreciate everything y'all have done to make this new adventure so exciting and stress free."
"Then we have done our job, dear," he beams, clearly happy with his employees. "Now, why don't we get this lady christened?"
He has Bella stand beside him, next to the boat, and the rest of us on his other side, before hushing the crowd with a raised hand. Everyone is handed a glass of champagne, and it's not the cheap kind either.
"For thousands of years, we have gone to sea. We have crafted vessels to carry us and we have called them by name. These ships will nurture and care for us through perilous seas, and so we affectionately call them "she." To them we toast, and ask to celebrate Sea Horse." Everyone raises their champagne glasses and shouts, "TO THE SAILORS OF OLD … TO SEA HORSE!"
We then take a sip of our champagne.
"The moods of the sea are many, from tranquil to violent. We ask that this ship be given the strength to carry on. The keel is strong and she keeps out the pressures of the sea."
Again, glasses are raised and the assemblage shouts, "TO THE SEA ... TO THE SAILORS OF OLD ... TO THE SEA!" before we take another sip of champagne.
"Today we come to name this lady Sea Horse, and send her to sea to be cared for, and to care for the Swan Lakes Ranch family. We ask the sailors of old and the mood of God that is the sea to accept Sea Horse as her name, to help her though her passages, and allow her to return with her crew safely." Again, we raise our glasses, "TO THE SEA ... TO THE SAILORS BEFORE US ... TO SEA HORSE!" before taking a long sip.
The captain hands Bella a full bottle of champagne and she proceeds to break it across the bow of the boat as everyone erupts in cheers. She has tears freely running down her face when she turns toward us.
The captain gives her a hug before everyone else comes up to greet us; Lee hugs Bella and shakes my hand. "Your perfect boat," he whispers to her. "I think I'm gonna keep mine, too," he states with a smile. "I can always fly down to take her out."
We say goodbye to everyone, Bella holding Cassie a little longer, whispering to her. She has missed her baby girl, but they had fun the last few days. It's gonna take us at least eight hours to get to the marina in Pensacola, where we'll stay overnight before traveling to Venice, Louisiana the next day. We'll stay overnight at a marina there before we arrive at our destination on Friday.
"Let's make way," Billy asserts, waving at us to hurry up. Yes, he has been using his nautical terminology every chance he gets.
Bella settles in the captain's chair as Billy and I ready Sea Horse for her first voyage. Bella's sporting her visor and sunglasses, along with a huge smile. Jasper sticks close to me, observing and learning as we untie the ropes and make sure everything's secure.
She cranks her up and opens the sunroof before calling in to the Coast Guard with the boat name and license number, advising them we're making our way into the Gulf of Mexico for a three-day voyage to Kemah, Texas. Once she gets confirmation the information is received, we're off as everyone on the dock waves at us.
About an hour into our cruise, Bella mentions she's getting hungry. It's a good thing Sarah and I purchased a few groceries. We didn't really want to stock the pantry, freezer, and fridge until our trip at the end of the summer. Jasper and I throw some sandwiches together, handing her one with her tumbler full of tea.
Billy fiddles with the radio, finally settling on some country-rock station. He's looking at a map, plotting our September trip. When we were on our fishing trip Sunday, the guide gave him the coordinates to some good fishing and diving spots in the Gulf.
It's after six in the evening when we pull into our reserved slip at the marina. Billy goes to the office to check-in and pay while the rest of us moor and secure the boat for the night. Jasper declares the crew's quarters as his personal cabin; it's cozy and comfortable according to him. Bella calls to check-in at the ranch, making sure the others arrived home safely. After a light dinner and showers, we're in bed with the motion of the boat rocking us to sleep.
I wake to find Bella sitting up in bed, writing in her notebook. "What're you doing, pretty girl? What time is it?"
"It's five-thirty, and I'm making a list of things we need," she asserts, never looking up from her writing.
"I can't possibly think of anything else we'll need after all the shopping you did," I joke, earning a scowl from my girl. Instead of answering me, she slaps the notebook against my chest. I look down and the first thing on her list, written in all caps, is alarm clocks. OK, I guess we do need a few things because I like to know what time it is when I wake up. I guess another shopping trip is in order.
I get up and fix breakfast; the galley is awesome and so easy to use and clean up. While eating, Bella mentions her back hurts a little from sitting in one place for so long, so we decide to take turns piloting today.
I take the helm first, pulling over to the fuel dock to fill the tanks before heading out of the marina and into the open sea. I'm more comfortable than I thought I'd be, but the state of the art electronics make it easy. In our class, we had to learn navigation the old-school way, just in case something was to happen and the boat lost power.
I've been at the helm for a few hours when Billy takes over. As I take a seat on the lounge on the aft deck, Bella comes over and snuggles into my side. "I wanna play some," she remarks.
"What ya wanna do, pretty girl?" I inquire, wrapping my arm around her.
"Take the jet ski out, get used to unloading and loading it," she informs me, playing with my fingers. "Maybe fire up the grill for lunch."
"Whatever you want, pretty girl," I agree, kissing her softly. "Go tell Billy and we can find a place to anchor. Burgers all right for lunch? I didn't get a lot of meat since we're headed home."
"Yeah," she assures, kissing me quickly before going to talk to Billy.
Jasper's been reading my textbook from the boating class and looking through all the different rules. It won't be long before he's taking a class himself; my dad seemed interested in it as well. Maybe they can go together.
Once Billy finds a place to anchor safely, I tie a rope to the bow of the jet ski then the other end to a cleat next to the swim platform. Jasper and Billy stand back and watch because there isn't much room to move around with the jet ski strapped down. Bella reaches over and releases the straps before lowering the platform into the water. The jet ski floats off and I use the rope to pull it off to the side while she raises the platform back out of the water. Simple.
Bella and Jasper take turns riding it around the area where we're anchored while I heat up the grill. The burgers are almost done when Bella pulls up to the platform and Jasper ties off the jet ski and hangs a buoy on the side so it isn't scratched if it floats too close to the boat.
After lunch, I take the jet ski for a spin before loading it back up. Bella wants to see if just the two of us can get it loaded. So, after tying ropes to the front and back, we lower the swim platform. Then the two of us pull it toward the boat, lining it up on the mounted guides, and raise the platform.
"We did it!" Bella boasts, giving me a high five before we strap it back down and dry off.
"How does the dinghy or tender work?" Jasper inquires, always curious.
"There's an electric winch system for it," I comment, showing him the switch panel next to the garage. "Just attach the cable and it pulls it along the rollers."
"Is there a manual for the boat that I can read?" he questions. "I wanna know what all these switches and panels are for."
"In the waterproof owner's box, under the captain's chair, there are all kinds of information," I recall, leading him to the helm where Bella and Billy are getting ready to depart. "Hey, babe, hand me that owner's box under the seat, please. Jasper's gonna educate himself."
She reaches for the box and hands it to Jasper with a bright smile. "The book for the electronics is in my tote next to my bed. It has a lot of information in it. And I have some other books in there as well."
He takes the box after thanking her and sits on the sofa, placing the box on the table in front of him. He'll be awhile.
I take over navigating for Bella after a few hours, but she just moves over to the co-captain's chair. She continues to make her list, asking my opinion on the different things she wants to get for the boat. A few hours later, I'm pulling into the reserved slip at Cypress Cove Marina. Bella and I moor the boat as Jasper and Billy go check us in at the marina office.
I'm plugging the electrical cord into the dock amp when Jasper comes rushing back to the boat outta breath. "Edward, they have some fresh seafood in the store, caught today. Huge ass shrimp, man; come see. Shrimp for dinner tonight would be awesome."
"Did I hear shrimp?" Bella questions, stepping onto the dock. "Where? I want shrimp, too."
"You two," I sigh, shaking my head at their exuberance. "Lock the door and set the alarm. Let's go see what's so special about these shrimp. But you two are helping me cook 'em."
Jasper was spot on; the shrimp are huge and fresh. They even have some fish they're in the process of cleaning. Billy's looking around the store at the tackle; we hadn't bought any for the boat yet. We decided to wait until we got home to completely stock it for our trip.
"Hey, pretty girl," I ask, wrapping my arm around Bella's shoulder. "You want fish too or just the shrimp?"
"Shrimp," she whispers, watching them clean the fish. "What is that thing they're using? It cleans them quick."
"An electric scaler," I answer, seeing her fascination with the little machine. "Go see if they sell skewers and I'll grill shrimp tonight. Let me see if they'll clean them for me."
She takes off to the grocery section of the small store, and I turn my attention back to the counter. "Excuse me, ma'am," I call to the older woman, who's washing her hands. "Do you clean the shrimp?"
"Yes, sir," she answer with a deep accent. "Ya wan dem with or without duh tails?"
"With," I answer, following her to the case where the shrimp are on ice. "Give me forty of them, please. Y'all have any lemons?"
"Got a couple in the back I'll sell ya," she states as she counts the shrimp, throwing them in a bag. "Anything else?"
"No, ma'am," I reply as we walk back over to the counter. "Just the shrimp and lemons."
"Yo, Bob," she calls to one of the guys cleaning the fish. "Clean these real quick, leave duh tails."
He takes the bag over to another counter and starts cleaning them when Bella steps up beside us with a bag of wooden skewers. "Don't let me forget. I just remembered we need to get our fishin' licenses before our trip," she states.
"I think I can handle that," I answer, kissing her temple.
We pay for our purchases and walk back to the boat. I raise the cover on the grill and turn it on to heat, placing the bag of shrimp in the cold drawer underneath it. I take ten of the skewers from the bag and put them in the sink with cold water over them to soak for a few minutes while I get everything else ready for dinner.
"These are awesome, bro," Jasper praises, taking another bite of his shrimp. I made shrimp and veggie skewers and grilled them with a lemon, garlic butter sauce, placing them over a bed of seasoned yellow rice. It was quick and easy, barely a mess to clean up. Jasper and Billy wash what little dishes we do have in the galley.
We ate on the aft deck, the sky so clear you can see all the stars.
A beautiful night, next to a beautiful girl.
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