A Bride for Adam

The sun was bright when she stepped on deck, so she shielded her eyes. She made her way to the rail to take in the view; it was breathtaking. The breeze blew her hair, and it felt wonderful. She could barely see any land to her right—they were almost completely surrounded by water. It was fantastic.
The gentle rocking of the ship was comforting. A small spray of water hit her in the face, and she laughed. She felt eyes on her and turned to see Adam smiling at her from behind.
His smile was warm and friendly. “Isn’t it beautiful?” he asked, joining her at the rail.
“I never imagined...it’s wonderful.”
“Wait here,” he said. He left her but returned after a moment with a spyglass. “Here. You can keep this one—I have several. You’ll see all sorts of interesting things.”
“It’s mostly a lot of water. I can see land, but it’s getting further away each time I look.”
“We’re headed due south, to Charleston. We won’t be heading much farther east until we’re on our way to Liverpool, so you’ll still be able to see land for a while. Once we leave Charleston, we’ll go further out into the ocean. As long as we’re just a few miles from shore, you’ll see dolphins, and sharks.”
Greta felt her hair blowing in the breeze. She’d worn it down because she wasn’t too adept at putting it up herself, and the hair blew annoyingly into her face, blocking her view.
“Excuse me, again.” Adam moved to the stairs and went below deck. He returned with a piece of rawhide. “May I?”
She nodded.
He pulled her hair back and tied it behind her. When he was finished, he stroked it gently. “You have beautiful hair.”
Greta tried to hide the goosebumps that had appeared on her arms when he’d touched her hair. She rubbed her arms brusquely.
“Are you cold? The morning air is a bit chilly. Did you bring a shawl?”
“I’m fine. It was just a bit of spray on my arms.” She hoped he believed her. She didn’t want him to know what his touch did to her.
“Well, your hair won’t blow anymore. I could try my hand at braiding, if you’d like.”
“Oh, no. This is perfect,” she said. “What should I do first—scrub the deck or help the cook?”
“You don’t have to work. Why don’t you enjoy your first day at sea?”
“But it was a part of the deal.”
“Tomorrow is soon enough.” Adam waved over a man who was dressed nicer than the other men on deck.
 “I want you to meet my first mate, Manny.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” she said.
“The pleasure is all mine,” Manny said with a bow.
Manny was an older man—she supposed he was about Sam’s age. His hair was turning white in spots, and he had a scar from his left eye to his chin.
“If you need anything, and I’m not around,” Adam said, “or if I’m busy, Manny will assist you.”
“Glad to be of service,” Manny said before addressing Adam. “I need you at the helm.”
The two men walked up one step to an area with a huge wheel and a lot of instruments she didn’t recognize. She went back to looking out at the sea with her spyglass. Greta thought she already knew why Adam loved the sea. It was exhilarating.

Chapter Nine
Adam got a warm feeling in his chest every time he watched Greta enjoying the sea. She spent nearly the whole day at the rail, using her spyglass to look at the view. Greta squealed in delight when she saw a porpoise swimming near the ship.
After a simple lunch of biscuits and ham, Adam took Greta on a tour of the ship. He showed her the bottom deck of the ship where the cargo would be stored; he showed her the ballast and the galley; he taught her that the right side of the ship was called the starboard and the left was the port; and he taught her a few nautical terms, but he didn’t want to overload her with information, lest she forget it.
Adam was amazed at her interest and her questions. Her eyes were wide with interest and excitement which made him fonder of her than ever. He concluded that she had no idea how beautiful she was, having detected no vanity from her.
At sunset, he asked Greta to accompany him on a walk around the deck, and she readily agreed.
She pointed to the sky. “Look, Adam! Sailor’s delight for tomorrow.”
Adam looked at her face. She reminded him of a child, opening a gift, and he wanted to take her into his arms and hug her.
He smiled at her instead. “That’s something a sailor loves to see.” He grabbed her arm to steer her around a coil of rope, and kept hold pressing it close to his body as he guided her to the port side. He let go of her arm and they leaned against the rail.
“It’s beautiful,” she said gazing at the fiery sky. “Is it always this gorgeous at sea?”
“Always. That’s one of the reasons I love it so much,” Adam replied.
 “What are the other reasons?”
He smiled. “The solitude—not that I’m a hermit or anything, but peacefulness is a blessing sometimes. When I was younger and wilder, I’d go ashore with the crew when we docked at a port and drink and party. Then, after reading my Bible I realized it was wrong, and I stopped going ashore. I’d stay on the ship, enjoying the peacefulness instead.”
“What else do you love about it?” she asked.
“The lull of the ship. Seeing different parts of the world. Being away from the hustle and bustle of life. You know, there’s horse manure everywhere in the city, not to mention smog and crowds. Fort Worth is pleasant,