Starfall (Starflight #2)(53)

“Renny!” she hollered after him. “You didn’t have to do this!”

“Priorities, Cassia.” Before his voice faded into the distance, he left her with one last reply. “Now, quit arguing and strap in.”





The next evening Kane returned to his quarters to change before dinner. He was so distracted by the tomato sauce he’d spilled down the front of his best shirt that by the time he noticed the sock tied to his door handle, it was too late. He flung open the hatch and caught a fleeting glimpse of Renny and Arabelle in all their glory.

He whipped around and darted into the hall, but not fast enough to stop the image from haunting his retinas. It reminded him of the time he’d caught his parents in the act during one of his father’s rare visits, and he felt the overpowering urge to shampoo his eyeballs. Why couldn’t Renny bolt the door like a normal guy?

Arabelle came out a minute later, her face nearly as red as her hair as she straightened her skirt and fled down the hallway.

It was going to be an awkward supper.

Kane knocked twice. “You decent, Captain?”

“Rarely so, but it’s safe to come in.”

Even though he’d watched Arabelle leave, Kane peeked around the room before stepping all the way inside. Thankfully, Renny was clothed and facing the rear wall. “Sorry,” Kane said as he slipped the sock free and tossed it onto the top bunk. “I wasn’t paying attention.”

“No, it’s all right,” Renny told him, though the strain in his voice indicated otherwise. “I’m glad you’re here. I’ve been meaning to talk to you.”

Kane didn’t really want to talk, not with the image of his captain’s keister fresh in his mind. But as Renny blocked the path to the clean clothes, there wasn’t much of a choice.

“I’ve made a lot of progress with Belle,” Renny said.

“Yeah.” Kane scratched the back of his neck. “I noticed.”

“Things are going well.”

Kane didn’t like where this discussion was headed.

“Really well,” Renny emphasized.

“Aw, come on, Captain. All I want is a clean shirt.”

“What I’m trying to say is Belle and I are together now. So…” Renny trailed off, peering above his glasses as if the rest of the message should be clear. Finally, he blurted, “I need you to bunk somewhere else.”

“Oh.” Kane mentally smacked his own forehead. “Right, no problem.”

“Maybe you can bunk with Cassia. You two are getting along again.”

That was true, though the suggestion that he room with Cassia was like inviting an alcoholic to live in a distillery. But as his only alternative was the cold cargo-hold floor, he filled a box with his clothes and grabbed his pillow on the way out the door to his old quarters.

The room was vacant when he dropped off his box. He wondered if Arabelle was off somewhere breaking the news to Cassia. He hoped so, because he didn’t want that job. After changing into a clean shirt and leaving the stained one to soak in the washroom, he returned to the galley and dished out six bowls of tomato soup with toasted chickpeas.

The crew gathered at the table, with Cassia and Arabelle bringing up the rear. As soon as he glanced at Cassia, he could tell she knew about the change in their sleeping arrangements. She wore the same look of concern that he felt inside.

Renny lifted his cup and motioned for everyone to do the same. “We officially have a new crew member. I think this calls for a toast—to Belle.”

“To Belle,” everyone repeated over the sound of clinking mugs.

Arabelle took Renny’s hand and gazed at him with so much tenderness that Kane had to look away.

“Now that you’re one of us, there’s no avoiding it,” Solara said. “You have to ask a question.”

Arabelle smiled as if she’d been waiting for this moment. “I already thought of a good one. Would you rather have one wish granted today, or five wishes granted three years from now?”

“Neither,” Renny said, and kissed the inside of her palm. “My wish already came true.”

The whole crew groaned and threw their napkins at him.

Renny shrugged. “It did.”

“I’d take mine today,” Cassia said, retrieving her napkin.

“Me too,” Kane agreed. “We’re up against the mob. What’s the point of five wishes if I don’t live to spend them?”

Doran delivered a fist bump across the table. “You said it. I heard another pirate lord turned up dead—the same guy who took over sector two after the last chief died. I don’t know how Fleece is picking them off so fast.”

“I heard the same thing.” Cassia frowned at her soup. “Yesterday he put his transmissions on lockdown. It’s like he heard us talking about him and fixed his system settings.”

Arabelle didn’t say anything, but the cherubic grin left her face.

“Since all of you are taking your wishes now, I’ll save mine,” Solara said. “As much trouble as we get into, I’m sure they’ll come in handy three years from now.”

Kane didn’t want the topic to drift back to the mafia, so he nudged Cassia’s ankle with his boot. “It’s your turn. Next question.”