Restless Hearts by Mona Ingram Read Free Book Online Page A

“You should have woken someone up, Levi. You must have been in terrible pain.”
    He didn’t respond, but looked around with a frown. “How am I going to feed the men?”
    “You’re not.” Sarah’s tone was crisp. “And you’re not to worry about it, either. Matthew and I are going to take care of breakfast, and I’ll ask Lucy to help with some of the other meals.” She looked over his shoulder toward Jamie. “Jamie will make sure you get back to sick bay since you can’t manage the ladders with that arm. We’ll bring you some coffee when it’s ready. Now run along.”
    He grinned. “I knew you wanted to take over my kitchen.”
    “You’re jesting, of course.” She looked at Matthew. “He must be feeling better.” She held Levi’s good arm as he slid off the table and found his sea legs. “I’ll check on you later, my friend.”
    Sarah watched Jamie and Levi disappear, then turned and accepted the mug of coffee that Matthew held out. Steam curled enticingly from the surface of the hot liquid and she took an appreciative sip.
    “Okay,” she said briskly. “I can tell by the way the captain runs this ship that he likes to stick to a routine, so I’ll do whatever I can to help you restore order.” She paused. “Did someone take a mug of coffee up to him?”
    Matthew nodded.
    “Good.” She washed her hands again. “Let’s make some breakfast.”

Chapter Six
    It took WindSprite ten days to double the Cape, but Sarah scarcely noticed the howling winds and rough seas. With Levi’s guidance, Matthew, Lucy and two other crew members helped Sarah establish a routine that suited the captain.
    Some three weeks after Levi’s accident, the captain appeared in the galley shortly after Sarah had taken several loaves of bread from the oven. It wasn’t the first time he’d ‘happened by’ when the smells became too tempting to ignore. She sliced him a thick piece from the warm loaf.
    “You really don’t have to do this,” he said, closing his eyes in bliss as he bit through the crisp crust. “But I won’t deny the fact that I’m glad you’re helping.”
    Sarah thanked him, even though he’d made similar comments before. The truth was, she was enjoying herself. As she and Levi directed the efforts of Matthew and the kitchen crew, it occurred to her that thus far in her life, she’d never been solely in charge of anything. While the ship forged ahead through turbulent seas, she had collected many bruises from frequent contact with the walls and pieces of furniture, but a few discolorations on her body weren’t enough to lessen her sense of accomplishment at the end of each day.
    She met the captain’s appreciative smile with one of her own. “Thank you for saying that, but I’ve enjoyed myself.”
    The captain warmed his hands on the coffee mug. “Then I can only say that I’m glad you decided to sail with us.” He tilted his head. “Thank you.”
    He didn’t seem in a hurry to leave, and his gaze lingered on the loaf of bread. Sarah cut him another slice and handed it to him.
    “Levi said you often stop at Valparaiso,” she said. “What’s it like?”
    He considered her question for a moment while he chewed. “It’s not like any other place I’ve been.”
    She stopped wiping down the table. “In what way?”
    He gazed into the distance. “It’s wild and yet beautiful. The people are friendly once you get to know them, and yet they can be very stand-offish. Some people are immensely wealthy, and yet most are poor.” He frowned to himself. “It’s a place of contrasts, really.” He raised his eyes and looked at her. “I’ll be interested to hear your opinion.”
    “How much longer?” She couldn’t keep the excitement out of her voice.
    “Another week or ten days.” He set down the coffee mug. “Speaking of which, I’d better get topside and make sure we’re still pointed in the right direction.”
    Levi appeared moments after the captain left. “It’s good to see