Before the Ship Sailed - Chapter 10
The hardest decision wasn’t boarding the ship. It was deciding what to do when Robbie appeared.
Quinn felt it immediately. That small tightening in her midsection.
Chapter 10 - Mirage of Trust
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Sydney
The ship was already in view when Quinn stepped out of the car. It rose at the end of the pier, massive, steady in the water. Larger than she expected. A floating hotel. She still wasn’t sure how she felt about that.
She paused just long enough to take it in, then shifted her attention to the terminal. Signs, lines, movement. The system revealed itself quickly. Efficient. Quinn adjusted the strap on her bag to draw it close, more out of habit than need, and stepped into the flow.
Liz and Connie were there, waving as if she could miss them. Quinn lifted a hand in return, already scanning past them, tracking the lines, the signage, the flow of people. She fell in beside them, letting them lead, watching how it worked. The trio followed the signs for suite passengers, nodding at the terminal staff as they directed them forward, all with genuine smiles of welcome.
Quinn stopped.
“Robbie.”
Liz caught it first. Her hand closed around Connie’s arm, stopping her mid-step. Three lines over, Robbie stood in the general boarding line. She hadn’t seen them yet.
Quinn’s body reacted before her mind. Something in her posture gave way, just for a second. Then she straightened and stayed where she was, watching.
Robbie looked up, scanning the crowd. Then she saw Quinn.
She didn’t change.
No urgency. No surprise. No embarrassment at being found in a place she had not said she would be.
Quinn registered it before she knew what to do with it. Robbie had not come looking uncertain. She had come prepared.
Quinn glanced at Liz and Connie, a small shake of her head.
“I don’t have a clue.”
Robbie stepped out of her line and walked toward them, unhurried.
“Hi.” Like they’d known all along that she would be there. “I couldn’t stay away. Not when you were doing this without me. I’ve missed you so much. When you told me you were going and since we were able to resolve the issue at the resort, I told them I was going to finish our vacation.”
Quinn shook her head in disbelief. “I can’t believe you came all the way back here for the cruise. You did leave rather hastily.”
Leaning in to kiss Quinn, Robbie murmured in her ear…
