The Pirate by Katherine Garbera Page B

had it all. A successful career in a growing practice. Two children who were on the honor roll at school and the stars of their respective sports teams. A husband…that was the one that had changed her, she thought.
    She’d always wanted to be a wife and mother and now she was an ex-wife and a mother and those words just didn’t sit right with her. No matter how she tried to change them in her head she’d been feeling like she was living someone else’s life. That this life wasn’t the one that she’d written for herself.
    And now she knew she was right. Because of the encounter—that raw sex—she’d had with Laz in the infirmary she knew that her life had changed. The change she’d been seeking was a new direction for her dreams.
    She wasn’t just a wife and mother anymore; she had feared without those labels she’d be nothing. Today she realized that she was still someone. In fact she was probably getting closer to her real self than she’d ever been before. Because she’d had her kids when she was young she’d never had a chance to figure out who the real Daphne Bennett was but in Laz’s arms she’d had a glimpse.

Chapter Five
    Nobody is born a warrior.
    â€”C ARLOS C ASTANEDA
    D aphne left her room and found Bob waiting for her in the galley. She was infinitely glad that Laz wasn’t there, but then she hadn’t expected to see him again. Not now. He’d be busy doing whatever it was that captains did. And she had her own job to do.
    Right now she really missed her kids and her familiar world. She couldn’t wait to hear their voices and to talk to them.
    â€œReady to go?” Bob asked.
    He patted Franny on the shoulder and walked over to her. Daphne smiled and tried to be her usually sunny self but inside she didn’t feel it. Instead she felt…broken. No, she thought, that wasn’t right. She wasn’t broken. She just wasn’t herself.
    She followed Bob down the hallway to the radio room. It was empty.
    â€œThis is odd,” she said. “This seems like the one place they should always have a man.”
    â€œI agree. But the Captain did say they had a smaller crew than normal.”
    â€œYes, he did.”
    â€œDo you know how to operate this?” Daphne asked Bob.
    â€œAh, no, not this type of radio. I’ve never seen a room like this one before. Give me a minute to figure it out.”
    Bob sat down at the chair and analyzed the communications board. For an older tanker this room appeared state of the art. There were all kinds of buttons and switches. She imagined that with the threat of piracy in this area communications was one place that the tankers didn’t scrimp.
    The door opened behind them and she turned around with a smile as she heard Bob stand up from his chair.
    It was one of the crew members, Hamm. Laz’s second in command. She didn’t know why but she blushed when she saw him. “Hello.”
    â€œWhat are you two doing in here?” Hamm asked. “This room is off limits to everyone.”
    â€œSorry, Hamm. I asked Laz earlier if it would be all right if we used the radio and he okayed it. My cell phone isn’t working. In fact no one in our group has coverage out here, and I need to check in with my sons.”
    Hamm gave her a sideways look and she wondered if she should have just kept quiet.
    Hamm was a serious looking man with a crew cut and silver-colored eyes. There was an aura of danger around him and Daphne took a step backward so she was closer to Bob.
    â€œWell, if the boss said it’s okay, then it must be fine.”
    â€œThanks,” she said.
    Bob was looking at her as well and she suspected later he was going to inquire about her talking to the captain before they’d come down here.
    Bob put his hand on her shoulder. “Her youngest son is an asthmatic. The only way I convinced her to come on this trip was the promise she