Course of the Heart by Cam Dawson

dinghy when they arrived. When their singing woke him, he jumped onto the dock and apologized for boarding the vessel.
    Drew took another five from his wallet. “Not a problem, my friend. Excellent job at protecting the dinghy. Have a great night.”
    Drew managed to find the mooring. He eased alongside the windward side of Sail Out , and tied up to a stern cleat. When he turned to Sam, she was staring at him, acting much more sober than she could have possibly been. Her eyes glistened with tears in the moonlight. He jumped onboard, then took her hand and helped her board. As she stumbled stepping onto the deck, he caught her in his arms.
    He frowned. “Are you okay?”
    “No,” she whispered, then standing on her tiptoes, she threw her arms around his shoulders. Her eyes landed on his lips and she moved her mouth to his, closing her eyes.
    He lifted her from the deck and kissed her gently. She responded by crushing her mouth against his, clawing at his shirt as he stripped her dress over her head. She fumbled with his shorts as he pushed her panties to her ankles. When she moaned in frustration, he reached down and unbuttoned his shorts, allowing her to slide them off him. Both now naked, she jumped up, wrapping her legs around his waist. He stumbled with her over to the wheel and sat her in the captain’s chair. Reaching down to his erection, he pulled her toward him, in a frantic effort to couple them.
    “This is all very erotic and such,” came a voice from behind them. Drew spun around defensively, pushing his arms behind him and shielding Sam. “And I’m sorry to interrupt you at a most inopportune time, but I’m on a tight schedule and must get on with business.”
    “Who are you, and what do you want?” Drew demanded to a wiry red-haired man who was pointing a gun at him. The man surveyed Samantha from top to bottom, swallowing hard.
    Drew and Sam dressed quickly. He kept Sam behind him. “What do you want?”
    “Oh, we’ll get to that soon,” the man responded, waving his gun to the starboard side of the boat. “Now, you two move over against that rail where I can see you better.”
    Drew held Sam’s hand and moved them over. He glanced over to the leeward side of the boat and saw a dinghy hugging the gunnels, tied up so that it was hidden.
    “Now, I want the little lady to untie the line to the mooring while you fire up the engine, Mr. Richey. Oh, and by the way, my name is Chester Bynum. Little lady, I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure of meeting.”
    Samantha remained quiet.
    Then it hit Drew. He had known he had seen this man somewhere, but in the darkness he hadn’t made the connection until then. “Samantha, Chester is one of the twin half-brothers of Janet Williams.”
    She nodded.
    “Samantha Bartlett. Yes, yes, Charles and I were long gone when you two became friends. Now please do as I say so we can shove off.”
    “Where are we going?” Sam asked.
    “Not far.”
    “It’s okay, Sam.” Drew stepped over to the wheel pedestal. After starting the engine, he came back toward Chester.
    “That’s far enough, Mr. Richey.” The man backed up against the bulkhead of the cabin. “Now I want you to very slowly go below and bring me the urn with my sister’s ashes. And remember, no tricks—I have your girlfriend in my sights.”
    “Is that where you hid the jewelry?”
    Chester smiled. “Very good, Mr. Richey. I must admit that you are much smarter than you look. Where else would I put the diamond? You can’t possibly think I would leave it in the house do you? Why, the authorities tore my sister’s house apart. Now be honest, can you think of a better place to stash it than the urn?” He shook his head. “You can’t imagine how much I had to pay the funeral director to seal it in that false bottom. Now please, do as I say and get below. And remember, no funny stuff.”
    Drew complied. After a few minutes he returned to the deck with the urn.
    “Now, place it near the