"Happy birthday, Jonathan!" the Captain appeared in the boy's bedroom just as he walked in to get ready for bed.

A smile crossed the boy's face -- a smile that reminded the Captain of Carolyn. "Thanks, Captain! I thought you were gone for the day, ‘cause I couldn't find you anywhere!"

"Yes, well ..." the Captain paused, then cleared his throat. "My boy, I wasn't sure what to give you this year for your birthday. You got a ship in the bottle last year ... and after rummaging through my sea chest, I couldn't find anything really appropriate."

"That's okay." Jonathan sounded a little disappointed, but he looked over at the ship in the bottle proudly displayed on a shelf where he could see it first thing in the morning. "The ship will do for another year."

"Well, I have a suggestion. You seemed to enjoy the dream I gave you at Christmas ... so, would you like to come sailing with me?"

Eyes aglow with delight, Jonathan cried, "Oh, YES! Please! On the Amazon?" and he glanced again at his model ship.

"Very well. Goodnight, lad." the Captain smiled warmly at him, then vanished.

When Carolyn came into the room later to tuck him into bed, Jonathan was almost beside himself with excitement. "Guess what the Captain is giving me for my birthday!" he burst out.

Candy turned over in bed and looked at him. "Your birthday's over, Jonathan. He didn't give you anything."

"He did, too! He was here just before you came in ... he's going to give me a dream of sailing on his ship, the Amazon!" and he pointed over to the ship in the bottle.

"Lucky!" Candy was envious. "Be sure to tell me all about it in the morning."

"Me, too." Carolyn added, smiling. She bent over and kissed him. "And good luck getting to sleep tonight!" Privately she wondered at the wisdom of the Captain telling him about the dream just before he got into bed, but she decided it was just inexperience with children that had caused him to proceed in that manner.

Sure enough, after two hours, she could still hear excited whispers from the children's room as they discussed what it might be like on the ship.

"Not terribly smart, Captain, telling Jonathan about your gift. Now he can't get to sleep." she remarked, airily, knowing the Captain had to be somewhere near.

"Blast!" the Captain appeared before her, a disgruntled frown on his face. "Children! When I was his age, I was asleep the minute my head hit the pillow ... and I was grateful to have a pillow and the rest after a hard day's work!"

"Yes, Captain." she hid a grin. Then curiosity prompted her to ask, "When did you first go to sea?"

"I was Jonathan's age." the Captain admitted.

"How awful for your mother." commented Carolyn, quietly and sincerely. "I can't imagine what she must have gone through. When I think it might have been Jonathan! That's way too young."

"Nonsense!" the Captain scoffed, turning and striding across to the French doors. Then he turned back. "And for the record, my mother was dead, so she never knew." He stepped through the doors, not waiting for her response.

Carolyn gasped, feeling sympathy for the boy he had been pouring over her. But knowing he would reject any show of emotion, she began getting ready for bed herself, merely calling softly out the doors, "Good night, Captain Gregg."

"Good night, Mrs. Muir." came the slightly muffled response.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Is this it, Captain Gregg? Is this the Amazon?" Jonathan's eyes were huge.

"It is, lad. And you are just the age I was when I first went to sea as a cabin boy. Not this ship, of course!" he reached down and gently took the boy's hand in his own. Jonathan grinned up at him, and again the Captain saw Carolyn in his face.

"So many sails!" Jonathan exclaimed, looking up at the heavy canvas furled and tied neatly on the yards. The Amazon's three masts towered above him. Lines and rigging crisscrossed the deck in what he learned was a perfect pattern. High above the deck, seamen checked the rigging and tightened lines that secured the sails. "How do you keep track of them all?"

"Sheets." the Captain corrected him gently. "One learns to do it, as you shall learn. Having a seaman's skills will serve you well."

"And I'm really just the age when YOU started as a cabin boy?"

"Aye, lad, you are. There, see that man there?" and the Captain indicated a giant of a man with heavy shoulders and large hands.

"That's Tom. He's the ship's boatswain. He supervises the men who mend the sheets, and he keeps watch over the canvas and thread, needles and palms ... all the things needed for his work. Tom!" he shouted.

The giant stomped over and touched his hand to his hat in a salute.

"Aye, sir!"

"Are you ready to take on one more small task?"

"Ready and able, Cap'n! If I can care for the canvas on this ship, I can do anything."

"Keep one eye on the sheets and your men, and the other on my protégé, Jonathan. He has not been to sea before, and he needs a good teacher."

"That'll be yourself, sir!" returned Tom, rather cheekily.

"Captain!" Jonathan said, in a loud whisper.

The Captain bent down, and Jonathan said, "I want to be with YOU as much as I can!"

Putting his arm around the boy and pulling him close into a quick hug, Captain Gregg agreed, "So you shall, my boy. So you shall. But sometimes, on these voyages, there are things that only I can take care of. THAT'S when Tom can be with you."

Jonathan's smile returned, and he flung his arms around the Captain's neck. "And the best thing of all," he whispered in the Captain's ear, "is that I can TOUCH you!"

"And I, you..." returned the Captain. Then he stood up quickly. "Stand by to cast off!"

"Stand by to cast off!" the first officer repeated, calling to the sailing master. He, in turn, shouted out the orders to the crew. Tom grinned at Jonathan. "So, you've never been to sea before? WE can teach you all you need to be a fine seaman!" and he clapped Jonathan across the shoulder. The boy staggered a little, but grinned.

"Cap'n, will you be doing the first honours?" Tom asked.

"Aye, I'll take Jonathan to the bow, now, before we really get underway."

Jonathan and the Captain walked forward as far as they could go on the wooden deck which smelled of tar and sweet-smelling pine. The boy leaned over the bow of the ship and saw the face of a woman, the ship's figurehead. Her calm painted face gazed out at things only she could see.

"She's a fine lass, is she not?" the Captain spoke.

"Yes..." Jonathan said, rather doubtfully. "But I wonder what my mother would think of it. She doesn't have many clothes on, does she? Is this the one you have in your attic?"

"It is. They say a woman's shape calms the stormiest sea." the Captain grinned. "And this is a very shapely woman!"

"Does it work?" Jonathan asked curiously.

Chuckling, the Captain admitted, "No, but she looks nice, doesn't she?"

"I think Mom looks better." Jonathan said, decidedly, to which the Captain had no answer. How could he tell the youngster that he agreed wholeheartedly?

They made their way to the stern of the ship, stepping carefully over ropes. Suddenly Jonathan stopped, and cried, "Leroy!"

The seaman straightened up with a jerk, almost tripping over the mop he was using to swab the deck. Captain Gregg sighed. They hadn't even left port, and the man was proving to be very inept! Leroy Applegate quickly clambered down the hatch to the lower deck when he saw the Captain scowling at him.

"That was him, wasn't it?" Jonathan turned to the Captain.

"It was." the Captain's voice was disinterested. The wind picked up and the Captain turned for a moment to shout a few orders. Quickly the sails -- the mainsail, the jibs and the mizzen sail -- were unfurled by the men who clung to the yards and rigging by their toes. The sails filled with wind, and, carried by the current and the steady breeze, the Amazon began to pick up speed.

The seaman who steered the ship had his hands resting lightly on the Amazon's huge wheel. Now and again he glanced at the compass.

"Can I try that?" asked Jonathan.

The seaman looked at Captain Gregg, who nodded his approval.

Jonathan set his hands on the wheel. He felt the pull of the ship's rudder and the sea that ran beneath it. "She feels alive." he wondered aloud. The Captain smiled to himself.

"You can take it back now. Thank you." Jonathan said. After relinquishing the wheel, he gazed around happily.

"Captain, it's strange, but it doesn't feel like I'm on a ship at all. Well, it does and it doesn't."

"True. Once you get used to the slow movement of the deck beneath your feet, you tend to forget what it is like to walk on something that does not have a life of its own."

"Claymore says that even hearing about it makes him seasick." Jonathan giggled.

"That puling piece of shark bait? What does he know about the sea? YOU are a true seaman in the making. A lad after my own heart!" the Captain's gaze softened as he looked at the lad. "The only thing that matters on board ship is the wind. Everything a seaman does is decided by the wind. The set of the sheets, the angle of the deck, even the way we hold our bodies all depends on how the wind behaves every day."

Jonathan sighed happily. "This is a great birthday present, Captain. May I go exploring?"

"Carefully. Don't get in the way of any manjack doing his work, mind!"

"Yes, sir!" Jonathan saluted smartly. He wandered about the ship, helping where he could, poking about and picking up bits of knowledge as he went. All the men watched out for him and helped him along. When he met up with the Captain again, he was full of stories. The Captain grinned at the enthusiasm he saw.

"Captain, I think I've been just about everywhere now! The Amazon is really neat! I mean, TRIM!" Then, hearing a shout from above, he saw a sailor braced against the mast far above the deck. Jonathan looked eagerly at the Captain. "Can I go up to the crow's nest, Captain?"

"Aye, lad, if you want to go aloft, you may. Be careful, or your mother will have my head!"

Looking puzzled, Jonathan said slowly, "This is a dream, isn't it, Captain? How could I get into trouble?"

"Jonathan, I have SOME control over your dreams, but you are allowed your own thoughts as well. Dreams are exaggerated and confusing at times, they don't always make sense, and time certainly has no meaning ... often there is no going back to re-capture a dream to set things right. So I can only hope for the best and keep a watchful eye on you. Understand? Your mother would be furious with me, and heartbroken as well, if you fell and broke your head on the deck of my ship ... not to mention how I would feel ... OR how the seamen who would then have to clean up the mess would feel. So BE CAREFUL!" the Captain spoke seriously, but with a touch of humour, knowing that Jonathan would pay close attention.

The boy grinned, and hurried to the ratlines that angled from the rail to the mast high above the deck. He held onto the rough rope and pulled himself up to the first rung. The ratlines were like rope ladders that the seamen used to climb into the rigging. Like a ladder except that it moved. Jonathan's foot slipped once, but he held tightly to the lines.

"That's it, lad!" bellowed the seaman at the wheel. "You're a true seaman now!"

Below him, other sun-browned faces turned upward to watch his scrambling. Jonathan could hear cheers of encouragement. Then he was at the platform where the yard and its billowing sail crossed the mast. The seaman who stood there held out a hand and helped Jonathan up.

"Hold tightly, my boy!" the seaman advised, for the roll and sway of the ship could truly be felt this high in the air. The sea wind was colder and stronger, too. It whipped Jonathan's hair back from his forehead and molded his shirt to his chest.

"This is terrific!" he shouted to the wind.

When he was finally back safely on deck, he sought Captain Gregg again. "Captain, this is a really great present ... but, umm..." he began to falter, looking down sheepishly.

"What is it, lad?" the Captain asked, gently.

"Well ... I wish Mom and Candy could be here too. They should get to see what it was like for you in your time."

The Captain stroked his beard pensively for a moment, then his eyes twinkled. He nodded to the open hatch which led to the hold. Quickly Jonathan looked back. There climbing the companionway steps from the lower deck of the ship were Candy and Carolyn!

Candy rushed immediately over to Jonathan and the Captain, and exuberantly threw herself into the Captain's arms. "Thank you, Captain, for this dream! Thank you!"

"Thank Jonathan, my dear, for it was he who asked for you."

"Thanks, Jonathan. You're a good brother to share." Candy grinned.

Jonathan then ran up to Carolyn who had hesitated near the top of the steps. He hugged her tightly around her waist. "Mom, I'm so glad you're here. And you look beautiful!"

Carolyn hugged him back, laughing. "Thank you. I admit, it seems rather strange to be in long skirts ..." and she brushed at the deep green cotton she found herself in. "Reminds me of the Centennial Day we had in Schooner Bay!"

"The Captain let me go all over the ship! And guess what? He has the figurehead that's in our attic on the front!" Jonathan giggled again. "The Captain says she's a very shapely woman, and it's a woman's shape that is supposed to help in storms."

The Captain and Candy came up at that moment. Carolyn raised her eyebrows at the Captain, having to tilt her head way back since he was standing above her by one step. "A woman's SHAPE helps in storms?"

"Aye, madam. That is the idea behind all figureheads. A woman's shape calms even the fiercest seas," he paused, then, with a wicked twinkle in his eye, added in an undertone meant only for her, "in all areas of life!"

Carolyn swallowed, then started as he held out a hand to help her up the last step onto the deck. Hesitantly she put hers into his, and the warmth of his fingers enclosing her soft ones. Her eyes lifted to his, oblivious to her surrounding, the joy of finally being able to touch him singing through her. She vividly remembered the Christmas dream he had given her, the taste of him on her lips from their embrace on the verandah of Gull Cottage.

Then the children broke the spell she was under. "Captain, can Jonathan show me all over the ship?"

"Of course, Candy." Captain Gregg dragged his eyes away from Carolyn's face, although his hand continued to grip hers. "Remember the rules, Jonathan. And no climbing to the crow's nest ... it's not suitable for anyone in skirts to be going up the ratlines!"

Candy pouted slightly. "If you had let me wear PANTS ..." she began, but glancing at her mother and seeing the slight warning shake of Carolyn's head, Candy shrugged. "Okay, Captain, I'll just look around." She and Jonathan scampered away to explore further.

"Tom?" the Captain turned to the boatswain lingering nearby.

"Aye, sir, I'll keep an eye on the youngsters." and the other man hurried off after the pair.

Hand in hand, Carolyn and the Captain walked slowly to the stern of the ship where the seaman was at the wheel.

"I'll take over for a few minutes, Jake." the Captain spoke with authority. The seaman nodded briskly, disappearing down the nearest hatch for an unexpected rest, while the Captain took his place.

Carolyn studied the man at the wheel with a look of appreciation.

She wondered what it would be like having the feel of a ship beneath her own hands. The Captain was obviously in his glory, and was enjoying himself immensely.

"Come, try it yourself." the Captain's blue eyes were vivid as he suddenly looked at Carolyn and caught her longing look.

She squared her shoulders, and walked to the helm. The Captain moved back a step, allowing her to stand directly in front of him. When she placed her hands on the wheel, she was startled by the tug of the waves. Even with both hands firmly grasping the wheel, she could barely hold it steady.

"It feels ... alive." she said, with a trace of awe.

"Aye. Jonathan said the same thing. The sea is a living,

breathing thing. With a mind of her own." He leaned against her and closed his hands over hers to steady the wheel. He became achingly aware of everything about her. The high colour on her cheeks. The blond hair secured with a wide band. The intoxicating scent uniquely hers that seemed as much a part of her as the soft voice and warm laughter. "Sometimes she's as gentle as a woman in love. And sometimes as violent as a woman betrayed."

"Why do you refer to the sea as she?"

"She's a woman. Every seaman knows that. Even Jonathan. Everywhere you look, she nurtures an abundance of life. There, just ahead, is a school of marlin. See how sleek they are. They can cut through the water faster than any ship. Faster even than the wind."

Carolyn caught a glimpse of their silvery-blue fins as they sliced the water. And became aware of his strength as he kept the ship on a steady course through the choppy waves.

"Over there is a dolphin."

Carolyn glanced over and saw the creature, as frisky as any puppy, keeping pace with the ship.

"Seamen consider them good luck. No matter where we are, no matter how far from land, we see their smiling faces and feel less lonely."

"With all the danger and excitement you faced on exotic shores, I can't imagine you feeling lonely, Captain."

"Aye, there was plenty of danger and excitement. And many an opportunity to visit foreign shores that were lovely." His tone lowered with feeling. "But none of them was Schooner Bay. Or Gull Cottage." And none of the exotic women he had met had matched the rare beauty of this woman.

She shivered. Unconsciously her hands tightened on the wheel.

"The water will be smoother when we leave this channel behind and reach open sea." He lifted a hand to point.

She followed his direction and nodded. "I've never been at sea. It's not at all what I'd expected. It's like being thrust into another world."

"Are you afraid?" He returned his hand to the wheel, his fingers warm and strong as they covered hers, as if to reassure her.

She turned her face slightly to answer him. "No, I'm not afraid. Just enchanted. I never dreamed it could be so beautiful."

Nothing could have pleased him more. He was elated to know that she loved the sea as he did. Pressing his lips to her temple, he murmured, "The beauty of this ocean pales beside yours, my dear."

Carolyn felt the familiar little jolt to her system and stood very still, wishing this moment could go on and on and never end. It felt so good to be standing here, the wind in her hair, the Captain's strong hands on hers. She knew, with absolute certainty, that she was safe in the circle of his arms.

Then again the moment was broken as the children came running up, asking if the grownups had seen the dolphins and the other fish. Jake returned to his post at the wheel and the four moved to the bow so Carolyn could see the figurehead. Somehow it looked much smaller out on the prow of the ship than it had seemed in the attic. Naturally it was not as weathered, either.

Slowly the sun sank beneath the horizon, the fiery red streaking across the sky in glorious colour.

"Thank you, Captain." Jonathan said, quietly. Carolyn and Candy quickly echoed his sentiments. "This has been my best birthday ever."

"May you have many more, and more wonderful ones, lad." the Captain spoke tenderly. "And may you have many dreams, as well as those which come true!"

Both children hugged him tightly, and as his arms encircled them, his eyes sought Carolyn's as she stood nearby. They both felt the other's longing for intimacy, but both realized that this was for the children. They would have other dreams for themselves ...

* * ** * * * * * * * * * * *

Early the next morning, Jonathan stirred, then opened his eyes. Sleepily, he glanced over at his model of the Amazon. The sun was streaming in on the ship in the bottle ... and he remembered his dream with a deep sigh of satisfaction and gratitude to the Captain. Yes, he was sure he WOULD have other dreams. He and Candy and his mother would be able to dream with the Captain for a long time to come.