by Elle Viviani
“Here.”
“Ah ha,” I cry, earning a puzzled look from Koa. I point a finger at him. “You also stayed in the same place.”
He gives a noncommittal shrug. “I went away for a little.”
“For college?”
“Military,” he says with a perfunctory shake of his head.
I stare at him, definitely not expecting that to be his answer. He seems too wild for such rigidity. Of course, this only turns me on more now that I know my crush is wild and deadly. Quite the clothes-melting combo.
“Which branch?”
“Navy.”
“When did you join?”
“After high school.”
“How long?”
“Five years.”
“Why did you leave?”
“It was…” his jaw works as his eyes roam above the crowd “…time.”
Our order is called, stopping me from prying even further into what’s clearly a touchy subject. He hands me my to-go cup and then ushers me outside. “I thought we could walk around downtown for a bit before grabbing dinner. It’s early, but I’m always hungry.”
“Sounds great,” I say, impressed he’s put this much thought into it. Guys have controlled every single date I’ve been on, but this one felt different. It didn’t seem like some power play or showboating with Koa. He didn’t seem like the guy who went on a lot of dates—I mean, showing me around town. I need to stop calling today a date, for Christ’s sake.
The winding alleyways and hilly cobblestone streets of downtown Portland charm the socks off me. We pop into a few adorable shops, and more than a few eateries, and soon my stomach is filled with a motley assortment of delectable things. I couldn't resist trying chocolate covered bacon from the candy store. And then a little bit of gelato from its neighbor. And then just a handful of popcorn from the popcorn store. Did I mention they have an entire store dedicated to beef jerky? I grabbed a bag for Gramps. Not for me, I swear.
I kept glancing over at Koa each time we stepped into another store, but he never said a word. He even got a bag of s’mores popcorn for himself, God bless him. I like a man that I can eat around.
“Where’s dinner?” I ask, shoving both his bag of popcorn and my jerky into my purse. Yes, gentlemen, that’s why we women have enormous bags. They do serve a purpose.
“Local seafood joint. It’s kinda off the beaten path and it’s not fancy.” He throws me a sideways glance. “That okay?”
“Perfect,” I say, giving him a big smile.
He blinks a few times, then picks up his pace. “It’s a bit of a walk, but you wore sensible shoes.”
“Heels on these cobblestones? No, thank you.”
He nods approvingly. “You should see this place at 2am. It’s a different story.”
“I can imagine…”
Because I really can. I was one of those girls when I visited a friend up in Boston, a place where cobblestone streets abound. Adorable in the daytime, deadly after you’ve had a few cosmopolitans.
“Cool if we hoof it over there, then?”
I hoist my bag onto my shoulder and nod. “Let’s do this.”
An hour later, I push back my plate and sigh in deep satisfaction. “That was delicious!”
Koa grins back at me. Butterflies take flight in my (very full) stomach at the sight. “Glad you liked it. I’ve come here for years.”
“Do you bring all your out-of-town guests here?”
“I don’t really have a lot of guests. You’re the first person I’ve taken here.”
“Oh…” I trail off as that blush creeps up my neck again. Thankfully the waiter chooses that moment to drop off the check. I lunge for it and snatch it off the table.
“No, wait—”
I hold it out of reach as Koa tries to grab it. “Nope! My treat.” I tuck my credit card inside the billfold and lay it back on the table.
“You don’t have to do that,” Koa says, growing uncomfortable.
“It’s a thank you dinner for showing me around today. You had to take time off work, and I know neither of us thought…”
“What?”
“Well, I bet you weren’t expecting to have a random girl foisted on you this summer.” Koa shrugs, but I can tell I’ve hit upon the truth. “And, honestly, neither did I.” I pause as the waiter comes by for the bill. “But they’re my grandparents and I don’t want to hurt their feelings.”
A small smile plays on Koa’s lips. “Yup, same.”
“Plus, I’m here to help them this summer, even though it doesn’t look like they need my help.”
Koa studies me for a moment, then leans forward. “They don’t, but I think they just wanted to see you. You should’ve seen how excited Captain was when he told me you were coming.”
“Captain?”
He chuckles, a deep, gravely sound that sends those damn butterflies airborne again. “He told me to stop calling him ‘sir,’ but I won’t call him ‘Gerry’ to save my life.”
“And what about ‘Grandma Jane’?”
“That’s her name to me,” he answers, shrugging. I wait for him to expand, but he stays silent.
The waiter brings back the bill, and I busy myself with filling it out, grateful for the break in eye contact with the man sitting across from me. He’s clearly not a big sharer, but I like that. Of course I find mysterious men utterly tantalizing.
Koa pushes back from the table once I’ve slid my credit card back into my wallet. “Ready?”
“Ready.” The door swings shut behind me as we step out onto the sidewalk, and we head back to where this day started: the trendy coffeeshop at the foot of Main Street. “I had fun tonight,” I say after a few blocks.
“Me too.” Koa motions to my bike as it comes into view. “Want me to drive you home? You can throw your bike in the back of my truck.”
“That’s really nice of you, but I’ll be okay. I like riding at night when it’s quiet and calm.”
“And dangerous. Your grandparents would kill me if you got hit by a car.”
“I’ll be fine…” I steal a glance at him. “Thanks again, Koa, for showing me around. Good luck with your season.”
His head turns in surprise. “You don’t want to keep hanging out, then? Like Captain wants?”
“I’d love to, but I know you’ve got bigger and more important things to do.” I stop as we reach my bike and hold out my hand, trying to make this easy on the poor guy. I know he’s in a tight spot. “So maybe I’ll see you around?”
He studies at my hand, lost in thought, before taking it slowly. His hand is hard and rough under my palm. “Yeah,” he says quietly, his deep voice washing over me like an ocean wave.
We let go after what feels like an eternity, and I turn toward my bike. Half to unlock it, half to not look into that alluring face a moment longer. My fingers shake slightly as I grapple with my bike chain, but eventually it springs free and drops to the pavement. I throw it in my basket, grab my bike, and pull it around to the road.
“Goodnight, Koa,” I say, sliding onto the seat.
“G’night, Summer.”
I drag my eyes up and take a long look at the handsome man standing in front of me before I kick off. A little sigh escapes my lips. It’s a pity we won’t be hanging out while I’m here. He is damn fine eye candy for this city girl.
The foyer’s dark and laced with shadows as I step through the front door. I add my sandals to the pile of boots and sneakers shoved under the wooden bench and head toward the only light on in the house: the kitchen. I spot my grandparents through the screen door as I round the corner. They’re on the back porch, rocking softly back and forth in two of the rocking chairs.
“How was your day?” Gran calls, waving me over.
I grab a beer from the fridge and join them in the cool night air. “It was fun,” I admit. “Koa’s a low-key guy. It was nice of him to take a day off to show me around.”
My grandparents exchange a look.
“We�
�re so glad to hear it,” Gran says with a secretive smile. I immediately tense. I know that smile, I see it on my mom all the time, usually before she’s about to suggest something that you don’t want to hear.
“Happy to hear it,” Gramps adds, fiddling with the label of his Yuengling. Looks like Gran’s loosening up on the reins a little. “You know, your grandmother and I were thinking, and…well…”
Oh boy. Gramps lacked the finer subtleties of lying, and bless him for it. At least I now know I’m headed for rough waters.
Gran takes over. “What your grandpa’s trying to say is that we have a problem that we think you could help us with.”
“Oh really? Well, you know I’m here to help.”
Gran pats the couch cushion next to her. “Course you are, my dear. And that’s why we wanted to ask you if you’d be up for it.”
I take a seat and lean forward eagerly. “Shoot.”
“It’s about Koa…”
That darn blush! I duck my head and thank heaven that the porch lights are dim.
“He’s under a lot of stress trying to manage the whole fleet on his own and going out on the water each day…”
“Was my first mate until two weeks ago,” Gramps jumps in. “It’s a lot of responsibility for one person.”
“He needs a first mate, and your grandfather and I have someone in mind.”
I glance at between my grandparents, clearly not picking up on what they’re trying to say. “Who?”
“You, dear.”
My body goes still. “Me?”
“You betcha,” Gramps says, clapping his knee with his good hand.
I give a half-hearted laugh. “This is some kind of joke.”
“No, we really think you’d be perfect for the job.”
“But I—I’m not qualified!”
“Sure you are!” Gramps leans forward. “You know the seas. You’ve been fishing since you could walk. You can sail and take orders and handle yourself on the water.”
“But Gramps, that was years ago. I haven’t been on a boat in…in over four years! I haven’t fished in ten.”
“The craft never leaves you,” he says dismissively.
“This isn’t some sailing trip. You’re talking about commercial fishing. For lobsters! They’re huge and have claws!”
Gran reaches over and pats my hand. “We wouldn’t ask you if we didn’t think you could handle it.”
“And Koa’s a great teacher. He’ll be more than happy to show you the ropes while you catch up.”
“Did he say that?”
“He will.”
I cross my arms. “Koa doesn’t know, does he?”
Gramps takes a long sip of his beer. Too long. “Well, we wanted to ask you first…”
“And I think this is a bad idea.”
“My dear,” Gran says softly, “I think you’d be bored this summer if you don’t have something to occupy your time.”
“I have studying and helping you two.”
“We’re fine, and you can study at night. But right now, the business needs you. Koa needs a partner in all this, and we know you’re the right girl for the job. Even if you are a little rusty.”
“I still don’t know…”
“That’s okay,” Gran says sadly. She looks at Gramps with a wistful smile. “I guess we’ll just have to get by this season and hope for the best.”
Aaand they’ve won me over. Darn guilt-sweet old ladies and their artful guilt trips. Now I know where my mom gets it.
I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Okay, I’ll do it.”
Amid their cries of joy and approval, I think about what I just signed up for. Fishing isn’t technically what I expected to do this summer, but my grandparents need my help, and if being holed up on a boat with a handsome man all summer is their idea of “helping,” then sign me up.
Plus I’ll get to know Koa a little better, which holds a certain appeal to my out-of-control hormones. At least with the hot sun and brisk sea wind I can blush without him noticing—one way to cure a blushing problem. The other, more sane way, is to not see the guy.
Welp. Looks like that’s permanently off the table.
6
Koa
I look up and find my annoying “first mate” doing her darnedest to ruin the giant reel affixed to the side of the boat. I thought I’d reached my limit when Summer opened the wrong door on the lobster pot and let a huge catch swim free. Or when she threw a bucket of perfectly good bait over the side instead of the runoff water. Or when she simultaneously lost all our fishing line and tied a line into a herculean knot. I’m not even sure how that last one’s possible, but Summer managed it.
But all that paled in comparison to this. If she puts that reel out of order, then we might as well call it quits, because we’re useless out here without it.
“Summer!” I yell. Her head snaps up as I stomp over to her. “What do you think you’re doing?”
Her hands go still as she stares at me. “I…I was trying to disentangle the line.”
I glance down at the mess around her. Disentangle? Fat chance. “Why was it even tangled in the first place?”
“Ahh…yes, I can explain that.”
“I’d love to hear it, because that reel was in perfect working order when we left dock this morning. And now—” I wave my hand at the catastrophe lying in a heap on the deck “—it’s a shitshow.”
“I’m sorry! I think I pushed the wrong button when I was trying to move it over the side. It wouldn’t stop lowering so I, uh, pushed another button to make it go back up and…”
“Well?”
She flinches. “It collapsed on the deck.”
I throw my head back and groan. “That button is for when we’re dropping our catch on the deck. The deck, Summer! Not the ocean!” I step forward and snatch the line out of her hands. “Just let me handle this. I think you’ve done enough.”
Her teeth tug on her bottom lip. “I said I was sorry.”
“So? That doesn’t change the fact that we’re dead in the water until I fix this. Can’t bring the pots up if we don’t have a working reel.”
“Hey, I’m new at this! Cut me a little slack.”
I take a deep breath and remember who’s granddaughter she is. That, and that alone, has kept me from pitching her over the side today. “Sorry,” I struggle out through grit teeth. “I’m just…”
Angry, overworked, and annoyed you’re here?
“…stressed.”
“And that’s why I’m here, to help, but I’ll need a little guidance. I’ve never done anything like this.”
I stare at her. Oh. I know.
It was a nasty and unwelcome surprise when Captain called me up to tell the “good news,” as he put it. He found me a first mate! And was it a professional, experienced fisherman at the top of his game? No! It was his city-dwelling, twenty-something granddaughter! You can imagine that I had a few questions for the old man.
Had she ever been commercial fishing before? No.
Had she ever caught a lobster? Afraid not.
Had she ever been on a frickin’ boat? Yes.
Oh okay, I can work with that…
Five years ago.
Shit. And now this walking hurricane and I are supposed to lead his fleet of five boats during the height of the season. What exactly had I done to deserve this?
Summer glances over her shoulder at the heap of fishing rods leaning next to the stairs. “Why don’t I organize those so they’ll be easy to reach when we need them?”
I look up from the knot in my hands and frown. Organize fishing rods? What? We don’t even use them. “I don’t think that’s…” I trail off as an idea hits me. “Actually, sure! That’s a great idea.”
Summer beams under my approval. “I’ll get right to it…captain,” she adds with a grin.
I force a tight smile on my face as she moves off. Sure, go ahead and do a completely ridiculous and useless task. In fact, as I work on the knot f
rom hell, I start thinking of an entire list of menial tasks that will keep Summer occupied. If I’m going to be stuck with her, the least I can do is keep her alive and out of my hair.
There’s organizing the maps in alphabetical order…mopping the deck before we push off (that one’s completely pointless, but safe)…organizing the lobster pots…
A thunderous crash of metal on metal jars me out of my happy thoughts. A quick glance around the deck uncovers that Summer’s managed to do the impossible: she’s bungled a totally useless task. My jaw drops as I survey the scene. Rods are everywhere, a few are broken, even more are tangled. All the lines are off their reels and a few have even fallen down the stairs that lead belowdeck.
I watch through horrified eyes as a few rods roll toward the back of the boat. They’re heading right for the panel that leads to the ladder. The panel that should have been closed. One guess who forgot to close it after she threw the bait over the side.
I drop the rope and lunge for the rods. Captain will kill me if I lose his top-of-the-line equipment. “No! They’re going over the—”
I yell as my feet connect with a knot the size of Texas. My hands dart out to try to catch the railing, but I end up heading for the deck instead. I twist my body at the last moment and land on my ass. Hard.
A gasp behind me draws my attention. Summer wide-eyed and pointing at my feet. “Be careful, you’re all caught in the line!”
“I know,” I snap, twisting and tugging at the coarse fibers entangling my legs. I’m breaking the cardinal sin of fishing: don’t get caught in the line. It’s the easiest way to get swept over the side, and it’s no easy feat to tread water when your legs are trapped in rope.
“Let me help you—”
“No1” I point over her shoulder as she starts toward me. “The rods, save the rods.”
Summer whirls around and catches sight of the runaway equipment. A groan escapes me as the first rod goes tumbling over the side. I’m a dead man walking once Captain finds out.
Summer grabs the closest rod to her and flings it back toward the pile, then darts forward and scoops up the second, tossing it back with the others. I let out a sigh of relief as she gets the situation under control, and turn my attention back to these knots. They’re insanely tight, which I want to blame on Summer, but I’m pretty sure it’s from my thrashing around. A few more pulls and tugs and twists and I’m free.