by Annie Rains
“I know you’re not scared of being on a boat,” he said.
The wind lifted her hair around her face. Smoothing it down with her hands, she looked up at him. “Not at all. More excited, I’d say.”
He unwound the rope anchoring them to the dock and started the motor, guiding his small boat out into the waterway. The pontoon boat was made to move slower than a fishing boat, which theoretically made it a lot safer. In his mind, it was also a romantic boat.
Grace gestured at the cooler. “Are we having dinner out here?” she asked.
He nodded, keeping his eyes on the water as he maneuvered the craft. “Yep. Thought I’d take you on a water tour first. Show you the work that I’ve done with Dewy’s kid.”
“You’re a better person than I am. I wouldn’t have the patience if his kid is anything like him.”
Jack sat down beside her. The seat behind the stern wasn’t wide. His thigh touched hers. If not for the houses lining the banks, he’d be unable to resist touching her more, kissing her, laying her down on the floor and making her moan his name over and over like she’d done the other night.
He stood, busying himself with unnecessary work. “Tristan is actually not bad. We’re all a mixture of our parents. A little of the good and the bad.”
“Right.” Grace’s voice was small behind him.
“I’m not talking about you and your mother.” He glanced back over his shoulder.
“But it’s true. We’re all a little bit of our parents. The best and worst qualities.” Grace pressed her lips together as she looked out on the water.
“You know I’m not your mom’s biggest fan. I do know she’s got a lot of good in her. My father wouldn’t have married her if she didn’t. She wouldn’t have had a daughter like you if she didn’t.” He sat back down beside her.
“Like me?” Her gaze met his.
Good Lord. Those brown eyes of hers were like quicksand. “You have one of the biggest hearts of anyone I’ve ever known.” His throat tightened as he realized something. He wasn’t just lusting, he was falling for this woman. And there was no life jacket or preserver for a man falling overboard like this.
It was either sink or swim.
—
Grace finished the last sip of her red Dixie cup of wine, her brain and body already intoxicated even though she’d only had one cup. A full moon hung above them now, casting its florescent light all around. “Not sure my sea legs will be working as well after this,” she said, placing her emptied cup on the floor beside where she was seated.
They’d moved out into deeper waters now. The trees were just dark shadows in the distance.
“You won’t be walking for a while yet,” Jack said.
Grace’s face took on that uncomfortable, too-much-wine feeling. She looked down to avoid letting Jack see her oversized smile. She wasn’t drunk, just feeling all kinds of good. Part of that had to do with him—a large part.
“You’re beautiful when you smile like that,” he said, sweeping a hand to place her windblown hair behind her ear.
A hot feeling rode up from her toes to her stomach. She pulled her lower lip between her teeth to anchor her runaway smile.
Jack reached for a folded blanket beside the cooler and laid it down on the open floor of the boat. “I know it’s not the most comfortable surface for lying back, but I thought we could look at the stars. It’s a favorite pastime of fishermen, you know.”
“Oh yeah?”
He reached for her hand to help her lower to the floor. She held on to his tightly, surprised at how off balanced she felt. Then they lay back together, close enough that they touched. The soft hair on Jack’s arm resting against hers aroused her senses.
Were they really just going to look at the stars?
Yes, it was all very romantic, but so was doing other things under the stars. Things she’d been thinking about since stepping aboard.
Jack pointed up at the sky and started to speak. Grace was tired of talking, though. Tired of resisting what she wanted, and right now all she wanted was Jack.
Unable to help herself, uninhibited by the wine and the romantic environment, she rolled on top of him and crushed her mouth over his.
Judging by the stiff protrusion that met her inner thigh, he wanted her just as much.
“Well, hello there,” he said, smiling against her mouth.
“I’m sorry,” she said, even though she didn’t mean it.
His hand slid down her back and settled on her bottom, pulling her snug against him. “I’m not. I’d decided tonight was for romance only, but I can’t think of anything more romantic than making love to you on this boat.”
White-hot heat tore through her. She was so hot that maybe it was time to start stripping.
As if reading her mind, Jack tugged the hem of her shirt up on her back and then over her head. The rest of her clothes fell away in the wake of his needy hands until she was tipsy and naked on the floor of his pontoon boat—on a boat ride to nowhere in particular, except his body was promising to shoot her to the low-hanging full moon.
—
Grace sat nervously beside her mother in a large, tastefully decorated waiting room. She’d been anxiously awaiting this appointment with one of the leading doctors for Parkinson’s disease ever since she’d made it last week. It was amazing that they’d gotten in so quickly.
“I thought you were going to stop worrying about me,” her mother said.
“I never agreed to that.” Grace quieted her nervous hands while pretending not to notice her mother’s trembling ones. “This doctor is one of the best. Promise me you’ll listen to him and do what he suggests.”
Her mother shook her head. “I’ll listen, but he’s not God and there is no cure for what I have. So you need to promise me you won’t go and get your hopes up too high.”
“One of us needs to have hope, Mom.”
Her mother’s eyes crinkled at the corners as she smiled. “I hope for a lot of things. You finding a man. Grandchildren. That’s plural, by the way.” She lifted a brow.
As annoyed as Grace was, she had to laugh.
“How are things going with Jack?” her mom asked.
Grace’s laughter skidded to an immediate stop. “Jack?” she asked a little too quickly.
“You’re working with him now, aren’t you?”
“Oh.” Grace let her hair spill over her cheek. Just hearing Jack’s name made her blood rush, and her mother was quick to pick up on things like that. “Well, he trained me in my job at the Sawyer Seafood Company, but he’s doing his own thing now so I don’t see him much at work.” After work was a different story.
“I see.” Her mother stared ahead at a generic painting of the ocean. There was nothing particularly interesting about the picture, so Grace guessed her mother was lost in her own thoughts. A hint of worry revealed itself in her downturned mouth.
“We’ve entered the East Coast fishing tournament. There’s a twenty-thousand-dollar prize.”
Her mother looked over. “You don’t know the first thing about fishing. And Jack isn’t a captain anymore.”
“He still knows his way around a boat.” And around a woman, she thought, hurriedly continuing past her lustful thoughts. What had gotten into her?
Jack, her mind responded. He’d gotten into her and she was loving it.
“Boating and commercial fishing are dangerous, Gracie. Why would you do that?”
Grace frowned. “You told me to fix your mistakes with the Sawyers. To make things right. That’s what I’m doing.”
“I didn’t mean to get yourself killed.” Worry had turned to alarm in her mother’s face. Her tremors intensified.
“You’re supposed to be happy about this. My cut of the prize money could buy back the Beatrice. Even you said that was a good idea.”
“I was wrong. And since when do you listen to my ideas? Buying back that old boat won’t fix anything. I never should’ve asked you to help me. My regrets are not your prob
lem.”
Grace was about to argue that the Sawyers’ disdain for her mother was her problem. It bled over to her and her relationship with Jack.
A door opened and a nurse appeared holding a clipboard. “Tammy Donner,” she called.
They both turned to the nurse. Grace could only imagine the expressions on their faces. Anger. Confusion…Definitely not hope.
“Well, let’s get this over with.” Her mother took an exaggerated moment to stand. Grace tried to help, but her mom swatted her away. She was independent, stubborn, ungrateful…and often hard to love. Grace did love her, though. Her mom was all the family she had in the world. She wanted to take care of her, and her mother would just have to deal with it.
Chapter 11
The following week, Jack listened to his voicemail on his cellphone and smiled to himself. Word about his new business was spreading fast—this was Blushing Bay after all—and someone had called with an offer for more work. Chris would’ve insisted that this called for a night out for drinks at Castaways tonight. Jack couldn’t argue that. Too bad Chris wasn’t here to celebrate. Grace was here, though.
He headed toward the Sawyer Seafood Company to see if she was free. It’d been a couple days since he’d gotten to see her in private. Between her mother and his overbearing family, all they’d managed was a few stolen kisses. As he pulled into the parking lot, he noticed Noah’s truck parked beside her car. Disappointment swirled with aggravation. This secret was putting a damper on things. Jack wanted to be able to shout his feelings to the world—though he hadn’t even shouted how he felt to Grace yet. After their date on the boat, his feelings had only grown stronger. In the past when he’d dated someone, the opposite usually happened. Dating usually made him miss his alone time. Now, when he was alone, he missed hearing Grace’s voice, seeing her smile, touching her skin.
“Hey, man,” Noah said, coming down the steps toward him. “What brings you here?”
Jack stopped and looked at his brother. He should just tell Noah the truth, man to man. That’s what they both deserved. It was also what he and Grace deserved.
“Actually, I’m here to see Grace,” Jack said, bracing himself in case he decided to lay everything out there.
Noah’s brow dipped. “Yeah? She seems to be holding down the fort pretty good in there. Hate to burst your ego bubble, but Grace doesn’t need any more help from you.” He clapped a hand across Jack’s shoulder.
Jack shook his head. “No, I know she doesn’t need me.” Not in the office at least. “She’s doing a great job as our new manager.”
“Even Dad thinks so. Says it’s like he found his long-lost daughter.”
Jack frowned. Not his father, too. Next thing he knew, Sam would also be calling Grace sis.
Noah started walking toward his truck.
“Where’re you going?” Jack called after him.
“I have a date tonight. Not sure if you even remember what that is,” Noah teased. “Oh, wait. You’ve been seeing some chick behind people’s backs. Everyone knows it. Either she’s so hot you don’t want anyone to steal her away, or she’s so ungodly ugly you’re embarrassed to be seen with her in public.” Noah waggled his eyebrows.
Jack ignored him. “I was thinking we should take the Summerly out with Grace tomorrow morning. What do you think? We could do another trial run before the tournament and actually catch some fish this time.”
Noah stopped walking and shoved a hand on his hip. “Yeah? First you agree to do the tournament. Now you’re willing to go out on extra runs just for kicks? This is progress.”
“Not for kicks. To show Grace what it looks and feels like to hook a hundred-pound tuna. We didn’t fish the other day, remember?”
“Right.” Noah grinned and pulled the sunglasses on his head over his eyes. “Well, count me in. See you tomorrow morning, bro.”
Jack watched his brother get into his truck, then proceeded up the steps. He hadn’t laid everything out there just yet, but he’d wanted to. “I’m tired of keeping this thing between us quiet,” he said as soon as he opened the door.
Grace whirled around in her desk chair to look at him. She quickly glanced around the room as if to make sure they were alone. “Only until after the tournament. I thought we agreed.”
“And then what? Until after the holidays, so we don’t ruffle feathers during the merriest time of the year?”
Grace shook her head. “Where is this even coming from?” She laughed, then got up and crossed the room to kiss him lightly. “We’ve barely had our first date, Jack,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Who says we’ll even be together at Christmas?”
Gut punch.
“I don’t like sneaking around.” He felt needy, which was not his usual MO. He didn’t want to need anyone like this. Especially someone who was likely to run from him. He inhaled and started backtracking. “You’re probably right. Christmas is a few months off. We might not even be—”
Her eyes narrowed. Damned if he did and damned if he didn’t. “We should focus on winning the tournament first.”
She nodded. “Do you think we have a shot at actually winning?”
“Not with a captain who’s never caught a fish.”
A frown settled on her mouth. “I’ve caught pinfish.”
“Come out with Noah and me tomorrow morning. We’ll show you what it means to catch a real fish.”
Her eyes lit up. “But what about the office?”
“It can stay locked up for a few hours. We have voicemail. Say yes.”
Grace smiled, still wrapped snugly in his arms, exactly where he wanted her. “Sounds like fun. I can’t wait.”
“Good.”
Grace started to glance worriedly around the room, but he stopped her and kept her face directed at him.
“Don’t worry, we’re alone. So now that we’ve planned for tomorrow, I was wondering if you had plans for tonight. I got an offer for another job this afternoon.”
“That’s terrific, Jack.”
“It is. I’m stoked. So do you feel like going out to get some celebratory drinks with me later? I know it’d be out in a public place. We can keep our hands off each other for a couple hours, though, right? Celebrate as friends and then celebrate afterward as…” He lowered his voice. “More than friends.”
Grace removed herself from his hold and walked back over to her desk chair and plopped down. “Tempting, but I actually have plans with Krista and Abby tonight. It’s Thirsty Thursday.”
“Krista Nelson and Abby Sawyer? You’re ditching me for a couple of girls?”
Grace reached out for him to take her hand. Just that simple touch tugged on his heart. “It’s been awhile since I’ve had time for real friends. I can’t ditch them just because I found a sweet, handsome, amazing lover.”
He waggled his eyebrows, then gestured to the corner of her desk. He recognized the pale yellow box. “Is that from Aunt Mira?”
“Uh-huh.” A large smile swept across her face.
“Chocolate fudge?” he asked hopefully.
“Yep, and it’s all mine.” She laughed out loud.
“No. No, no, no, no. That’s not how friendship works. Friends share with each other.”
“Friends with benefits have different rules.” She laughed as he tried to reach past her for the fudge.
“Friends with benefits, huh? Is that what this is?” He stopped reaching and allowed himself to hover over her. If anyone walked in right now, their cover would be blown. He couldn’t seem to resist this woman, though.
“What would you call it?”
“I’m not sure. It’s unprecedented for me, that’s for sure.”
“You mean you don’t hook up with your ex-stepsisters all the time?”
“You’re the only one,” he said, landing a soft kiss on her lips. That was as close as he’d gotten to telling her how he felt. “Now hand over the fudge,” he said, teasing her.
—
After work, Grace headed home
to get ready for her night with the girls. As she waited for Krista’s brother, Joey, to come pick her up, she stared at her computer screen and the email that she’d just written to Garrison Tomlin. Her finger hovered over the Send button. She’d considered calling the Beatrice’s owner to ask if he was interested in selling her the boat. An email was better, though, because it would give him a chance to get beyond his initial knee-jerk reaction. Garrison could say no on the phone, and then what? With an email, he had time to think about her request. If she won the tournament, she’d be able to offer him good money to buy back the Beatrice.
Joey’s cab honked outside of Grace’s apartment. Taking a deep breath, she hit Send, then grabbed her purse and hurried out the front door. She’d spent a ridiculous amount of time getting dressed tonight, even though she’d eventually settled on a fitted pair of jeans and a black stretchy top. Her mother was right. She really had needed to get a life. Only a month ago, she’d worked every night at Dewy’s, then come home and catered to her mother’s needs. Nothing in her life had been about what she’d wanted or needed. Now things were different. Her mother didn’t seem to need her anymore. She had Mrs. Smith. And Grace had friends, too.
“Hi, everyone!” Grace scooted in beside Abby in the backseat of the cab. Krista sat up front with her brother.
“Hey, Grace,” Krista said over her shoulder from the front passenger seat. “Ready to go have some girl fun?”
Abby groaned. “You make what we’re doing tonight sound like a kindergarten playdate.”
Grace laughed. “Whatever it is, I’m definitely ready.” The same could be true for Jack. Whatever was happening between them—friends with benefits or much more—she was ready for it.