Look the Other Way

by Kristina Stanley

  What the heck. It was only a drink.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Jake

  Nassau, Bahamas

  “Who’s checking in please?” a female voice asked over the single sideband radio.

  At seven twenty a.m. Jake had tuned the radio to the BASRA weather report frequency. A Dog’s Cat bumped gently against the dock in Nassau. He’d listen to the weather report, then they could make a plan for the day.

  Shannon appeared up the stairs from the port side and stood beside him.

  “What are you listening to?”

  He was all too aware of her skimpy pajamas. “Shh.” He turned up the volume. “There’s a lot of static.”

  One after another, people announced their boat name. Night Wind announced itself second last in the list. The network controller called each boat. The boats gave their location, the current weather conditions, and the number of boats in the anchorage.

  “Night Wind is at Allens Cay. Let’s get the boat ready and sail there.”

  “Is that where the iguanas are?” Shannon asked.

  Jake tried not to ogle her, but really, couldn’t she have gotten dressed? With her disheveled hair, she deserved to be taken back to bed and have it messed with some more.

  “I don’t know, but if Nicole is on Night Wind, it’s where she is.”

  “I’ll put coffee on.” Shannon turned on the solenoid that allowed gas to travel from the propane tanks stored in the cockpit to the stove.

  “I’ll take Piddles for a walk, check out, and then we can go.” Jake couldn’t get to the dock fast enough. Even if he hadn’t sworn off women, he wouldn’t pick his boss’s niece as the first woman he hit on.

  Jake walked for half an hour, tied Piddles outside the marina office, and strolled inside. By the time he finished checking out, he’d been away from the boat for almost forty-five minutes. He crossed the dock with his long legs at full stride, and Piddles trotted to keep up with him.

  He reached the pier where A Dog’s Cat was docked and broke into a run.

  Jake used his cop voice and yelled, “Hey. Step back from her.”

  Darren stood inches from Shannon and shoved the heel of his hand into her chest. She fell backward and landed on her bum. Piddles reached Darren before Jake and bit his ankle. Darren kicked her, and she yelped and ran to Shannon’s side.

  “Good girl,” Shannon said.

  Jake grabbed the back of Darren’s t-shirt and hauled him away from Shannon and Piddles.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I want my watch back.” Darren positioned his leg as if he were going to kick Piddles again.

  “Kick the dog again, and I’ll kick you twice as hard,” Jake said.

  Shannon stood and moved behind Jake.

  “Are you okay?” he asked her.

  “I’m fine.” Shannon put her hand on the small of his back, and he realized at that moment, he’d do anything to keep her safe.

  “Get lost,” Jake said to Darren.

  “You can’t take stuff off my boat and expect to get away with it.”

  “That watch didn’t belong to you. You’re lucky I didn’t report you to the cops.”

  Darren laughed. “Like the cops are going to do anything about a watch. Bobby gave it to me. I’m not a thief.”

  “Are you sure the last time you saw Bobby was in Nassau?”

  “I don’t lie.”

  “Sure you don’t. I’ll find out if you spent time with him after Nassau. What else did you take off his boat?”

  “What are you, a cop?”

  “Ex RCMP, so stay away from Shannon.”

  “Or what?”

  Jake straightened his back and flexed his biceps. He knew he could make himself be intimidating. He’d cultivated the look when he was an officer.

  “Or I’ll take care of you.”

  * * *

  Adrenaline rushed through Jake. He clenched his fists, then stretched his fingers straight. He stepped off the dock and followed Shannon onto A Dog’s Cat.

  She lifted the back hem of her shorts. A sliver of wood from the dock stuck in her butt, and Jake tried to conceal his smile.

  “You want me to help you with that?”

  “No, I can do it.” She pulled the shorts back down. “Do you think Darren followed us here?”

  Without realizing what he was doing, Jake moved a strand of hair off her forehead. She lifted her head, and her lips were inches from his. All he had to do was lean in, but he didn’t deserve someone like Shannon. He’d only hurt her in the end, just like Becky. How could he trust what he felt for a woman again? He thought he’d loved Becky. And then he hadn’t. Besides, he had a job to do. He wasn’t here for his love life.

  “I don’t know. Did he hurt you?”

  “Uh uh. But thanks for sticking up for me. It’s odd he cares so much about a watch. Maybe Uncle Bobby really did give it to him.”

  “Or maybe something’s suspicious about Bobby’s death, and Darren knows it. He might be trying to find out what we know. Or he could really think the watch is his. The guy’s not right.”

  “You don’t think Uncle Bobby’s death was an accident?”

  “That’s a big leap from what we know, but something doesn’t add up here.” Jake squatted and ran his hands over Piddles’ body, trying to determine if she’d been injured. She didn’t yelp or shy away from his hands. “I think she’s okay.”

  Jake twisted the keys at the helm station, and the engines roared to life. “Let’s get going.”

  Shannon closed the gate in the lifeline and secured Piddles in the cockpit.

  Jake sniffed. “What’s that smell?”

  “I made you eggs.”

  “Why?”

  “For helping us follow Uncle Bobby’s trail.”

  Jake entered the salon and poked at the eggs. “Half the pan’s empty.”

  “So?”

  He broke into a grin. “So, did you eat the eggs?”

  Shannon blushed. “That’s none of your business. Do you want them or not?”

  “I do. I must be a good influence on you. I’ll have you eating meat before we get to George Town.”

  Shannon flicked a tea towel at him. “Never going to happen.”

  “Wanna bet?”

  “Eggs and meat are very different foods. Besides, I sometimes eat eggs.” Shannon went below and came back with tweezers. Under the bright sunlight in the cockpit, she tried to remove the sliver. After several minutes of ripping skin instead of getting the sliver out, she gave up.

  Jake put a hand out for the tweezers. “Let me help.”

  Shannon pressed her lips between her teeth and squinted at him. She passed him the tweezers.

  “Fine.”

  “Bend over.”

  Shannon bent and lifted her shorts out of the way.

  “Try not to enjoy yourself too much.”

  Jake did his best to focus on the sliver but found it impossible. Her butt cheeks rounded out of the bottom of her shorts, and he wanted to see more. He snagged the wood and pulled. The sliver came out clean.

  “You should put antibiotic cream on that.”

  “You and your cream. You think it’s the cure for every ailment.”

  “Ha ha. You ready to get going?”

  “I got another email from Debi.” Shannon opened the lid of her laptop and let Jake read it.

  “What do you want to do?” he asked.

  “Not what Debi wants us to.”

  * * *

  Jake steered A Dog’s Cat into the anchorage at Allens Cay. At six knots over ground, they’d reached the cay in just under six hours. The coral heads in the Yellow Banks had remained at depths not threatening to the hull of A Dog’s Cat, and they’d left Nassau and New Providence Island diminishing on the horizon until there was nothing to see.

  Shannon stood beside him at the helm and pointed to the end of the anchorage.

  “There she is.”

  Night Wind floated in the northern most part of t
he anchorage, tugging at her anchor chain. Several small islands formed a barrier around the anchorage, giving boats good protection from the wind.

  Jake had read the current between the islands caused problems. When wind blew against the current, large waves tended to build. Strong enough wind could cause the boat to sit stern to the waves. An uncomfortable feeling at best, and if they weren’t trying to find Nicole Dace, he probably would have suggested skipping Allens Cay.

  Shannon sat beside him on the two-person helm seat. He found the scent of her sunscreen mixed with sweat intoxicating.

  “Where do you want to drop the hook?” she asked.

  “Let’s get as close to Night Wind as we can.”

  Shannon strolled to the bow, bent, and grabbed the windlass control. She held her thumb over the button that would turn on power and lower the anchor. Jake averted his eyes. He would not fall for his boss’s niece. He’d enjoyed the time they’d spent in Nassau, but that was all.

  Once the hook was set, Shannon joined Jake at the stern. A pulley system of lines connecting the dinghy to the stainless-steel crossbars of the davits meant lowering the dinghy was a two-person job. The dinghy hit the ocean with a splash, and Shannon disappeared inside for a moment. She returned with her hat and sunglasses, ready to go to the beach with him.

  “I think you should stay here.” He motioned to the beach with the top of his head. “Nicole is feeding the iguanas. I’ll go talk to her.”

  “So she’s the same woman who asked to crew for you in Nassau?”

  “She is.”

  “What about Peanut? She needs a walk.”

  “We can take her later to that smaller beach to the south. I don’t think we should bring her near the iguanas.”

  Shannon sighed, and he thought she might argue her way into the dinghy, but she caved.

  “Here, give her a boat card.” She passed Jake a laminated card with the boat name, her email address, and cell number, and shrugged. “You never know, she might want to contact us.”

  Jake drove the dinghy to the beach, threw the anchor in the sand, and hopped ashore. He sauntered toward Nicole.

  “Hey, stranger,” she said.

  “Hi, Nicole.”

  She pulled on the top of her bikini bra, drawing attention to her breasts. The red material complimented her tanned skin, and she probably knew it.

  “You remember my name. I’m flattered.”

  Jake wore beach shorts. He was bare-chested and bare-footed, and he watched Nicole take him in. Instinctively, he sucked in his gut. He’d stopped wearing a shirt since Debi left the boat, and his chest hairs were slowly turning blond. “I remember everyone’s name.”

  “Where’s your crew?”

  “On the boat. What boat did you end up on?” Jake knew but decided to test her honesty.

  She put her hand on one hip and pointed at Night Wind with the other.

  “Tell me about Bobby Hall,” Jake said.

  Nicole’s face turned a deep shade of red, almost as if she’d gotten an instant sunburn. “Who?”

  “Bobby Hall. The man you sailed with last winter.”

  An iguana ran around Nicole’s foot, and she kept her eyes on it. She dropped a piece of lettuce, and the iguana snatched the green leaf off the sand. A second iguana ran in for its share. Little miniature dinosaurs scrambling for food.

  “I’m not sure I know who you’re talking about.”

  Jake shoved one iguana away from his foot. He hadn’t brought food and wasn’t keen on being close to the creature and its sharp row of teeth.

  “Bobby was a friend of mine.”

  “Not ringing any bells.”

  Jake gave her his best I-don’t-believe-you look. “I know you were on board with him from Nassau to Staniel. Maybe even farther south.”

  “How could you know that?”

  Jake let his eyes run down her neckline, between her breasts, across the star tattoo on her belly, and down her smooth legs. He could tell it was the type of attention she liked.

  “You’re not exactly forgettable and people talk.”

  So unlike Shannon. And why had he thought about Shannon? He was alone on a beach with a beautiful woman who was giving him the ‘I’m available’ signals. A woman who probably wouldn’t want any kind of commitment. Someone he could have fun with, but not get to know.

  “Tell me about your time with Bobby.”

  “What’s the big deal? I crewed with him for a couple of weeks. It’s hardly memorable.”

  “You know he died?”

  “Everybody knows that. It was all over the radio.”

  “I guess you’re right. That’s not memorable. When was the last time you saw him?”

  “Tell me why you’re interested, and I might share.”

  Jake, Debi, and Shannon had asked anyone they’d met about Bobby. They hadn’t been secretive, and Nicole might already know the story.

  “The woman who owns A Dog’s Cat is Bobby’s widow.”

  “Now, that is interesting. Are you dating her?”

  “I’m her captain.”

  “Is she trying to find out what happened to him?”

  Jake shrugged. “Maybe, but I think she really just wants to know where he sailed.”

  “What do you want from me? Apart from a little fun.” She raised her eyes expectantly.

  Jake returned the look, blazing with innuendo he didn’t feel. “When did you last see him?”

  She huffed. “In George Town.”

  “Did you have an affair with him?”

  Nicole grinned. “Why would I tell you that?”

  “To brag maybe. How long were you with him in George Town?”

  “We sailed there together, and he kicked me off his boat if you must know.”

  “Why?”

  “He got tired of me.”

  “That’s hard to believe.”

  “Believe whatever you want. I’m sick of this conversation.”

  Jake yanked Shannon’s boat card from his front pocket and handed it to her. “If you think of anything you might like to share with us, can you get in touch?”

  She took the card, tossed the last of her lettuce to the onslaught of iguanas, and walked to her dinghy. Her hips swung from one side to the other and back again. She picked up her dinghy anchor, shoved the dinghy off the beach, and started the engine.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Shannon

  Allens Cay

  Shannon hunched in the cockpit of A Dog’s Cat, feeling like a jealous girlfriend, trying to check out Jake and Nicole without looking as if she were watching them. Nicole’s body language made it obvious she was hitting on Jake. Witch.

  Jake was way too good for a woman like Nicole. To think she tried to have an affair with Uncle Bobby. Her uncle would never fall for a younger woman, especially one as obvious as Nicole. He wasn’t the type.

  Shannon didn’t want to watch anymore. Instead of stewing about her uncle, she grabbed her laptop and searched for a Wi-Fi connection. Of course, there wasn’t one. She slammed the lid shut.

  Her phone chirped, announcing the arrival of a text message. Probably Lance, so she ignored it for a few moments. She pushed the memory of Lance in his boxer shorts, standing in the kitchen, looking guilty, out of her mind. She’d proposed to Lance, not the other way around. Maybe that should have told her he wasn’t as committed as she was. She didn’t like that memory either. No matter what crossed her mind about Lance, it hurt.

  She decided to delete the message without reading it.

  She reached over to the navigation station and grabbed her phone. Charlie’s name appeared on the screen, not Lance’s. She held her breath and wondered what her brother wanted.

  Got ur message. What’s up?

  Typical Charlie. Taking weeks to get back to her and then not having anything to say. She wondered how long he’d thought about her voicemail before deciding it was worthy of a response. She wanted to talk to him, not text, but that would be expensive and probably a wa
ste of time.

  Hi, she texted back.

  Where u be?

  Bahamas. With Aunt Debi.

  A minute passed before the phone chirped again.

  Why?

  Shannon thought about how to answer that.

  Got fired. Had nothing better to do.

  What about Lance?

  Dumped me.

  Bummer. Why’d you call?

  Shannon was getting pissed. She’d just told him she’d been fired and her fiancé dumped her, and he wanted to know why she called. Typical Charlie. He knew how to hurt her.

  To tell you I left the country.

  Thx. But not necessary.

  Shannon swallowed her anger. She missed her little brother. They’d had a difficult relationship, but he was her brother and that was worth working for.

  Can u take holiday? Meet us in Bahamas?

  Too busy. Gotta go.

  Someday she’d figure out what had gone wrong between them, but today wouldn’t be that day.

  She heard the dinghy engine. She tossed her phone below onto her berth. She waited until Jake tied the dinghy to the stern and Peanut danced around his feet before she entered the cockpit.

  “Well, what’d she tell you?”

  “She admitted to sailing with Bobby to George Town. She said she was kicked off Waterfall when they got there.”

  “Did she say why?”

  “Nope. She cut the conversation short when I asked about that.”

  “You talked with her for a long time. She must have shared something useful.”

  “Not really. I had to chat her up to get her to talk at all.”

  “I’m sure that was difficult.”

  Jake grinned and put his hand over his heart. “Are you jealous?”

  “Yeah. That’s me. All Miss Jealous. I tried to connect to Wi-Fi but couldn’t. I sent Debi a text telling her where we are but haven’t heard back. I think we should start our way to Staniel tomorrow in case she shows up there.”