He tucked his wallet back into the zippered pocket of his pants and took the pen, scribbled his signature on the line of the form.
“Hey, Boone.” Casper Christiansen appeared from the storeroom with a stack of shoeboxes he plopped on the countertop. “How’s it going?”
“Good. I decided to buy in on all the local fun and give kayaking a go.” He met Vivien’s eyes across the counter. “Everyone says it’s a must do.”
Casper glanced at the calendar next to the cash register, looked at the lesson appointment schedule. He raised a brow at Vivien and she flashed him a smile and took the waiver from Boone.
“Looks like Vivien’s getting you all set up for your lesson with—”
“I am,” Vivien interjected. She held out a hand to Casper. “I’ve got this all under control.”
Casper frowned, shot her a look.
Well, he clearly didn’t understand the workings of a matchmaker. A matchmaker had to be adept. Subtle. Not scare off the prospects.
Just give the gentle suggestion, present the opportunity, and let nature take its course.
She turned to Boone. “Follow me.”
She led him down the aisle to Beth as the family of five departed for the cash register with their bright yellow life vests.
She held out her hands, Vanna White–style. “Here’s your instructor, Beth.” Ta-da.
If only she had the confetti. The flashing lights.
Beth wrung her hands together, her feet looking stuck solid like she’d landed in spring mud. Clearly, if she was going to make la petite vixen out of Beth, the girl was going to need encouragement. A lot of it.
Vivien gave her a little nudge toward Boone. “Beth is one of our finest instructors—our current employee of the month.” She placed her hands on Beth’s shoulders from behind and gave them a supportive squeeze. “Not only that, but in high school, she was a champion swimmer.”
Beth turned to Vivien, her words barely audible as a blush crept up her neck. “Wow. I feel like I was just offered at the annual fundraising auction.” She ducked her head, but her eyes looked up at Boone.
“Oh, don’t be silly! You’re so quiet no one will ever know how great you are if I don’t tell them.”
Boone looked from Beth back to Vivien. “Uh, are you sure?”
“Absolutely! Go. You’re going to have a great time.”
Vivien wove her way back to the cashier’s counter where Casper stood, his jaw tight.
Boone shot a look at her then back to Beth, who had finally decided to get on with it and participate in this extraordinary exercise in master matchmaking.
Except, oh, dear. Beth was on her tippy-toes trying to fit Boone with a life jacket like he was an over-sized five-year-old instead of the extremely competent, rather attractive man that he was.
“What is she doing?” Casper leaned against the wall, crossed his arms.
“Fitting him with a life jacket. Surely you are familiar with our safety policy.”
“No, I mean, why is Beth taking Boone out for his lesson?”
“I think they’d be good together.”
Casper’s jaw dropped open. “What?”
“He needs to find someone nice to spend some time with.” She shimmied her shoulders. “Summer love, darling. It’s for his health.” Although, perhaps she should have brought Beth a stool to stand on because she’d taken to leaping at Boone to get the life jacket snapped.
Oh, heavens.
Casper tapped his palm against his forehead. “Have you completely lost your mind?”
Vivien looked from Beth’s flailing arms to Casper. “What do you mean? Beth’s a really sweet girl.”
“What do I mean? Vivien, are you blind? Sheesh—I know men aren’t known to be the sharpest when it comes to cues, but I do have some knowledge of how relationships and attraction work.” He gestured to Boone and lowered his voice. “If the man showed any more interest in you, he’d be lighting a building on fire.” Casper shook his head, let out a huff of air. “He’s here for you, Viv.”
She stared at him, blinked at his analogy, but her voice emerged brittle. “We’re just friends.”
“The entire town thinks you’re dating.” Casper took a hiking boot from the top shoebox and began lacing it. “Everyone. Absolutely everyone has seen how the two of you are around each other.”
“What are you talking about?”
“What do you mean what am I talking about, Ms. Convertible-waving-to-the-town? Going everywhere with him. And, puh-leeze—we all saw you last night at the audition together.”
“Oh, that.” She straightened an equipment rental flyer next to the register. “That was just acting.”
“You may have been acting, but I don’t think Boone’s quite to your level. I don’t think he was acting at all.” He plopped the shoe back into the box.
She waved him off.
“Seriously, Vivie. You two practically kissed.” He swept his hand across the space. “Right there, in front of everyone.” He shook his head. “I thought it was a family show—I was starting to wonder.”
She socked him in the bicep. “Acting.” She threw the word out to him before picking up a pair of wool socks that needed to be hung. “And, of course it’s a family show. My goodness!” She walked over to shove the socks onto the display arm and turned her attention back to Boone and Beth, spying on them between the stacks of knit sweaters and long johns.
Boone, secured in his bright-orange life vest, followed Beth to the side door, casting a look in Vivien’s direction. She gave him a thumbs-up and a nod of encouragement, to which he frowned, turned, and departed out to the equipment shed.
Vivien returned to her station next to Casper. Watched out the window as Boone easily lifted Beth’s kayak for her and carried it the short distance to the shore. Like a real gentleman on the silver screen. He made a second trip, grabbing the other kayak Beth had set out. He hauled it down while Beth grabbed the paddles and met him at the water’s edge. She looked up at him, blinking, a smile on her lips like he was her knight in shining armor.
Oh, well, that might be a bit much. Not quite so thick, little ingenue.
They stood at the water’s edge and Beth fumbled with the strap on her own life jacket for a few moments. It evaded her grasp, so Boone stepped up and leaned down to help her, their fingers touching. Beth looked up at him. Vivien could read the word thanks on her lips, followed by a smile.
And something suddenly felt horribly wrong.
Because the unfamiliar burn of jealousy singed deep in her chest and turned her mouth to pasty ash. She sucked in a breath, gripped the counter. Waited for the queasiness to pass.
She looked up to Casper’s knowing nod. “Yeah. That’s exactly what I thought.” Compassion threaded through his words.
“Oh, stop.” She plastered on a smile. “Everything is fine. Remember? I planned all this out.”
She turned her attention back to the harbor, where choppy waves broke near the shore. The wind had kicked up, whipping the flags nearby.
Beth had slipped into her kayak and paddled out. Smooth and strong, even with her diminutive size. Boone, on the other hand, began struggling a short way out. For such an athletic guy, his technique resembled a brick. Stiff. Awkward. He was battling to get a good paddle position, making his strokes ineffective as waves nearly swamped him. The wind continued to pick up, the waves breaking harder on the shore.
Casper handed her a large beach towel. “You’d better take this. I think he’s going to need it.”
Vivien stepped outside, jogged toward the waterline. She could see Beth’s lips moving but couldn’t hear a word. Beth’s kayak was at least sixty feet out from the shore where she skillfully worked past the waves. She maneuvered in an arc, paddling hard back toward Boone.
Vivien cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted to Boone. His kayak was parallel to the incoming waves, a hard set to his jaw as his kayak teetered with each cresting swell. If he didn’t rotate it ninety degr
ees, he was going to—
“Turn into the wave!” she shouted. “Turn—”
Too late. He flipped right over into the icy waters of Lake Superior. His paddle went flying, the kayak now belly-up, and he vanished under the water.
“Boone!”
Vivien ran to the edge of beach. Surface! Maybe she should go in—
Boone surfaced with a shout. Yeah, that was cold water.
Beth paddled hard toward him, her jaw set and her eyes blinking fast.
Boone swam to his kayak and towed it to shore until he could stand and carry it out. Oh boy. Even she could feel the icy shiver.
“Are you okay?”
He said nothing. A deep furrow creased his brow, his jaw hard set. He dragged the kayak up the beach and set it on the grass next to the others.
“Towel?” She held it up to him. Tried to blot the water pouring off him. “Are you okay?”
He pushed her efforts away. “I’m fine.” Then he unbuckled his life jacket and dropped it into the kayak. He squeezed the water out of his T-shirt, which now clung to him like a second skin and…wow. Muscles. She stared at him. Blinked. Cleared her throat.
Beth had paddled back and lifted her kayak back onto the shore. She came running. “I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault. I should have realized you weren’t right next to me.”
“I’m fine. I didn’t die. And it’s not your fault,” Boone growled.
Then he frowned at Vivie, rivulets of water streaming down his face and a puddle growing beneath him. “I’m done.” He tugged his soggy keys from his pocket, more lake water cascading off of him.
At least it wasn’t a key fob. See? Always a bright side.
Then he pulled his soggy wallet out and squeezed out the water before he stalked away from her to the parking lot.
Vivien still held the towel in her hands and ran after him. Man, he took long strides. “Boone, stop!” She raced to cut him off. “I was just trying to help.”
He tossed his wallet onto the floorboard. “How are you helping?” He set those pale blue eyes on her, full of anger and, oh no. He looked…hurt?
“I…I thought it would be good for you?” She held out the towel again, even trying to dry off his arms, his chest.
He caught her hands with the towel, stilled them. “Thought what would be good for me?”
“I thought it would help if I could find you a nice girl.”
He let go, leveled a look at her before opening his car door, pausing. “I thought I already had.” He stripped the T-shirt off and wrung it out before tossing it on the passenger-side mat next to his wallet.
Don’t stare. But it wasn’t easy, with all that defined muscle. Like some sort of hot superhero. And by hot, she meant angry. And hot. Her eyes landed on a scar that drilled into his left shoulder like a darkened crater with rumpled flesh. A bullet wound? Because, yeah. Boone was the guy who ran straight into danger. And all those thoughts nearly tugged her right under the tide of emotions that threatened to drown her.
And, somehow, she’d hurt him.
“I’ll see you around, Viv.”
She frowned and blinked back tears as he slid into the seat, tugged the door shut, and drove away without another word.
Well, he’d regret not accepting the towel from her when he spent the rest of the day drying out his Mustang. Served him right for overreacting. Going all dramatic on her.
Vivien started walking back to Wild Harbor where Casper stood leaning against the door. She shoved the towel into his hands. “Don’t. Say. A. Word.”
Chapter 8
Boone stared at the lake from his cabin deck, his hair drying from the shower he’d taken after his lake dunk and the subsequent run he’d taken in hopes of clearing his mind. The hot water had chased away the bone-deep chill, but it had done nothing to shift his thinking. He grabbed his book and walked toward the shore, picking his way down the rocks.
Imperturbability.
Oh, he was definitely perturbed.
Because he really didn’t know what he was doing in Deep Haven, getting mixed up in the lives of a town that would be a fading memory in four more weeks. He should be in Kellogg where he’d mastered the fine art of not making a fool of himself. Where his future sat behind a big oak desk with a nameplate that earned respect, no matter who he was.
He shouldn’t care that Vivien hadn’t planned to take him kayaking. Or that she’d set him up with someone else.
I have just the instructor for you.
He should have known it wouldn’t be her. Vivie, the woman everyone knew and adored. The flirt in the room. Too beautiful and charming for her own good. He wasn’t the guy who got the girl—he’d learned that with PJ, thank you.
He hadn’t missed Vivien’s eyes landing on his scar. The flesh where PJ’s name had been tattooed until a bullet had ripped through it ten years prior. Somehow, he still felt like he was dragging around that label with him. Like he couldn’t escape the shackles of the past.
Marry me, Peej.
He was such a fool when it came to women. He just didn’t know when to let things go.
Caleb was wrong. He was more than rusty. He was completely defunct. He’d misread every part of their relationship—friendship. Friendship. That’s all it was.
And he’d let Vivien get under his skin. Make him a little crazy. He wasn’t the guy who lost his cool and just drove off.
Except, he had. So, maybe he was. Which was exactly why he’d needed a good run to clear his head. And it hadn’t really helped that much.
Boone sat down on a rock and pondered the endless movement of the water, ablaze with the late afternoon light.
“Hello. Fancy meeting you here, at the water’s edge.”
He didn’t have to look up to know who the sing-song alto voice belonged to. “Vivien.”
She clambered over the rocks in leopard-print canvas shoes that had replaced her sandals. He tried not to stare at the bare skin of her shoulders or the soft dip of her collarbone. Or the way the wind tugged at her sable hair.
Unfortunately, she carried a coffee in each hand, which was never a good thing. A canvas tote bag swung from her wrist.
He stayed rooted to the rock.
“Hi. I was hoping that maybe you would help me figure out how to cast the play.” She held out one of the cups to him. “I brought you a peace offering. Hopefully it will warm you up.”
He nodded, uncertain what to say. Took the cup. “A run helped. And a hot shower.”
She sank onto the adjacent rock and set her sunglasses back on her head, her blue eyes on him. “I’m sorry, Boone. I don’t know why I thought…”
He took a sip of coffee. “Oh, sheesh, Vivien—” He pulled the cup from his lips, drew his arm across his mouth. “I’ve got to be honest. These coffees you get me are terrible. What is this?”
She tilted her head, a furrow between her brows. “It’s a sugar-free, non-fat, decaf latte.”
“I like sugar. I like fat. I like caffeine. Stop doing that.”
“But, your health—” She cut herself off and turned her eyes to the lake.
“My what?”
“I was talking to Issy and she mentioned your health issues. I was trying to help you improve your health.”
“I’m fine.” Great. Now he had not only Rachelle and Caleb and Landry looking out for him, but Vivien and Issy too. “I don’t need anyone taking care of me.”
“Really? Because you’re also supposed to be calm and I was trying to keep things calm for you.”
“By dumping me in the harbor?”
“I may have overestimated your skills.”
Ouch. “Thanks for that.” He watched the sunlight on the water for a moment before turning back to her. He could do this. He took a slow breath. In. Out. “So, why Beth?”
Vivien closed her eyes, the barest hint of a smile curving her lips. “Beth is not only a library aide, she’s the children’s kayak instructor. It seemed like the perfect match—”
“You
set me up with the children’s instructor?”
“She’s nice and calm and—”
“Please.” He held up a hand. “I have enough people trying to help me. Who all know what’s better for me than I do? You know what? I’m a big boy. I can take care of myself.” He scrubbed his hand through his hair.
She set down her coffee on the ground against a rock. “You’re a good guy, Boone. I’ve appreciated your help and I don’t want you to lose your police career. You should be the next police chief in Kellogg.”
“That makes two of us, but exactly what thought process led to the chain of events that landed me in the drink?”
“I wanted to help you.”
“By what—setting me up with Beth?”
Vivien lifted her shoulder, the sunlight kissing the bare skin. “I guess…” She shook her head. “I figured you needed someone nice. Kind. Generous of heart.” She turned, set her bright blue eyes on him. “Someone to refresh your spirit.”
“Look, Beth is a nice girl. I’m sure she’s all the things you say she is. But—” She isn’t you. He couldn’t bring himself to say the words. Nope, not putting his heart out there. His tongue stuck to the roof of his dry mouth. “She’s not what I need.”
“I thought it was a stroke of grand genius.”
“Probably not so much. You should stick with acting-slash-directing.”
Her shoulders sagged. “Oh, I don’t have a good track record with that either.”
“What are you talking about?”
She picked up her coffee cup, rotated it in her hands, and stared out over the water. Silence.
Oh no. What did he say wrong? “I’m sure you’re a great matchmaker. For someone. Somehow. And, you’re definitely a good actress.” He swallowed, measuring his words. “Sometimes, I wonder what you’re like when you’re not acting.”
“What does that mean?”
“I see glimpses of who you are. And then, I see the public persona. The perfect avatar. It’s like you’re afraid to let anyone in. Afraid to let down your guard.”
She stared at him a long moment. Then she turned away and shook her head. “You don’t understand what it’s like to be…” She sighed. “Traded.”
Then Came You Page 12