Page 56 of Villainous Summer

I deliberated over wearing a dress or shorts and a T-shirt, then settled on the latter. Once I pulled the Ridgewood Marine Science Center tee I had commandeered from Autumn a few months before over my head, I got the chime of a text letting me know Van was in the lot, waiting for me, who had offered to drive so I wouldn’t have to find parking at the marina.

I grabbed my bag, sunscreen, towel, and a small wallet and headed the three floors down.

Van was sitting in his green truck, with his arm sticking out the window. In the back was a small cooler and another bag with towels in it.

“Where’s the boat?” I asked as I climbed in.

“Already in the water. I had Xander help me put it in an hour ago, so you don’t have to wait on me.”

“That was nice of you.”

He chuckled. “To be honest, Ana told us that was the only way she’d come, so it was Xander’s idea. He’s going to grab her and the baby now.”

We drove toward the edge of town to the marina. The air was unseasonably warm for the Pacific Northwest, forecasted to hit the mid-nineties by noon.

“Baby?”

He flicked on his turn signal in the left lane and glanced at me. “Yeah, I guess she’s not technically a baby. She’s like one or two or something. Max, super cute kid.”

In theory, I liked babies but didn’t have much experience with them. My cousins with kids lived too far away, and aside from one friend who had a kid at seventeen, no others had any yet.

The pressure to be good with this mystery child was heavy on me. What if I wasn’t looking and it fell overboard? Was this some test?

Once we got to the marina, he strolled to the passenger side door to let me out, but I had already hopped down, bag in hand. The walk from the truck to the dock was subdued with the waves lapping at the boats and the distant barking of harbor seals who sunned themselves on a float.

As we reached the metal grate, Van’s phone rang. He frowned at it, answering.

Whoever was on the other line, he spoke to quickly, assuring them it was fine, and he hoped everyone felt better. After disconnecting, he slid the phone back into his pocket.

“That was Xander. Max threw up. They can’t make it.”

The timing felt suspect.

I frowned at him. “Are you trying to get me alone on the water to murder me?”

He blinked in surprise. “What? No. If you don’t want to go boating alone with me, you don’t have to. I really did invite them. Xander helped me put the boat in. You can call him and ask. Or better yet, call Ana.”

While I had been led astray by my instincts before, something told me he was being truthful.

I pursed my lips. “Alright, just know I already told Autumn and Devin what I’m doing today, so if I go missing, you’re for sure getting fired.”

“Noted.” He quirked a smile at me, waving for me to go first down the ramp. “We won’t waste a beautiful day like this, will we? The sun is shining. I have sandwiches and chips packed already. A few beers on the open seas.”

“Technically, this is a fjord. Formed by glaciers.”

I regretted my words immediately. I had no reason to be pedantic.

He raised a brow at the correction and smiled bigger. “A few beers on the open fjords and a lovely lady at the helm.”

I shook my head, hiding my smile.

The boat was a cuddy cabin model. It was older, with fading blue paint on the sides, but clean.

Van grabbed the side, bringing it toward the dock. “Your ship awaits.” He reached out to help me step onto it.

Swinging my leg over the side, I stepped on the white leather bench seat in the rear.

His thumb traced the back of my hand, and a sizzle traveled up my arm and down to my core. Barely on the boat, I knew this day was already testing my resolve to not dry hump Van.

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