Page 38 of Rum Sips and Salty Lips

Alex rolls his eyes. “I’ll apologize if it makes you feel better. Maybe she should get laid. It might unwind some of her tension. I don’t think it’s happened for her since Hamilton.”

“Would you know?” I ask. “When was the last time you asked her about her life?”

He opens his mouth but quickly shuts it. This is the same man who would have banned me from his restaurant for a perceived slight of her, but doesn’t know her well enough to know what a real one is.

Bristol is contemplative. “She lets me talk and talk about the other customers and my trips. By the time I’m done sharing, she’s done with her drink or food. I don’t ask about her.”

“We’ll do better,” Haley promises. Her eyes narrow as she looks down and then at me.

“I’ll go talk to her.” Alex heads below deck after Carina.

“I thought yoga helped with stress,” Christian says.

“She can’t be everything all at once.” I want to follow Alex to make sure he properly grovels and doesn’t give a half apology.

“Is there something going on with you two?” Haley asks.

“No, it’s nothing,” I answer, wishing I was confident in my ability to lie to them.

“She’s different around you.”

“Maybe it’s you she’s different around,” I suggest.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I don’t know.” I remove my hat and run my hands through my hair before replacing it. “She’s overly concerned about what you think of her. She doesn’t care what I think of her.” I could spend a lifetime figuring out Carina Webb and it wouldn’t be enough.

A few minutes later, Carina and Alex come up, a fake smile on her face. It takes all my restraint to not pull her into a hug. I want to be alone with her and get the honest check-in she won’t give her friends.

God, I miss the way she feels against me.

We get back to the marina without any more drama, the sailing easy as I demonstrate to Carina a few maneuvers I don’t necessarily need to do. The sun is heading toward the horizon and we’re exhausted. If I wasn’t responsible for driving people, I’d hang back here and sleep. It would be one more night in the bed I shared, however briefly, with Carina.

“I’ll help you,” Carina says.

“It’s fine. I’ll be a minute.” I turn to Alex and Haley. I have to take care of the sails before I can leave. “If you wait five minutes, I’ll be ready to drive back.”

“I have space,” Christian says to them. “I can swing by your cars. It’ll be a little faster.” They agree and walk down the dock to the marina’s parking lot.

“I’ll just walk,” Carina says. “It’ll be cramped enough without another sweaty body.”

“Carina, wait five fucking minutes and I’ll drive you.” I’m not letting her go. I want five minutes alone with her. Even if we don’t talk, I want to be around her.

“You don’t?—”

“For fuck’s sake, I will tie you to this boat. You’re already sunburned. You don’t need any more UV exposure. Why didn’t you wear a hat anyway?”

“I don’t make them.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I murmur. “You’re exhausted. Let me do this. It doesn’t have to be hard.”

“I’m not exhausted.”

She’s such a little liar. “Well, I am, and I don’t want to fight with you.”

“Fine.” She looks defeated, like she didn’t want to lose this argument on its principle but has nothing left to fight me with.

Five minutes later, we walk to my SUV in silence, arms brushing like they did earlier. I open the passenger door for her.

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