Page 76 of Rum Sips and Salty Lips

“We’re friends,” I declare. “And he texts me when he’s on the water in case something happens.” I offer my phone as a demonstration. Thankfully, the text before this morning’s was the two of us coordinating meeting at Paradise. It’s not like there is any incriminating evidence anyway. We text only as it relates to our friendship. He would never tell me he needs me and would never put it in writing.

“Right, of course,” Brooklynn says.

Spencer’s attention is still on his phone. “Alex knows her. Says we should ask her to give us a tour around town.”

Alex continues to try to set Orion and me up. I should be annoyed. I specifically didn’t want to have someone else’s opinion interfering with our relationship. But then I think of him when we’re alone, and I don’t care enough about anyone else to be annoyed.

I tell them I’ll have to work eventually, but I’m more than happy to let Brooklynn take her pick from my sample pile.

In exchange, I get embarrassing stories of Orion as a kid.

twenty-eight

ORION

I makeit back to shore and remember why I normally do this early in the morning—the sun is beating down and I’m drenched in sweat. I want nothing more than to submerge myself in the ocean again.

But my shower will do.

I pull my phone out of my bag to let Carina know I’m back. She’s the reason I didn’t go out earlier. She kept me awake most of the night, claiming that since she didn’t have any meetings and I didn’t have any charters, we could sleep in. Of course, we slept in separate beds, but I spent a lot of time in hers.

I look at the screen in the glare and see I have several missed calls from my sister and a text. I tap the screen and see a selfie of her and Spencer in front of my house.

What are they doing here?

I don’t bother to call her. I drag my kayak across the beach and down the path through the dunes to see a rental car parked on the street next to my driveway. But they are nowhere in sight. I’m not surprised she’s made the trip without telling me. She’snot a big planner. The second she gets an idea in her head, she acts on it. I wouldn’t be surprised if she decided to come last night and booked the next flight out.

I’m about to call as I open my garage, when I hear Carina’s front door open and I turn, expecting her to step out. But Brooklynn and Spencer emerge.

“Orion!” She sprints toward me, crossing both our driveways, and hugs me, not caring how sweaty I am.

“Brooklynn, I didn’t know you were coming,” I say, embracing her in return.

“I know!” She steps back to look at me, basically bouncing with excitement. “We wanted to surprise you. This might not be great timing and I don’t know what your schedule is like. But we have time off. We can hang out with Alex or explore on our own. You don’t have to entertain us.”

“And I’m more than happy to show them around.”

I hadn’t noticed Carina stepping out of her house. She looks awfully smug. I shake hands with Spencer, but my attention stays on Carina. “What did you do?”

“I gave your sister leggings,” she says innocently.

“And?”

“Now I know about kindergarten.”

I look back at my sister.

“They are very nice leggings.” Brooklynn looks a little sheepish.

“I know they are.” I’m slightly horrified at how quickly these two have become friends. My sister will see right through to my feelings for Carina, and I don’t want to spook her. I wanted us to be out in the open before she met my family.

But she’s smiling at me and so I accept she now knows about the glue-eating incident.

“It’s fine. Let me shower and then I’ll show you around.” I indicate they can go inside. “There’s a guest room to the left,across from the stairs.” I have a lot of charters this weekend but I should be able to manage time with my sister between them. Or offer to let someone else captain. I hired some qualified help for the company, but they haven’t been out as much as I would like before turning them out on their own.

I wait until Spencer and Brooklynn are inside before giving Carina my attention. “You’ll pay for this,” I threaten. Her eyes go wide, catching my tone. I’ve made her pay before, and she’s always been left melty and unable to move.

“I look forward to it.” She smiles and lifts her shoulder before turning in an almost twirl to go inside.

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