Page 17 of Their Reluctant Catch

“Hey, just stating the obvious.”

He straightens, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. “We’re gonna need Finn. Grady, too, maybe.”

“I’ll go to the garage,” I offer, already turning back toward the dock.

“All right,” Colton mutters. “I’ll stick around and finish checking the nets until you come back with Finn.”

I nod and head to the van, my mind already racing. The garage isn’t far, just across town. As I pass the bed-and-breakfast, my thoughts wander to Savannah. Is she settling in? What does she think of Diana and her... men?

I smirk to myself, imagining her reaction when she realizes Diana isn’t only with Elliot. Will she even believe it? Or will it just be another reason for her to shake her head at this town?

When I reach the garage, Elliot’s black Range Rover is parked out front. I hop out of the van, and the gravel and snow crunch beneath my feet as I go inside.

Grady is standing by the red rental, its hood propped open. Elliot is sitting against the workbench, his signature smirk firmly in place. His head is cocked, and he’s listening to a muffled voice coming from underneath the car. My heart kicks up a notch when I realize the voice is female.

I lift a hand in greeting to Grady and Elliot as I move around to get a better view.

The first thing I notice is a pair of legs that seem to go on for miles, wrapped in snug black denim, and a rounded ass sticking out as the owner bends over the engine.

“Hi,” I say, somewhat rougher than I intended.

“Hey.” Savannah pops her head out from under the hood, a smudge of grease on her cheek and an annoyed glint in her green eyes.

“How bad is it?” I nod toward the car.

“Bad,” she snaps. “The person responsible for maintenance at that rental place should be fired. This poor baby’s been neglected for years.Years.” She gestures toward the engine like it’s a wounded animal, her outrage radiating off her in waves.

Her anger is... adorable. The way her nose scrunches when she talks, the way her hands fly around as she points out issues—it’s almost enough to make me forget why I’m here.

“You came to check on the car?” she asks, her tone softening slightly.

“Already did that,” I reply. “I’m here for theSea Spirit.” I turn to Grady. “Is Finn in?”

“Nope,” Grady says, shaking his head. “Still out struggling with Karen Winters-Malloy’s damn boiler.”

“What the hell?” I mutter, running a hand through my hair. “Well, our boat’s having issues. There’s a puddle of oil in the engine compartment. We need it fixed before tomorrow morning. We can’t afford to lose another day of income.”

Grady frowns, glancing at Savannah. Then he grins and nods toward her. “Take her. She can probably help.”

Savannah jerks her head up, narrowing her eyes at Grady. “Excuse me?”

Grady shrugs. “You’re handy with engines, right? Todd’sSea Spiritneeds fixing, I’m stuck here waiting for Finn, and Callum is busy. So why not?”

Savannah looks at me, one eyebrow arching. “You’re okay with this?”

I cross my arms, glancing between her and the rental car. “You’re confident you can handle a boat?”

She snorts. “Please. If it has an engine, I’ll have it purring in no time.”

Her confidence is contagious, and for some reason, I can’t resist a grin. “All right, let’s see what you’ve got.” I might not have an engine, but I might purr for her as well!

Grady claps me on the back as Savannah wipes her hands on a rag, grabbing her jacket. “Good luck.” Grady grabs an old but sturdy toolbox and sets it beside her. “If she can fix your boat, you might wanna think about keeping her around.”

I shake my head, smirking as I lead Savannah out to the van. Something tells me this is going to be interesting.

Chapter8

Colton

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