Page 73 of Marlin's Faith

“Just me, figured I should let you know I was here. Didn’t want to sneak up on you.”

I smiled, he was always so thoughtful, “Thank you, you take such good care of me.”

“Do I?” he asked and I nodded, smiling. The affirmation made his chest swell in a deep breath, obvious pride in himself shone out of his true blue eyes and I loved him even more for it. It’d been scary, admitting my feelings out loud, but he hadn’t pushed or made a big deal about it, which put my heart and nerves at ease.

“Everything okay?” I asked softly, and he smiled even more.

“Johnny has a problem, but it’s not with you, Baby.”

“Oh, anything I can do to help?”

“Naw, only person that can help Johnny is Johnny. I’m sorry he came off like that, Bobby’s setting him straight.” He laughed at my expression. “Just talk, I’ll readjust his attitude later if it calls for it.”

“I hope it doesn’t come to that.”

“Me either.”

We were quiet for a bit, as the moment built between us. He leaned down and kissed me softly and my eyes drifted shut, sinking into the sensation of his arms around me, of his mouth on mine.

Marlin kissed along my jaw and put his lips near my ear, saying so softly in that sexy, low voice he got when he let his desire take over, “Can’t wait to make love to you in our bed.”

“Our bed?” I asked softly, breath tremulous.

“What’s mine is yours, Baby Girl. You live here too now.”

I closed my eyes, and held myself to him tightly. His words didn’t frighten me, like I expected them to. They didn’t fill me with doubt, or with dread. Instead, they filled me with hope that I indeed had a future with this man, and it was one of the most solid, and real, positive things I’d felt since I’d been rescued. So honest, and so real, it very nearly brought a tear to my eye.

“You okay?” he asked softly.

“Are you with me?” I asked.

“Always.”

“Then yes.”

39

Marlin…

I changed along with Faith, forgoing boots, denim, and leather for a work tee, a pair of faded, in some places torn, but seriously fuckin’ comfortable cargo shorts and flip flops. I shrugged my feet into the pair of brown leather thongs I wore around the boat, and with one last lingering appreciative look, left Faith to finish getting into her sexy as hell outfit. Of course, when it went onto the woman you loved, she could wear a fuckin’ garbage sack and still be sexy.

I went back up on deck where Bobby was giving my little brother a flat, unfriendly look and I arched a brow. Fuck if Johnny wasn’t having a shit time with Lynn again, but that didn’t warrant him taking it out on Faith and I wasn’t about to fuckin’ stand for it either. He had the whole trip to fuckin’ apologize to my girl, or I was going to readjust his attitude problem the hard way.

Bobby gave me a chin lift and I rolled my eyes and shot a prayer skyward that I would have the patience to make it through the fuckin’ day with my brother. It looked like he was going to be a full on ass bag, which made me wonder what his bitch wife had pulled now, because let’s face it; Lynn was an ever loving fucking cunt. There wasn’t any which way around that fact.

“Ahoy, there!” someone called from the dockside and I exchanged another look with Bobby who smirked. I turned and greeted the clients with a professional smile.

“Welcome aboard! I’m Jimmy, but folks call me Marlin and this is my boat, the Scarlett Ann.” I held out a hand and helped the older guy up over the side and onto the deck, Bobby got up and did the same for the lady after him and the next dude after that. I got the last woman, and we had a damn near overfull boat. It would be okay if I could get Faith to entertain the ladies on the foredeck. I exchanged a look with Bobby and he nodded, picking up what I was putting down. He’d stay near Faith and help out with keeping my girl and the two women entertained.

“This here is my brother Johnny, and I take it you two gentlemen are here to fish.”

“That’s right!” One of them said, “I’m Dave and this here is my brother, John.”

“Nice to meet you Dave, John.” I shook their hands in turn.

“This is my wife, Janice,” John said, and I shook a woman’s hand with short, auburn dyed hair. An expensive dye job for sure, but the fine lines around her eyes gave it away as being one. She smiled broadly and I liked her instantly.

“And this is my wife, Arlene,” Dave introduced.

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