Page 3 of Pirates in Calusa Cove

No matter what anyone said about her, she knew both, but that didn’t make this any less dangerous.

She made it through the first set of islands and eased back even more on the throttles, letting out a long sigh of relief. The waves had reduced to four to five feet, and she could see the inlet leading her to Mitchell's Marina.

Thank God.

No. Thank Poseidon.

But oh, she could hear the crap she was going to catch from Baily, the owner of the marina and now one of her best friends. That friendship was one of the best things about returning to Calusa Cove. She’d never really had girlfriends before. She’d thought she did, but they had all turned out to be rich, prissy snots.

Kind of like she used to be.

She narrowed her gaze as she pulled down the narrow channel toward the dock she rented. A couple of dozen people were lined up along it. Some wore appropriate rain gear, others made do with what was nearby, like garbage bags. Most people in Calusa Cove were dirt-poor, and the town's population, at last count, was four hundred and twenty-eight.

Silas waved his fist in her direction as he raced across the edge of the shore toward the docks with the new sexy Fish and Wildlife guy right on his heels.

Wonderful.

This was the last thing she needed. A lecture by one of Fletcher Dane’s friends and Silas, the resident grumpy old man, who occasionally had a heart of gold if you took the time to get to know him.

She spun the boat, pulling in backward, as she always did. Mainly to show off. To prove she was amaster at the helm. It was childish—she knew it—but she wanted respect.

Few gave it to her.

Raindrops the size of mosquitoes pelted her eyes. As quickly as she could, she tossed the stern line to Silas.

Keaton Cole managed to snag the bowline before she could reach the front of her vessel.

“I warned you,” Silas said, taking her hand. “Why didn’t you come in sooner?”

“Because someone needed help,” she managed to say above the roar of the wind whipping and swirling through the marina. The palm trees bent over. “I tried to help, but I couldn’t get to them. Pirates did and, unfortunately, they sank.” She steadied her bare feet on the dock, holding her wedges in her other hand. “I radioed the Coast Guard. And before both of you lay into me, I already got barked at by Dawson and ordered back to the docks.”

“I'm not sure what to think of that man.” Silas shook his head. “You’re crazy, you know that? You had us all worried. I was sitting here enjoying a beer and watching those two systems collide, but there was no Trinity. I stood out there for over an hour while I watched that storm turn into a nightmare, and no Trinity. Waves like that will take even a boat your size.”

“I’m well aware of what the sea can do.” She blinked. “Are all the boats from this marina back? Do we have any idea who could’ve sunk out there?”

“You were the only one we’ve been waiting on,” Silas said.

She shifted her gaze toward Keaton, who had servedin the Navy with Dawson Ridge, the new chief. “Why was Dawson with the Coast Guard?”

Keaton arched a brow. “He asked if he could because that’s what he does when one of his townspeople doesn’t come in and there were reports of pirates in the area.”

“Oh.” Wonderful. Here came another flipping lecture.

Keaton jerked his head toward the main building. “Let’s get you inside and warmed up. You looked like a drowned rat.”

“Gee, thanks. Just what a girl wants to hear.” She figured she had mascara running down her cheeks. Some habits died hard, and she was still a vain woman, even if she wasn’t trying to impress a man. At least not this man.

She had a man. It was a new relationship. They’d only been dating for two months, and she’d thought Fenton would be different.

Well, at first, he had been. And he didn’t bark at her like Keaton did.

While Fenton worked at one of her father’s many car dealerships, he didn’t see her for her bank account. Fenton made good money. Perhaps not the kind she’d been born and raised with, but enough to shower her with some very nice gifts.

Though not too many. He was a man who believed everyone should live within their means, which sometimes caused a few interesting discussions. She made good money as a data scientist, a career that allowed her to work from home and live anywhere. But again, oldhabits died hard, and she wasn’t about to give up the things she enjoyed.

Shoes, handbags, and designer clothes.

She no longer paid full price because that was just stupid. She didn’t have to have top-of-the-line everything. Nor did she have to have…everything. But yeah, she liked her BMW.

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