Page 32 of As a Last Resort
AUSTIN
Patrick and the crew were cleaning on our lunch break, picking up evidence of a business busting at the seams.The ferry overflowed with people on every run in and out.Water bottles scattered the floor and candy wrappers stuck to the cushions.There was even a kid’s sock stuffed in the bilge.What I should have been thinking about was trying to figure out a way to meet the increased demand for the island.
But I wasn’t.
I tried to ignore Sam when she walked down my dock earlier this morning.She wasn’t a cute, innocent, chubby-faced thirteen-year-old any longer.I didn’t have time to be paying attention to the way her dress shifted when she bent over the railing trying to find cell service.I didn’t have time for eyes like hers.They were black holes, so intense they just sucked everything in the vicinity toward them.
She was the kind of trouble I didn’t need to get myself wrapped up in.I got the occasional proposition from the fearless leader of a weekend warrior girl trip looking for some local fun for a day or two, but it wasn’t my style.With a woman like Samantha Leigh, though, the day they decide they want to walk out, they don’t just break your heart: they turn it into dust and sprinkle it on theirpancakes the next morning.They leave behind a kind of destruction weathermen haven’t come up with a name for yet.
Besides, the fact she held the former title ofLexi’s best friendmeant drama.Those two were inseparable for years.I didn’t need to muddy that water.I needed to steer clear of her for Lexi’s sake.And my own sanity.
“You done anything interesting lately?”Patrick asked as he tied up the last trash bag and threw it on the dock.
“No.”
“Okay, okay.”He paused for a few seconds.“You see anyone interesting lately?”
“Nope.”
“Okay, okay.”He paused for a little longer this time.“You don’t wanna talk about it, I get it.”
“Nothing to talk about.”
He paused so long I looked up to a shit-eating grin spread wide across his face.“You think she’s pretty, don’t you?”
“Who?”
“Don’t you be playing dumb with me.I saw you chitchatting with Sam this morning.”
I ignored his comment and kept my head down, working.
“You’ve tied that knot twice already.”
I glared at him.I had only seen her two times, but Sam was on a loop in my head since she’d set foot on the island.Patrick’s questioning was bringing her front and center.Not like she wasn’t there already anyway.But I knew the high-maintenance, secret-keeping, heels-wearing,clickety-clickkind of girl wasn’t my thing.Vanessa was aclickety-clickgirl and nothing good came of that.
He started singing under his breath.“Austin and Sam, sitting in a tree…”
“You’re about to get your ass thrown off this boat.”
“Alright, alright, I surrender.No more you-know-who talk.But just ’cause I stop talking about her doesn’t mean that’s going to help get your mind off her, Capt’n.You know that ain’t how it works.”
“You mop that deck yet?”
“Yeah, yeah, I hear you.”He picked up the bucket, but made one more quick turnaround to face me.“One more thing though, I’m glad to see you a little riled up.It’s about time.And stop thinking it’s such a bad thing.They don’t all leave you gasping for air in a bad way, you hear me?”
I ignored him and walked to the bow of the boat, hoping he’d get the hint to leave it alone.
“What’d you think of that two-hundred passenger?”he called out as he followed me.I told him I hadn’t made it out yet to see it.The owner gave me first dibs on it and said I had until midweek to get up there.
“Why don’t you go today?I can man the rest of the day.”
“I can’t today.I’ve got something to pick up.”
“Where you goin’?”He narrowed his eyes on me.
“You’re full of questions today, aren’t you?”
“Just curious what’s more important than a two-hundred passenger.”He had that tone that told me he knew exactly what was more important than a two-hundred passenger.
