Page 90 of As a Last Resort
Robby answered for me.“We’re taking an inshore fishing charter in about an hour.Best on the island.The captain’s been around for over ten years.Knows the best spots, routes, drop-ins.Don’t worry, we’ll be taking notes.”
“We’ve got a week to finalize the pitch to the investors.I’m sure you two will figure it out and come up with the numbers we need.I mean, who doesn’t want to come to a resort filled with waterslides?”
“It’s genius,” Robby confirmed.
The video call disconnected and I couldn’t tear my eyes from the blank screen.
I wanted to punch Robby in the nose.Hard.
“Soooo, the fishing charter should be fun.”He looked down and tapped his pen on his empty notepad.
I gritted my teeth and kept my voice even and low.“You knew this was what he was planning and you didn’t say a single thing last night or this morning.”
His shoulders sagged.“I kind of liked your ma-and-pa on steroids idea once you started going.I wanted to see what you were thinking.”
“Glenn’s idea is awful.You’d kill off the entire town and turn it into a tourist trap.Have you even looked into insurance for something like that?What I showed you last night will work.And it will be more profitable in the long run.I have the numbers and the research to prove it.”
“You do,” he agreed.“But the reality is, Glenn’s already made up his mind.Either you jump on board and show him you can hang with the big kids, or you swim upstream and eventually tire out anyway.Your choice, but they end up with the same result.”
“Is that seriously how you operate?You just don’t have any backbone whatsoever?”
“Oh, I’ve got a bone alright, I just choose when to let it go.You, my darling, are blowing your load on something that’s not worth it.”
“You’re disgusting.”I stood up and grabbed my laptop and bag.
“I thought you hated this town anyway?What’s it matter to you?”he called after me as I stormed toward the door.“Okay, so I’ll just meet you at the dock in a little, yeah?”
I let the screen door slam behind me.My heart sank.They’d put the entire town out of business.
Austin.They would put Austin out of business.
And there wasn’t a single thing I could do about it.
28
AUSTIN
Sam bit her lip when she was thinking about work.
Sam hated cold coffee but it still took her four hours to drink a single cup.
Sam had six freckles on her left cheek that looked like the big dipper upside down.
I was not someone who noticed these kinds of things.But I noticed them with her.
Sam also walked like she was stomping cockroaches when she was pissed off, which is exactly how she came down the dock toward me.A guy in a white linen button-down rolled up to the elbows and navy-blue chinos was at her heels keeping pace, looking like he had just stepped out of a Tommy Hilfiger billboard ad.
Ah.So this must be Robby.
I hadn’t spoken to her since last night in the parking lot after the game.I was up and out by dawn putzing around on the boat, trying to clear my head.Captain Harold texted me to see if I could bait fish for his early morning charter.He was taking out the little old ladies I met a few weeks ago from New Hampshire on a fishing expedition and his first mate was out sick.He also told me he had two last-minute tagalongs;your friend Sam plus one.I immediately gave Patrick the boat to run for the day and offered my help.
She walked down the dock with fire in her eyes.A flashback of her lips on mine crashed into my mind and stole a heartbeat, or two.
“You following me, roomie?”I asked when she was close enough.She stutter-stepped when she set eyes on me.
“Hi.”She stopped and stared.“I jumped on an inshore at the last minute.”
“We,” the guy chimed in from behind.“Babe, you’re going to face-plant in those heels.”
