Page 25 of Sail Away
“I’ll be down in a few.” Reid stuffed his phone into his pocket along with the plastic key. He slipped his feet into his cowboy boots and meandered out the door. If he had a little sister, he’d be doing the same thing. He couldn’t blame Jag for being concerned.
When they first met, Jag had really disliked Reid, in part because of Reid’s age. He wondered what a man a little older than him would see in his kid sister. But after spending some time together, Jag and Reid had become good friends.
Until the breakup.
Reid stepped from the elevator and found Jag sitting at one of the tables in the breakfast area with two tall mugs of coffee. He didn’t wear a cop uniform, but he had a badge hanging on his navy-blue shirt and gun on his hip.
“I really didn’t think I’d see you this trip.” Reid held out his arm.
Jag shook his hand good and hard. “You’re looking much better than the last time our paths crossed.”
“Yeah, that’s a night I wish never happened.” Reid took a seat and shifted. “The things I do remember were pretty rotten, and what I don’t remember, I wish people would stop filling me in on.” He glanced inside the mug and smiled. “You remembered.”
“For a Southern man who claims to be a fucking cowboy, you drink coffee like a goddamned girl with all that fancy-schmancy stuff. And I’m not sure I got it right. The girl at the coffee shop didn’t understand one of the things I said, so she did the best on what she thought I meant.”
“It smells like it’s got all my requirements.” He brought the paper mug to his lips and closed his eyes. “Oh. That’s good fucking coffee. Darcie won’t have that on her yacht. I’ll have to suffer for a few days.”
“How did that happen, by the way?”
“What? Me ending up on your sister’s boat?” Reid shrugged. “Pure luck. Never in a million years would I have believed Darcie would wind up back here of all places. She swore to me she’d never live in Seattle. Ever. Not even to have a slip for a boat.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but after the two of you broke up, she went a little crazy. Coming home was the first sane thing she did, though we all thought it weird and very unlike her. She tends to run away when things get tough, not come crawling home.”
“I agree, which is why I was shocked. Do you know what she has planned after this summer season?”
“She’s taking her captain’s test. But after that, she doesn’t have anything lined up. Another scary thing for the family.”
“She’s gone weeks, even a month between gigs before.”
“But she’s always had them ready and waiting. We know she wants to captain, but she’s not even looking.” Jag leaned back, resting his hand on the butt of his weapon.
Reid pinched the bridge of his nose. “Why am I here?” This was not the type of conversation he’d envisioned when he walked into this lobby.
“Two reasons. First, I’m asking you to stay away from Deception Pass. Don’t make me arrest you.”
“I’ve always enjoyed handcuffs.”
Jag rolled his eyes.
“Don’t worry. We have called off those plans.” Reid held up his hands. “Swear to God. We’re going looking for sharks instead, or at least that’s what Preston says we’re doing.”
“Are you being straight with me?”
“I’m telling you whatI’mbeing told. But either way, I’m not participating. I’ve got bigger fish to fry.”
“At least I won’t have to pull your body from the water,” Jag said. “The second reason I’m here is my sister. I know there are two sides to every breakup, and seeing you in New Orleans, I can tell Darcie did a number on you. And I’m not sold that either of you are over the other.” Jag held up his hand, waving his wedding ring. “My wife and I had a horrible breakup after I told her that I put the wrong person behind bars, and a killer struck again, murdering my wife’s sister. So, I know a little about heartache and patching that sucker back up.”
Reid knew all this, and he sure as shit didn’t want to sit here and listen to it again when he needed to figure out how to save his company and get Preston the fuck out of his life. However, he couldn’t be rude to Jag. It wouldn’t be right.
“I shouldn’t be the one telling you this, but Darcie spent the first part of this year working every exotic boat she could get on. She even took a job as a stew again.”
“Oh, good grief, she did not.” Reid struggled to see Darcie working on the interior of a yacht. Besides it being stereotypical, something Darcie couldn’t stand, it was not the kind of work she was good at.
“It was as if she was trying to work you out of her system. And then Captain Jim hired her as boson on a yacht. Next thing we knew, she and Slimy Jim were an item.”
“I take it you don’t like Captain Jim,” Reid said with his hand over his mouth, trying to contain his amusement.
“He cheated on my sister.”
