Page 6 of Sail Away
“Fuck,” she mumbled. “I can’t believe Reid would put anyone in that kind of a position. He knows you’d lose your captain’s license.”
“I don’t think he cares. He never liked me.”
“Reid is a lot of things, but he wouldn’t do that.” Or at least the Reid she’d fallen in love with wouldn’t.
“Does he know you’re the boson on this yacht?” Jim asked.
“I don’t see how. He doesn’t even know I’m living in Seattle,” Darcie said. “When I told him I was buying a sailboat for a home, he thought I was joking.”
“He doesn’t know you very well, then,” Jim said with a slight smile, though it turned serious quickly. “My communication has all been with Preston, Reid’s partner. At one point, I wasn’t even sure Reid would be on this charter. Anyway, Preston has made it clear the bungee jumping is happening whether or not it’s sanctioned, and he also made a huge point of saying he doesn’t want media coverage. This isn’t a stunt to draw attention. This is a celebratory jump just for them.”
“We can’t let them do it,” she said. “And in theory, it should be easy to stop them. But Preston doesn’t take no for an answer.”
“Preston will be at the docks shortly to confirm and give me an advance on a cash tip. If I say I can’t deliver, he’s going to charter with a different private company, and he says he’s got someone in line.”
“He’s bluffing.”
“I don’t know. I heard chatter today that Gill’s got a potential client.”
“Gill’s a dick and all talk,” Darcie said. But Gill didn’t boast, not unless he had something to back it up, which meant he was being used as a pawn to twist Jim’s arm. Preston was good at manipulating any given situation to get what he wanted. He was a master at the game. A true artist.
But Reid? Not his style. Besides, she thought he’d given up all that adrenaline-junkie crap for the most part.
“What are you planning on doing?” she asked.
“I’m going to tell them it’s all set, and then you and I need to figure it out because I’m not losing this charter, nor am I losing my license.”
“You’re seriously going to leave this all on my shoulders?”
“You are the boson. It is your job.”
The next couple of days were bound to be the longest of her life.
She wasn’t sure what would be worse.
Seeing Reid again.
Or seeing Reid right after she’d had her heart handed to her on a silver platter.
Although she had to admit she wasn’t all that crushed about losing Jim. Her real issue had been the humiliation, not that Jim had dumped her. Because at the end of the day, she hadn’t loved him.
“You do know we can’t let them do it,” she said.
“No. I don’t know that because I’ve got the best boson in the business, and she’s going to make it work.”
“Yes, sir.” Motherfucker. Her ex-boyfriends were going to get her fired.
Or killed.
Or both.
2
“Why do you look so fucking miserable?”
Reid Carson set his phone screen down on the table and glanced out over the docks. According to his research, Darcie’s home—and sailboat—was docked in this marina, and if he wasn’t mistaken, he could see the ass end of the vessel now. At least, if the information that she’d named itLiving the Dreamhad been correct.
She’d always said that if and when she bought a sailboat, that’s exactly what she’d name it. And he certainly hoped all her dreams had come true. He couldn’t think of anyone who deserved it more than Darcie.
