Page 75 of Forbidden Kisses
“Add Sam to that scenario and I’ll gladly high-five it,” Abby said.
“Sam, too.” Grace raised her hand again for Abby this time.
“Ou-hoooooooooooooo!”Krista howled.
“That’s what you do on theLone Wolf,” Joey told her. “You catch a fish, you howl.”
“Seriously?” Grace looked at Krista, hoping she’d start laughing. Instead, she tipped her head back and howled again.
Joey, Abby, and finally Grace joined in, howling before heaving the mackerel back into the ocean.
The fish probably thought they were a crazy bunch, and Grace would have to agree. Crazy in the best kind of way.
—
After a few more hours of fishing, sun, beer, and good conversation, Joey decided it was time to head back. The girls took to the bow of the boat while Joey steered. Grace moved to the stern to be alone. She’d thought that maybe Jack would’ve called today, but he hadn’t. She’d been busy, but she’d still noticed his silence. And it infuriated her a little bit. She was doing this for him and his family.
And yeah, for hers, too.
She watched the water’s spray arch up and fall to the side as the boat cut through the ocean. Like angels’ wings, she thought. There was indeed a meditative quality to the constant pattern the water made—the same every time. Unless the boat’s motor changed, the water’s effect would always be the same. That was kind of the way life was, maybe. If you wanted things to be different, you needed to behave differently.
Wow, this water really does go to your head.
Grace turned back to look at the others just as the boat cut left. Grace stumbled and clawed at the railing on the other side of her. It was wet, though, and her hand slipped, making her fly backward. Something hard hit the back of her head—ka-plunk!—and she felt her body flip in the air. She was suspended, weightless and flying, unable to determine if she was upright or upside down until she hit the water, as hard and abrasive as cement.
And then it swallowed her up.
—
Jack despised a desk job. He’d rather be doing anything but this. He stared out the window that overlooked the ocean. The water wasn’t so hard to look at anymore. He owed that to Grace. There was one good thing that had come out of this need of hers to win the fishing tournament. He’d recaptured a little piece of the happiness he’d once had out there.
But Grace hadn’t been doing any of it for him. She’d been motivated by a need to help her mother, and that just didn’t sit right with him. He reached for his phone and eyed the screen. No missed calls. He’d thought maybe she would’ve felt remorseful today for keeping her motives from him like she had. Maybe she would’ve called and apologized.
She hadn’t. Instead, she’d called in sick and left him at this desk, fielding calls and staring at the walls, which could use a fresh coat of paint, he decided.
Jack spun in his chair as the door opened. Despite his foul mood, he grinned at his brother Noah. “Tag. You’re it, bro. I’ve got to go finish up the latest project with Tristan. Then I have to call a guy back about another job.”
“Your business is really rolling,” Noah said, reluctantly heading toward the desk.
“Yep. Thinking about having a grand opening just to introduce the biz to the community. What do you think?”
“I think that sounds good. Call the newspaper. Maybe they’ll hook you up with a front-page story. Wait until after the tournament news is done with this weekend, though.”
They stared at each other.
“Yeah. Good idea,” Jack finally said. “You still mad at Grace?” he asked.
Noah shrugged. “I spoke to Krista about it. She says Grace didn’t mean to upset me.”
Jack nodded. “You still mad at me?”
Noah gave a little nod. “I’d feel better if I could punch you for screwing my sister.”
Jack grimaced. “She’s not your sister, bro.”
“Maybe not yours, but I’ll keep thinking of her as one if that’s all right with you.”
Jack smiled. “She’ll be glad to hear you say that.” And if he wasn’t fighting with her right now, he’d be glad to go tell her so himself.
