Page 67 of Stolen Kisses
Chapter 15
After being late to the fishing boat yesterday, Noah had set an alarm clock to make sure that he and Krista got out of bed and to work on time this morning. She stirred under his covers as he hopped up.
Several minutes later, Krista reluctantly draped her legs over the bed, got up, and stumbled over his shoe on the floor. The movement sent her plowing into his chest. Beauty barked at the scene.
“Gotcha,” he said with a grin, not immediately letting her go. Maybe getting to the job on time was overrated. “Maybe you’re not quite ready to get out of bed yet,” he suggested.
“Ready or not I need to. I’m going to go home and shower, fix myself up, and make it to breakfast with Grace this morning,” Krista said, bending to give Beauty some love.
“Tell her hello for me,” Noah said.
“I will.” Krista straightened. “Oh, and Adam is being discharged today. I told him you’d take him out on the boat as soon as he flew the coop. Maybe this weekend?”
“Sure. The weather is supposed to be nice, I think.”
“Great. He’ll be so excited.” She pressed a kiss to Noah’s lips. “See you later.” Then she waved and disappeared out his front door. She’d driven herself here last night, so she had a car. Noah set to getting ready so he could catch up with Joey on theSummerly. It was still early, not even five a.m. He was now keeping lovers hours—which kept him up well into the night—and fisherman hours, which prodded him awake before sunrise. He yawned and stepped into the small shower. His houseboat had always seemed big enough, but after allowing Krista to stay over a few times, it’d starting shrinking in his mind. He bumped his elbow and cursed as he reached for the soap. His chest felt tight and he was feeling claustrophobic in his own home.
Ten minutes later, he and Beauty hopped in his Jeep and drove through darkness toward the marina where theSummerlywas harbored. Sure enough, Joey was waiting for him on a bench that overlooked the water. They didn’t discuss the fact that Krista hadn’t gone home last night. They just offered each other a nod and walked aboard.
“Maybe today’s the day I’ll reel Mitsy in,” Noah said.
“A fish with a heart on its fin. I think you made that story up.” Joey pulled a Styrofoam cup of steaming coffee to his mouth and sipped.
“Yeah. I’m beginning to wonder if I did. Or if someone else caught her already.”
“That’s what happens if you leave her in the ocean.”
Noah turned the key and the boat roared to life. “I didn’t leave her there. She broke my line. Twice. Third time’s a charm, though. Next time I catch her, she’s not getting away.” Krista flitted across his mind. Even though he didn’t know what he was doing, he didn’t intend to let her get away, either.
—
“So you’re practically living at Noah’s now,” Grace said, sitting down at a table at the café with her muffin.
“I’ve stayed over twice. I wouldn’t call that living together. I’m not sure I could live in a houseboat anyway. I thought my townhome with Joey was small. Noah’s houseboat is barely the size of my living room.”
Grace took a bite of her muffin and shook her head. “Maybe, if this thing between you two continues, Noah will look into getting a real home.”
Krista rolled her eyes. “I seriously doubt that. Noah loves his houseboat. He’s always said that it’s perfect for him. No roots. He can drop his anchor anywhere he wants.”
“Well, maybe you’ll be the one to change all that.”
“Or we can have two separate places and go back and forth between them forever. Maybe I should move out of mine and Joey’s townhouse. I can’t really bring a guy back to my place with my brother sleeping across the hall. That’s weird. Especially when it’s Noah. Joey has always been so protective.”
“That’s the nature of family,” Grace said. “My mom is always complaining about my overprotectiveness with her.”
Krista bit into her own muffin. “How is she these days?”
The lines deepened on Grace’s forehead. “Good. She’s started a clinical trial for her Parkinson’s. The new medication seems to be making her feel a little better. She has more energy, which means she’s doing her best to ‘help’ with my wedding planning.” Grace framed the word help in air quotes.
Krista laughed. “Uh-oh.”
“Yeah. When my mom helps, it creates three times as much work for me. But if it makes her feel good, then so be it. I pretty much think everything is done at this point, though. I have my dress, if I still fit into it by our wedding date. We have our rings. And Abby is catering the refreshments, of course.”
“Of course.” Krista nodded.
“Jack’s cousin Emily is arranging the flowers.”
“Sounds like you’re all set. All you have to do now is show up and say ‘I do.’ Then head to the Sawyer cabin for a fabulous week of honeymooning.”
