Page 39 of Stone Deep
“Yep,” Hunter said. “And I’m sure you don’t have a thing to worry about, even though Street knows every embarrassing thing that ever happened in your life, starting from the fifth grade when you got caught kissing Rory Greene, and in the girl’s bathroom, no less.”
Colt looked at him. “I disagree. That was not all that embarrassing. But didn’t Street walk in on him jerking off in our bathroom once? I think he was twelve or thirteen, can’t remember, but I’ll bet Street remembers it well. Her scream is still fresh in my mind.” Colt smiled at me. “But I’m sure she won’t tell Britton anything embarrassing. I mean that’s not like Street at all.”
Laughter rolled down from the sand again.
“Fuck, Hunter, why couldn’t you marry someone who wasn’t around for every damn day of our life.” I pushed off and headed to shore.
“Where you going, buddy?” Colt called.
I glanced back at them. “I’m going to join them before Street gets to my high school years.”
“You mean like the tenth grade when you got your ass suspended for making a pass at the cute substitute teacher?” Hunter called.
I lifted my middle finger up high at them as I waded toward shore. All three women looked up from their conversation as I reached the towels.
“None of it’s true, Britton. Whatever Amy has told you about me?—”
Amy laughed. “What a self-centered boob you are. Did you actually think we couldn’t find more interesting stuff to talk about thanyou?”
Water was dripping off the ends of my hair and down my chest. Jade handed me a towel, but I decided to shake my hair and give them a good dog-style spray first. Especially Amy. I got the squealing response I was aiming for.
I took hold of the towel and wiped my face and chest. “So you weren’t telling her every embarrassing moment from my life?”
Amy peered up at me from behind black sunglasses. “Oh yeah, of course. But I got those out of the way first.”
I heaved the wet towel at Amy, and she batted it away. Jade looked past me. “Here come Colt and Hunter.” She pushed her chair back from the ice chest and motioned for Britton to do the same. “You don’t want to be too close to the food when they come out of the water looking hungry. Trust me.”
Britton laughed. “I will take your word for it.”
I grabbed up the towel, walked a few feet away and stretched it out on the sand. The sun felt good on my back as I lowered myself onto my stomach. Britton peeked back at me, and I motioned her to come over. She picked up a towel and joined me.
It was close enough to the start of school that the sand was only mildly crowded. The beach stretched on toward the marina where our boat, theDurango, was docked. We’d had it up for sale for two months but had only gotten onepretty insulting offer. I didn’t have the capital or the knowledge to become the captain of my own fishing boat, and, because both my brothers had found women who made them want to steer clear of trouble and jail, we were no longer running illegal drugs across the water. I had an occasional position on Captain Dell’s fishing boat, but I was still hoping for the job in Alaska. It would be good money, enough to keep me under a roof and fed during off seasons. The only problem now was that I’d gone to the interview long before I met Britton. She made the idea of leaving for months at a time much harder. All of a sudden, I had a reason to stay.
Britton lowered herself down onto the towel next to me. I rolled onto my side to look at her and to touch her, something I couldn’t stop doing. “I hope Street hasn’t completely destroyed your opinion of me.”
“Amy adores you. She was telling me how she almost died in a house fire but that Hunter and you walked through the smoke and flames to save her.” She pushed up to her forearms and leaned over to kiss me. “And if I quickly list in my head all the things you’ve done for me, not least of all, the mindblowing sex, my opinion of you is so high, I don’t think there’s anything that could destroy it.”
I reached over and tucked her hair back behind her ear. Her tiny gold hoops winked in the sun. “Then, my hot little wood sprite, I will try my hardest not to fuck this up. I’m not really great at relationships, but some things are worth the effort.” I rolled back onto my stomach and turned my face toward her. “How is my namesake, Bolt?”
She lifted her hand. It was covered in thin scratches. “I bought her one of those fake felt mice, but she likes myhand better. I guess it’s better than having her climb the drapes in the motel room, which I have to keep shut because if the manager sees a cat inside, I’ll get the boot for sure.”
“Brit, come on, you can’t keep living in a motel.”
“I know. I’m going to start looking for a place. My new little baby needs a home where she doesn’t have to be hidden from prying eyes.”
I’d been tossing around the idea of asking her to move out with me. I badly needed to get out of the house and give Hunter and Amy privacy. But I didn’t want to move too fast. My feelings about Britton were pretty damn solid, but I wasn’t completely sure she was feeling the same way. I wasn’t ready to put myself out there yet.
“Britton,” Jade called from her chair, “your phone keeps ringing in your bag. Thought I should let you know.”
Britton sighed with annoyance as she sat up. “Probably my obsessive compulsive boss calling to let me know I left my computer monitor on and might have started a fire. He’s kind of a nut job.” She stood up and walked over to her bag.
I rested my head down and glanced over at my brothers who were devouring the contents of the ice chest. “Shit, leave some for the rest of us, you pigs.” I pushed to my feet, deciding if I didn’t get my hands on one of the sandwiches, Hunter would suck mine down too.
Britton had her hand over her free ear while listening to her phone with the other. I pointed to the ice chest to see if she wanted something. She looked distressed as she lowered her phone. “I need to make a call. I’m going to walk up toward the street for better reception.”
“Everything all right? Or did you actually set the office on fire?”
She smiled weakly. “Everything’s fine. I’ll be right back.”
