Page 31 of Father Figure

Possibly, but was it worth the risk? Absolutely.

A man like Cass? Definitely worth the risk.

Like a good host, I handed Jack and Theo chilled bottles of water. “What kind of fish are you trying to catch today?”

“Marlin, wahoo, maybe even some mahi-mahi,” Jack explained.

Sam scoffed. “Don’t think small, gentlemen, think big. We’re going to catch a sailfish today, the big daddy of the sea. Maybe even a tarpon.”

“Keep dreaming, old man,” Theo teased. “We've been doing this for years and we’ve never caught a tarpon yet.”

“That’s because you suck at this,” Sam sassed. “I caught a tarpon with Cass.”

“Bullshit,” Jack coughed.

“Nicky,” Sam called. “What's hanging over the sofa in my living room?”

“A big blue fish,” I answered, unsure exactly what kind it was.

“A big blue fish that you probably bought at a yard sale or on eBay,” Jack teased.

“I hope the fishing gods curse you today,” Sam joked. “I hope you catch nothing but seaweed.”

Around five o’clock in the evening, we pulled up the anchor. “Come, sit with me, Nicky. I’ll show you how to steer.”

My entire mood shifted on a dime, and I was filled with excitement. Steer the boat? Me? Awesome!

Sam sat in the captain’s chair, and I stood between his parted legs, with my hands on the wheel and his hands placed over mine. Like Cass, Sam smelled enticing, like salt air and tropical sunblock. Maybe because I associated it with Cass, but that scent stirred something deep inside of me.

He showed me how to shift speeds, and how to navigate around boat traffic. As we got closer to shore, I had to navigate around the buoys, for which there was an entirely different set of rules to learn.

“You’re doing so good. Wait till I tell Cass that you’re a natural.”

His praise warmed me inside out. Sam was a wild card, and I was never sure where I stood with him. Of course, he was nice to me when I was younger because I was a cute kid. Everyone was nice to me. But lately, I felt like we were competing and everything I did pissed him off. It felt good to be on the other side of his negativity today.

“Are you ready to tell me what your plan is?”

“My plan for what, sir?”

He chuckled at my use of the word ‘sir.’ “Don't think I don’t know what you’re up to, Nicky. You’re cooking up some sort of convoluted scheme in that pretty little head of yours involving my best friend, and I just want you to be honest and tell me what it is.”

Fuck, busted. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, glancing back at him.

His voice was closer, right in my ear, a caress that sent shivers dancing down my spine. “You’ve been flirting with him. Everyone thinks you’re this sweet, angelic boy, but I see the brat underneath. I can smell a brat a mile away, Nicky. What are you doing with Cass?”

I got distracted and nervous, sailing too close to a buoy, and Sam took over, boxing me in between his arms as he commandeered the wheel. I slumped against his body.

“Do you think I have a chance?”

His laughter was a soft rumble in my ear. “How badly do you want one?”

“Bad,” I whispered.

“You’re asking him to risk a lot for you. A hell of a lot. What are you willing to give him in return?”

I felt a thrill spread throughout my body. Were we really discussing this? “Everything.”

“Don’t play games with him, Nicky. I know Cass is a big boy who can take care of himself, but I don’t want to see him hurt. He's never trusted anyone enough to let them close enough to his heart, let alone hurt him, but you’re different. You’ve already wormed your way into his heart. Be careful. You’re playing a grown-up game, and you’re barely a man yet.”

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