Page 88 of Hard Luck (Blackstone House)

CHAPTER 30

COLE

“Do you want the good news or the bad news?” Cole asked Bella at the end of a long day. Quietly, because their cabin was next to Jon’s, the walls were thin, and he didn’t want any guests to overhear the things he did with his girl.

And shewashis girl. Their relationship might be unconventional, but he wasn’t interested in anyone else, and she swore she wasn’t either.

Bella just groaned.

“Okay, we’ll start with the good news. The turtle population at this site is higher than it was last year.”

“And the bad news?”

“Delroy is still in the hospital. The cut on his hand isn’t looking good.”

TheCrosswindhad a satellite hotspot on board, and after Cole checked in with Frankie yesterday, he’d tried calling Delroy, only for a nurse to answer. She wouldn’t discuss his condition, but she did say he was in surgery and there was no way he’d be working in the next two weeks. The plan had been to pick him up from Valentine Cay as they passedtomorrow—he could take the ferry from Emerald Shores to get there, and Bella would take the ferry back—but now Cole would have to continue alone.

“So what’s the bad news?” Bella asked.

He studied her, but she never gave anything away. The only thing clear was that she didn’t much care for Delroy.

“You’re not upset?”

“He should have been more careful.”

“You were sitting next to him that night—did you see how he got the injury?”

Delroy said he’d cut himself by accident, but that didn’t ring true. How would a man slice open his palm like that at the dinner table?

“Did I see it? No.”

There was something about the way Bella said that…

“But you know how it happened?”

She gave a careless shrug. “He kept touching me. Every time I removed his hand from my leg, it found its way back again. So I held my steak knife along my thigh, and I guess he went in for a real good grope.”

Delroy had groped her? What the fuck? Hot rage flooded through Cole’s veins, seething and fast. He’d always known Delroy was an asshole, but the creep had touched Bella against her will? If Cole got his hands on the man, he’d be staying in the hospital for a hell of a lot longer.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I just did.”

“I meant at the time.”

“What would you have done? Punched him?”

“Probably.”

“I thought you hated violence?”

“I do, but I’d have made an exception in that particular case.”

“Which is why I didn’t tell you. Dr. Blaylock and the boys were there, and I didn’t want to cause more of a scene.” Her lips quirked. “It’s not as if Delroy’s gonna try it again.”

Cole gripped Bella’s upper arms. “I’m so sorry. If I’d known he got handsy with women, I’d never have hired him.”

“Chill, I understand. Just forget about it, okay? It’s done.” Bella leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. “Do you want me to stay for the rest of the trip?”

---