Page 2 of The Crown

He was already distracted, thinking about his next meeting, she guessed. So often this same distant expression crossed his eyes, and she knew he was troubled. She placed a hand on his chest. “We will keep squeezing in fun. I promise. Meet me in the dance hall tonight?”

He nodded, still distracted, but he leaned down to kiss her again. It was meant to be a short farewell, but neither could stop. Electricity zinged through her every time his lips touched hers, and she wanted more.

When he at last stepped away, she caught her breath. “Wow.”

“The things you do to me. “ His eyes lingered on her face, studying each feature. “Have fun, Jo.”

Then he turned to walk up the dock.

When she faced the brothers, they each wore different expressions of amusement.

Trane’s one eyebrow seemed to mock her.

“What?” She laughed. “You could learn a thing or two from your bother.”

“Ha! She thinks.” Trane stood taller. “Who says I didn’t teach him everything he knows?”

The others scoffed.

Daniel hopped in their Mastercraft ski boat. “Nico’s the undisputed conqueror of women.” Then he stopped. “I mean, was.” His face reddened.

Jo liked him best of all. He was the youngest and still sweet, tended to stumble over his words at times, like now.

Lucan chucked a towel at his head. “Daniel. Like she wants to hear about all that.”

She joined them in the boat and climbed to the front. “It’s ok. I read the tabloids.”

Their mouths opened. And Trane shook his head. “You do? Why would you do that?”

She shrugged, suddenly self-conscious. “I wanted to know.”

The others found their seats.

It was her turn to whistle. “This is some boat. I’ve always wanted to ski behind a Mastercraft.”

“She’s a beaut. This is the newest model.” Trane beckoned her over. “It’s all digitized. You can switch from regular skiing to wake surfing. Just push a button.”

She stopped her squeal. “This is gonna be epic.”

The brothers laughed and Trane turned to them all. “Our new sister is a keeper.”

She warmed toward them, feeling a little more like family.

The boat tore out of the small canal that held their private marina, back out onto the open waters. Daniel shouted close to her ear. “We know the perfect inlet bay, always glass.” He ran his hand through the air, palm down as if over a smooth surface.

“I can’t wait to hear that hum.” She tapped her foot in anticipation. There was nothing like it. Skiing, being out on the water. It felt like flying. She even loved the smell of the gas in the motor, and the rainbow swirls it made on the water’s surface.

“The hum. She even knows about the hum.” Trane shook his head in appreciation. “Are all Americans like you?”

She shrugged and laughed it off.

They slowed and pulled into a small opening between two cliff faces, as if following a wider tributary. She moved to the front, taking in the multicolored beauty on each side. Layers of rock, and dirt, made an earth-toned rainbow on both sides. “Stunning.” The boat had slowed to no-wake speeds, and she craned her neck, to take in as much as she could. She tried not to blink and miss the unique beauty of this place.

After a short time, the water opened up into a pristine space, mirror images of the forest on all sides lining the edge.

“Is it deep?”

“Our depth counter puts us at 10 meters almost all over, even close to the edges.”

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