Page 33 of Austen

Now Austen looked at Declan with a sort of raised eyebrow.“Oh goodie.I feel like I’m eight years old and you guys are fighting over who gets to babysit me.I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”She pinned her gaze back on Stein.“And making my own decisions.I’m staying.”

Then she turned to Declan.“Which means I’m going to need a tour.”She held out her hand.

Oh, interesting.He took it.

“I’ll see you back in the Keys, Stein.Don’t worry about me, I’m in good hands.”Then she looked up at Declan and smiled.

His entire body just about exploded.

Well.Well.

Hawkeye had come down the stairs too.“Ready to go?”He held a croissant sandwich wrapped in a napkin in one hand and a cup of coffee in a to-go cup in the other.

Austen let go of Declan’s hand, stepped up to Stein, and gave him a hug.Steinbeck stiffened, then put his arms around his sister and whispered something into her ear.

Probably something along the lines of “Watch out for the terrorist.”Declan shook his head.Yes, he wanted Stein off his boat.

She finally let him go and turned back to Declan.“Was that a spa I saw on the lower deck?”

“Absolutely,” said Declan, glancing again at Stein.Stein met his gaze, and Declan caught a warning in it.Whatever.

Honestly, the fact that Stein thought he could be involved in something, well, terroristic sort of snagged him.He wanted to add a “You’re fired” to their conversation, but Stein already didn’t work for him anymore, so there was that.

But as they walked away, a coal burned inside him at the man’s betrayal.Declan had trusted him.Let him into his life.

Declan followed Austen along the back of the boat to the big lounge area in the stern.She stopped, watching Hawkeye and Steinbeck cast off.

“Sorry about that,” she said.“Steinbeck and I have always had a sort of toe-to-toe relationship.Of course I love him dearly.He’s a great brother and he’s my twin.But that’s also the problem.He was born two minutes before me, so that makes him myolderbrother, and he has let that go straight to his head.That and the fact that I’ve always been a little independent drives him crazy.”

She looked at Declan, gave him a wry smile and a shrug.“Not that he’s a guy that we shouldn’t worry about.He was wounded three years ago in Poland in an explosion.Nearly lost his ability to walk, and let’s not forget he was shot just a couple months ago, so there’s been plenty of floor pacing over Stein.”

“I think you guys are probably a lot alike,” Declan said quietly.“I don’t have a sibling.”The words pinched, but he pressed on.“But I certainly wouldn’t mind one who did everything he could to show up to help me.”He offered a smile and she met it.

“I guess so,” she said.

Hawkeye’s boat motored away, Steinbeck at the rail.

Austen turned.“So tell me about the yacht.”Then she reached out and took his hand again.“This is going to be a fabulous two days.”

Yes.Yes, it was.

FIVE

She didn’t wantto return to her normal life, thank you.In fact, she’d dived headfirst into this life of luxury.She’d eaten a lobster roll with an avocado and citrus salad for lunch—on a china plate, no less—courtesy of the galley and Declan’s Michelin-rated chef.

In fact, theInvictushosted a staff of seven, servingfourpeople, which felt a little excessive.But then again, it probably took a small army to run a boat this size.

“Any more lemon water?”The question came from the petite, dark-haired female steward named Belle, who materialized from the shadows the moment Austen drained her glass and set it on the table beside the lounger.

“Yes, please.”For a homeless woman, Austen wasn’t suffering, although her missing boat loomed in the back of her mind.She’d given theFancy Free’s identification number, call sign, and description to the captain, and Teresa had agreed to pass along the information to the vessel-tracking services and the local Coast Guard.

So far,nada.

Oh boy.

Elise lay on the lounge chair next to her, her body tanned, wearing a cute swimsuit dress.Austen wore the utilitarian swim shorts and top she’d worn under her wetsuit so at least she didn’t have to borrow undergarments.

But good thing she and Elise were the same size; otherwise, she might have had to spend the next few days in a bathrobe.

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