Page 61 of Austen

“Yes,” he said.“Thanks for noticing.”

Then he smiled, and for some reason, all of the chill of the night whooshed out of her, warmth settling into her bones.So what that he was a complicated man?Maybe she could figure out how to do complicated.

“Phoenix is slowing,” Steinbeck said as he throttled back.“I think she’s out of gas.”He looked at the gauge.“We’re low too.”He looked back at Declan.“Don’t your people keep these things topped off?”

“Hunter and Elise spent an entire day on the Jet Skis, and I used the tender to search the ocean for Austen.But we should have extra fuel on board.”

He got up and went to the front, then picked up a plastic can and shook his head.For a second, he looked like he might toss it into the sea in fury.He came back, sat on the bench.“Sorry.No one anticipated a run for shore in the tender.We’re probably another thirty or forty miles away at least.”

“Maybe we’ll cross paths with a cruise ship before we run out of gas,” Austen said.“I’m in for the all-you-can-eat buffet.”

Steinbeck didn’t say anything, and Declan’s expression remained stoic.

“Really?That was kind of funny.”

They’d pulled up beside the Jet Ski, now just floating in the water.Phoenix looked over at Steinbeck.“Couldn’t get enough of me, huh?”

“I thought we talked about this ditching-us thing.Just can’t get it out of your system, can you?”

Her mouth tightened.She held up her hands as if in surrender.“Are you going to invite me aboard?”

Steinbeck gestured with his head, and she climbed up the back of the boat and onto the seat beside Austen.

“You okay?”Austen asked.

“Super fantastic,” Phoenix said.Then she glanced at Steinbeck.“For the record, it’s not that I ditched you as much as...”

Steinbeck raised an eyebrow.

“Okay, I ditched you.”

“Where were you going?”Stein asked.

“I don’t know.South?I figured I’d hit land eventually.”

Just once, Austen would like an absolute.Steinbeck kept the boat moving south.

“Hey,” Phoenix said, “what’s the worst that can happen?We end up stranded in the ocean?”She smiled at Austen.

“Not funny.”

Phoenix lifted a shoulder.“Trying.”

“Steinbeck said you were a spy.Really?”

Phoenix narrowed her eyes at Steinbeck.“Thanks.”She turned back to Austen.“I’m not a spy.I’m a problem solver.”

“Whatever,” Steinbeck growled.

“I don’t understand.How did you end up on my boat?”Declan asked.

“It was just a gig to get me off Mariposa.”

“What were you doing on Mariposa?”

She made a face.“Oh, just...you know...saving Steinbeck’s life.”

“Seriously?”Steinbeck had started for shore, the motor kicking up.

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