Page 142 of Knockin' Boats
“It is,” he said. “Just take your time and let me know when you’re ready.”
My heart skipped. Could I really do it? Buy into a business. I’d be risking my savings, but I wouldn’t be alone in that risk.
I really liked the idea of leading water-sport tours. It had been circling my brain for days. But I didn’t want to bankrupt myself like my parents had.
To launch it alone was out of the question. The business would require a lot of upfront costs. The right kind of boat. The right kind of gear. To do it right, I’d want to get an automated wakesurf system onboard. We’d need a selection of wakeboards, surfboards, and water skis for use. Maybe we could rent them out too.
My mind whirled with ideas. It was thrilling—but also daunting. It wouldn’t be a small undertaking, and I doubted I could come up with all the financing to go it alone. But with Hudson and Skylar behind me…it was within reach.
It would never be without risk, though, and it was a risk I’d promised myself I’d never take. So, what to do? Go out on a limb and hope for the best, or stay in the job that was safe and give up on what could be a really exciting venture?
Ding-ding-ding.The service bell cut through my spinning thoughts.
“Sawyer!” Ash called. “You in there? I’m coming in!”
I hopped up and leaned out of the office doorway as Ash came through the front entrance. “Hey, what’s up?”
His face was set in tense lines. His posture rigid as he came toward me, rather than the relaxed stroll that I’d admired dozens of times.
“It’s Rick.” He handed me his phone and pointed to the screen. “He just review bombed the food boat.”
I looked down at the flurry of new 1-star reviews. “That son of a bitch.”
Hudson came up behind me. “What’s going on?”
I handed the phone over for him to see. His eyes narrowed as he skimmed over the ugly comments.
Hudson was familiar with the owner of DreamBoats. “Why do you think Rick did this?”
“He wanted me to get Sawyer to change his witness statement about the accident. He wants to cover it up.”
“Jesus. That’s low even for him.”
Ash shifted his gaze to me. “I thought you should know.”
“Of course.” I rubbed his arm. “I’m so sorry, Ash. I wish he wasn’t putting you in the middle. I just…Ican’tdo that.”
He shook his head. “That’s not why I’m telling you, Saw. I wouldneverask you to do the wrong thing. But if he’s review bombing me because I wouldn’t cooperate, Swallow Adventures might be next. I checked on the way over, and everything looks fine now, but…”
“Don’t worry about us, Ash,” Hudson said. “Swallow Adventures has been around a long while. A few bad reviews won’t put us in the ground.”
My heart clenched hard. Hudson was probably right. Swallow Adventures had been around long enough to build a credible reputation. But Master Bites was only a few weeks old. It was still building trust. And these reviews weren’t just saying it had bad service. They were casting doubt on the safety of eating there.
This could ruin Ash’s business. He could lose everything. Just like my mom.
Ash gave a shaky smile. “Okay, good. I think you all run a real good operation over here. I’d hate to see Rick ruin that.”
“You’re not responsible for his actions,” Hudson said. “And you’ve got your own business to worry about. We’ll be fine, Ash. Don’t you worry about us.”
Ash nodded and backed toward the door. “Well, I should head out. I’ve got to get out there and see if I’ve got any customers.”
I followed him outside. “Ash, hold up.”
He turned toward me, seeming less tense now. But I hated the slump of his shoulders. Rick’s bullshit weighed him down. Probably always had. I just never knew it.
I cupped his face and gently kissed him. “I’m sorry you’re caught in my mess.”
He blinked. “What?”
