Page 119 of Tender Heart
I have, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to make it harder for her to leave. I force my focus back to the contents of the old-school instruments. One glance at the sky tells me storms are on their way. Like clockwork when the air heats up. Summer on Fire Island swings between heaven and hell.
Sometimes without warning.
Always settling in for days over my tiny slice of peace and quiet.
“Cal?”
I close my eyes and pretend that one syllable from her lips doesn’t do the things it does to me. Sliding the clipboard into the side of the weather station, I shut the door and latch it.
“Yeah?”
When I turn to face her, she’s hugging her arms around herself with flushed cheeks and her hair piled onto the top of her head. She steps forward. The tank top and tiny shorts she wears highlight her perfect curves. I shutter the thoughts wanting to bloom at the sliver of skin showing around her elegant waist. She drops her gaze to the ground and shifts on her feet, and I set my shoulders back and cross my arms, imitating her position.
“Did you need something?” I ask.
“I—ah, is it okay if you take me to the hut, one last time? I have a building in my book, same kind of build... and I wanted to make sure I have the details right. If that’s okay?”
I wasn’t expecting that.
“Like for a couple of hours, or?”
“An hour should do it. I can go by myself if you’re busy, but I thought I should ask first.”
Nothing about this is okay.
Evie feeling the need to ask my fucking permission to do things. Wrapping things up... to leave.
Fuck me.
“You want company? In case the weather rolls in?” I ask, not able to let this go. The feeling she’s slipping away. Of course she is. It’s what I asked her to do.
“Oh sure, if you’re not busy.”
“Give me thirty. I’ll just finish the day’s inspections.”
She rocks on her heels, eyes looking anywhere but at me. “Great. I’ll grab my stuff.”
I force a smile.
It’s incredible how fast we went from full throttle, heart in and soul deep, to this awkward shuffle four feet apart.
If anything was ever a shitty deal, a bad hand of fate, the universe screwing a man over, this is it.
I wander to the dock, running an eye over the boat, double-checking it’s full of fuel, the life jackets are functional and stored properly. Like it ever fucking changes.
Running a hand over the two life preservers secured at the stern, I find nothing of note. Still in good condition. Unlike this heart of mine...
One last trip to the hut is going to be a tough gig. I turn the key to ALT and check the radio, reporting the weather to the watch house before shutting it down. Firefly’s served this island and the mariners of the waters to the east for years. She’s earned her keep, that’s for sure.
I make it back to the house to change into my boots and grab up a water bottle and the handheld radio, just in case.
Evie bounds down the stairs, her gait slowing when she sees me.
It’s like just being in a room with me pulls the oxygen from her. I don’t know how to do this awkward bullshit. “Ready?”
“Yep, need to grab my phone. Is it okay if I take pictures?”
“Sure thing.”
