Page 131 of Tender Heart
“He’s out on a call, up north.”
“I need to go back to the island. Now!”
“Tame your petticoats, lassie, I’m almost off shift. Wait for day shift.”
“No! I cannotwait. You either take me, or I’ll find my own way.”
“You mean steal some poor unsuspecting sod’s boat?”
“If I have to.”
He groans, running a hand through his messy grey hair. “Fine, but I ain’t hanging around to wait for whatever this drama is. I’ll take you over, you find your way back.”
“Fine, let’s go.”
Errol gets to his feet, shaking his head. He grabs a cap from a hook, his Coast Guard uniform wrinkled and bulging at the waist. Nothing like how it looks on Emmett.
We march for the secondary rig. Errol unties her before we board, and he fires her up.
I take a seat in the cabin, and he throws me a dirty look.
Apparently, his dislike for Cal extends to me now. It never used to.
Whatever, old man.
“You got any idea what you’re gettin’ yourself into, missy?”
Missy. It tracks. I roll my eyes before meeting his gaze.
“What is it with you people? Holding a grudge your favorite sport?”
He chuckles, but there’s no humor in it. “Every choice has consequences. You just remember that.”
“Sure.” I give him the most saccharine smile I can force.
Twenty minutes later, Fire Island comes into view, its rocky western shoreline shrouded in fog. The pit of my stomach rolls. It’s impossible to sit still. I fidget like my skin’s on fire.
Errol gives me a sideways look before throttling back and gliding the cruiser in beside the jetty.
Thirty-Five
CALLUM
Something moves at the back of the boat. A narrow door snaps shut.
“Hello? Buddy, time to leave!”
Fuck my luck. I’m going to have to carry him out.
Why do people come out on the water if everything about it terrifies them?
Edging around the flooded portion of the living quarters, I make my way to the door. “We need to get out of this boat before she tips over, bud. Now would be good.”
I pull the door open. A gangly thirty-something guy stands with a snarl on his face.
A fucking snarl. That’s what I get for coming out to save his skinny hide. He’s almost as tall as me, messy brown hair, and somewhat familiar.
I’ve seen him bef?—
