Page 58 of Stepping Into Tomorrow

Mark chuckled. “I told ya, I keep my boats in tip-top shape.”

Nash ignored him, moving around the boat, checking the vinyl seams, testing the floor for soft spots, touching the different components to see if anything else was loose. Nothing seemed amiss—just well loved. Next up was the engine. There were no water lines suggesting the engine had been submerged at any point, and the hoses and wiring all looked relatively clean.

“You got a trailer to haul it out of the water?” Nash asked, closing the hatch and wiping his hands on his shorts.

Mark nodded reluctantly. “Yeah, I got a buddy’s here we can use.”

“We’ll wait.” Nash climbed out of the boat, helping Eli out after him.

“Why are we taking it out of the water? I’m not sure we’re buying it yet,” Bella said.

Mark started the boat and steered it towards the loading dock while they made their way through the marina.

“You never buy a boat unless you’ve inspected the whole thing. We need to check the hull for any damage,” Nash explained.

“And the propeller,” Eli added.

The corner of Nash’s mouth turned up. “That’s right, bud.”

“Oh. Well, thanks for coming. I didn’t know Eli asked you. My dad was going to come but he got tied up with an issue at the marina.” Bella stopped by her SUV.

“It’s not a problem. Phillip isn’t coming?”

Bella shook her head. “No, he had to go back to Colorado.”

So he wasn’t sticking around? “It seemed you guys were close.”

Bella flicked her attention to Eli and nodded. “Mm-hmm. So far, what do you think of the boat?”

So she didn’t want to have this conversation in front of Eli. What did that mean?

It didn’t matter. If he was back in Colorado, he obviously wasn’t a problem right now. Nash didn’t need to waste time worrying about him. “Looks like a great choice. It’s clean and in good shape considering how old it is. I’ll check the rest once they get it out of the water. How much is he asking for?”

She winced. “Twenty thousand.”

It sure wasn’t pennies to get into this business. But how was a single mom living with his sister going to afford it? “And you can handle that?” Nash asked.

Bella glanced at Eli and then back to him. “Robert set aside a separate fund for this. They’d been saving for years. It’s not twenty thousand, but I can use some life insurance money to make up the difference. I know it seems like a huge purchase for a kid, and it is. But I think Eli needs this. It gives him something to look forward to, learn, and a place where he can be close to his dad’s memory.”

Nash nodded. It really wasn’t his business, but it was a lot of money to drop on a kid’s hobby. Although Nash didn’t see Eli giving it up anytime soon. “Paying with a check or loan?”

“Check.”

“I think we could get him lower if you’re serious about it. But you have to be ready to walk away.”

“Why would we walk away if we want it?” Eli asked. It was obvious he’d been listening in even though his focus darted around.

Nash turned to him, giving the kid all his attention. “Sometimes it’s good to not seem too excited about something, and you can usually get a better deal. Like for boats or cars. Hell, even furniture shopping.”

Eli’s brows drew down. “But we’ll still get the boat even if we walk away?”

“If that’s what you and your mom want.”

“Can we, Mom?”

Bella’s expression softened, her sympathetic smile lighting up her eyes. “If you’re sure this is the one. And if Nash gives it his stamp of approval seeing as he’s the expert.”

“Do you trust me?” Nash asked Eli.

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