Nicole!” Bowie said, his voice a stern command.
“But—”
“You might hurt yourself. No.”
Chance had never heard his usually laid-back brother take such charge of a situation. He was impressed. “Nic, go stand on the beach and guide us,” he said, breathing heavily. “Andi, climb in the boat and turn on the motors. If we get it headed in straight again, gun it.” He prayed this highly independent woman wouldn’t question him.
She didn’t. “Right.” She started running toward the prow of the boat. Then she turned. “What if the stakes on the other side pull out, too?”
Chance managed a grim smile. “Don’t leave without us.”
“Right.” She took off.
Bowie strained at the ropes. “Maybe we’ll rent something a little smaller next time?”
Chance gritted his teeth and planted his feet. His arms began to ache. “A canoe.”
“A boogie board.”
Chance snorted. “Nic, are we moving it at all?”
“A little.”
The engines roared to life.
“Now,” Bowie said, “if we can just pull it around so it’s straight, Andi can ram it back up on the beach.”
“Yep.” Chance gasped for breath as he renewed his efforts. Unfortunately the wind seemed to do the same, blowing harder than ever. “Just straighten it out No problem.”
Bowie pulled until the muscles bulged in his arms, but he staggered farther into the water as the boat continued to swing in the wrong direction. “Anytime, Chance.”
“I was waiting for you.” Chance felt the water lick the bottom of his shorts, and the sandy bottom had given way to slippery rocks. “Didn’t want to show you up in front of Nicole.”
“You’re losing ground!” Nicole called.
“You know, I didn’t notice,” Bowie muttered breathlessly to Chance. He stood up to his waist in water. “Did you notice?”
“I can’t get my footing on these damn rocks.” Rocks. “Nic, how much clearance does Andi have for the propellers?” he yelled.
“I’ll see!”
Almost immediately came the sound of giant ice cubes being crushed in a blender the size of…the houseboat. Then the motors stopped.
“Not much clearance,” Nicole said. “In fact, I think she hit ‘em.”
Chance gazed at Bowie. “Gee, do you think?”
“Could be. Plus, my shoulder’s about to be dislocated.”
“Mine, too,” Chance said tightly.
“Ever moved a houseboat that’s stuck sideways on the beach?”
“Bet it would be easier once the wind’s died down.”
“Let ‘er go, Chance. This houseboat’s bigger than both of us.”
“This houseboat’s bigger than Detroit.”
“We’re letting go!” Bowie called to Andi and Nicole. “The boat will just drift sideways up on the beach.”
“Won’t that be a problem?” Nicole called back.
“Nothing we can’t handle!” Chance shouted.
Bowie laughed. “And if they believe that, we’ve been playing our cards way too close to our chest.”
“On three,” Chance said. “One, two, three. ”
The brothers released the stakes and ropes. Slowly the boat turned until it was broadside to the buffeting wind. Then it edged toward the shore until the side crunched into the sand. Wedged tight.
Once the inevitable had happened, the adrenaline rush subsided and Chance had time for remorse. “This is my fault,” he said as they waded out of the water. “I knew the sand wasn’t stable enough. I should have paid more attention.”
“I knew it wasn’t stable, too. Why isn’t it my fault?”
“Because I’m—”
“Older? Wiser? The biggest martyr the world has ever known? Come on, look on the bright side,” Bowie said. “From this angle we’ll be able to get a premiere view of those completely uninsured propellers.”
Chance grimaced. “Don’t remind me. That’s the otherthing I should have thought of. I knew we didn’t have much clearance.”
“Oh, lighten up. Stuff happens.”
“That’s pretty much your attitude about life, isn’t it? I hate to think what would happen if I started
“But—”
“You might hurt yourself. No.”
Chance had never heard his usually laid-back brother take such charge of a situation. He was impressed. “Nic, go stand on the beach and guide us,” he said, breathing heavily. “Andi, climb in the boat and turn on the motors. If we get it headed in straight again, gun it.” He prayed this highly independent woman wouldn’t question him.
She didn’t. “Right.” She started running toward the prow of the boat. Then she turned. “What if the stakes on the other side pull out, too?”
Chance managed a grim smile. “Don’t leave without us.”
“Right.” She took off.
Bowie strained at the ropes. “Maybe we’ll rent something a little smaller next time?”
Chance gritted his teeth and planted his feet. His arms began to ache. “A canoe.”
“A boogie board.”
Chance snorted. “Nic, are we moving it at all?”
“A little.”
The engines roared to life.
“Now,” Bowie said, “if we can just pull it around so it’s straight, Andi can ram it back up on the beach.”
“Yep.” Chance gasped for breath as he renewed his efforts. Unfortunately the wind seemed to do the same, blowing harder than ever. “Just straighten it out No problem.”
Bowie pulled until the muscles bulged in his arms, but he staggered farther into the water as the boat continued to swing in the wrong direction. “Anytime, Chance.”
“I was waiting for you.” Chance felt the water lick the bottom of his shorts, and the sandy bottom had given way to slippery rocks. “Didn’t want to show you up in front of Nicole.”
“You’re losing ground!” Nicole called.
“You know, I didn’t notice,” Bowie muttered breathlessly to Chance. He stood up to his waist in water. “Did you notice?”
“I can’t get my footing on these damn rocks.” Rocks. “Nic, how much clearance does Andi have for the propellers?” he yelled.
“I’ll see!”
Almost immediately came the sound of giant ice cubes being crushed in a blender the size of…the houseboat. Then the motors stopped.
“Not much clearance,” Nicole said. “In fact, I think she hit ‘em.”
Chance gazed at Bowie. “Gee, do you think?”
“Could be. Plus, my shoulder’s about to be dislocated.”
“Mine, too,” Chance said tightly.
“Ever moved a houseboat that’s stuck sideways on the beach?”
“Bet it would be easier once the wind’s died down.”
“Let ‘er go, Chance. This houseboat’s bigger than both of us.”
“This houseboat’s bigger than Detroit.”
“We’re letting go!” Bowie called to Andi and Nicole. “The boat will just drift sideways up on the beach.”
“Won’t that be a problem?” Nicole called back.
“Nothing we can’t handle!” Chance shouted.
Bowie laughed. “And if they believe that, we’ve been playing our cards way too close to our chest.”
“On three,” Chance said. “One, two, three. ”
The brothers released the stakes and ropes. Slowly the boat turned until it was broadside to the buffeting wind. Then it edged toward the shore until the side crunched into the sand. Wedged tight.
Once the inevitable had happened, the adrenaline rush subsided and Chance had time for remorse. “This is my fault,” he said as they waded out of the water. “I knew the sand wasn’t stable enough. I should have paid more attention.”
“I knew it wasn’t stable, too. Why isn’t it my fault?”
“Because I’m—”
“Older? Wiser? The biggest martyr the world has ever known? Come on, look on the bright side,” Bowie said. “From this angle we’ll be able to get a premiere view of those completely uninsured propellers.”
Chance grimaced. “Don’t remind me. That’s the otherthing I should have thought of. I knew we didn’t have much clearance.”
“Oh, lighten up. Stuff happens.”
“That’s pretty much your attitude about life, isn’t it? I hate to think what would happen if I started
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