she’d
overslept. Outside, it was raining hard and the sound of the water hitting the boat’s
porthole and roof had woken her.
Brock, still
sleeping, shared her pillow.
She had to get up and
go to the restaurant. There was only one way out and that was across his body. She
tried to do it without touching him, disturbing him, but he woke up as she had
one leg and half a body across his.
“Got ya .” He grabbed her
and pulled her down toward him so he could kiss her, and patted her butt. “You
sleep okay?”
“Too
good.”
“Yeah, you’re a sound
sleeper. You snore, too.”
“I do not.”
“How do you know if
you’re asleep?” asked Brock.
“Well, at least I
don’t drool.”
“So are you saying I
do that?”
“Maybe.” When he pinched her right bottom cheek, Kate cried, “Hey—ouch!” She
playfully slapped his hand as she gazed down at him. “I’d love to stay here all
morning, all day, convincing you that you’re a drooler ,
but I’ve got a restaurant to run.”
“And I’ve got a job
to get to. So what would you like me to do, ma’am?”
***
She’d only been
joking when she’d said she wanted all the windows washed and the shutter that
was hanging by just one nail, reattached. Luckily it had stopped raining.
Brock found a ladder
and climbed it with a bucket of soapy water and a sponge in hand and cleaned
every single window until they sparkled.
Kate was sure they
hadn’t been cleaned since she and David had purchased the place.
He’d then found a drill and some screws.
Before she knew it, the shutter was securely
fastened. At least her customers would no longer hear it swing and bang against
the building while they enjoyed their meal.
She’d given him the
rest of the day off so he could work some more on the boat’s engine. She’d been
honored he’d named it after her, although her namesake didn’t look in great
shape. By mid-afternoon, Kate heard the engine turn over. And the best news was
no smoke this time.
She decided to walk
across the road and check in on him. As she went below decks, he saw her,
smiled, and raised his thumb.
“So what do you
think?”
“Sounds
and smells a lot better than when we first met.”
“The Kate’s going to be a money-maker.”
“I only wish I could
say the same thing about the real one.” Her sudden bright mood that been
brought back to a screeching reality. If it wasn’t for Brock and his cheerful
face, she knew she’d be on the brink of tears again.
“Hey, I didn’t mean
to upset you,” said Brock.
“Not your fault. Just facing up to reality.” She sighed. What would she do
without this guy?
“You want to take a
moonlight cruise with me tonight after the restaurant closes?”
“You mean in Kate ?”
That was Brock. He
always knew what to say to brighten her day.
He nodded. “I have to
try her out, give her a test run.”
“You sure she’s okay
to take out of the harbor?” The last thing she wanted was for them both to be
stranded at sea.
“The leak is patched,
her engine’s purring. Sure she’s seaworthy.”
“If
you say so, Captain.”
“Okay, I’ll be
waiting for you.” He blew her a kiss.
She blew one back and
then saluted, which made both of them burst out laughing.
***
Kate looked stunning.
How could a woman make a pair of shorts and a T-shirt look so fantastic? Okay,
he was biased, but nevertheless she’d taken his breath away when she’d come on
board. The water was calm, the moon shone over it, and even a few stars
twinkled here and there.
“I brought us a treat
to take on our trip. French bread, assorted cheeses, some of Henri’s pâté, and
a bottle of sparkling wine,” said Kate.
“Sounds great,” said
Brock. He took everything from her and placed it on the countertop. “Okay, you
ready to set sail?”
“Aye,
aye, Captain.”
Brock took her hand
and led her up to the deck where he turned the key and the engine turned over
and purred. “You want to
overslept. Outside, it was raining hard and the sound of the water hitting the boat’s
porthole and roof had woken her.
Brock, still
sleeping, shared her pillow.
She had to get up and
go to the restaurant. There was only one way out and that was across his body. She
tried to do it without touching him, disturbing him, but he woke up as she had
one leg and half a body across his.
“Got ya .” He grabbed her
and pulled her down toward him so he could kiss her, and patted her butt. “You
sleep okay?”
“Too
good.”
“Yeah, you’re a sound
sleeper. You snore, too.”
“I do not.”
“How do you know if
you’re asleep?” asked Brock.
“Well, at least I
don’t drool.”
“So are you saying I
do that?”
“Maybe.” When he pinched her right bottom cheek, Kate cried, “Hey—ouch!” She
playfully slapped his hand as she gazed down at him. “I’d love to stay here all
morning, all day, convincing you that you’re a drooler ,
but I’ve got a restaurant to run.”
“And I’ve got a job
to get to. So what would you like me to do, ma’am?”
***
She’d only been
joking when she’d said she wanted all the windows washed and the shutter that
was hanging by just one nail, reattached. Luckily it had stopped raining.
Brock found a ladder
and climbed it with a bucket of soapy water and a sponge in hand and cleaned
every single window until they sparkled.
Kate was sure they
hadn’t been cleaned since she and David had purchased the place.
He’d then found a drill and some screws.
Before she knew it, the shutter was securely
fastened. At least her customers would no longer hear it swing and bang against
the building while they enjoyed their meal.
She’d given him the
rest of the day off so he could work some more on the boat’s engine. She’d been
honored he’d named it after her, although her namesake didn’t look in great
shape. By mid-afternoon, Kate heard the engine turn over. And the best news was
no smoke this time.
She decided to walk
across the road and check in on him. As she went below decks, he saw her,
smiled, and raised his thumb.
“So what do you
think?”
“Sounds
and smells a lot better than when we first met.”
“The Kate’s going to be a money-maker.”
“I only wish I could
say the same thing about the real one.” Her sudden bright mood that been
brought back to a screeching reality. If it wasn’t for Brock and his cheerful
face, she knew she’d be on the brink of tears again.
“Hey, I didn’t mean
to upset you,” said Brock.
“Not your fault. Just facing up to reality.” She sighed. What would she do
without this guy?
“You want to take a
moonlight cruise with me tonight after the restaurant closes?”
“You mean in Kate ?”
That was Brock. He
always knew what to say to brighten her day.
He nodded. “I have to
try her out, give her a test run.”
“You sure she’s okay
to take out of the harbor?” The last thing she wanted was for them both to be
stranded at sea.
“The leak is patched,
her engine’s purring. Sure she’s seaworthy.”
“If
you say so, Captain.”
“Okay, I’ll be
waiting for you.” He blew her a kiss.
She blew one back and
then saluted, which made both of them burst out laughing.
***
Kate looked stunning.
How could a woman make a pair of shorts and a T-shirt look so fantastic? Okay,
he was biased, but nevertheless she’d taken his breath away when she’d come on
board. The water was calm, the moon shone over it, and even a few stars
twinkled here and there.
“I brought us a treat
to take on our trip. French bread, assorted cheeses, some of Henri’s pâté, and
a bottle of sparkling wine,” said Kate.
“Sounds great,” said
Brock. He took everything from her and placed it on the countertop. “Okay, you
ready to set sail?”
“Aye,
aye, Captain.”
Brock took her hand
and led her up to the deck where he turned the key and the engine turned over
and purred. “You want to
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