AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Why is that?"
"My grandmother has Alzheimer's. and my grandfather spends most of his time taking care of her."
"Oh, I'm sorry. That's too bad."
He heard the distracted note in her voice and knew she wasn't paying him any attention; she was still trying to come up with a way to get him off of her boat. "Are you?" he asked.
"What?" She gave him a confused look.
"Are you sorry? Are you even listening to me or are you planning your escape?"
Her gaze met his. "You mentioned something about your grandmother."
"Yeah, she's losing her mind. It's hard to watch."
This time he could see compassion in her eyes when she said, "That must be difficult."
"It's unimaginable. My grandparents have been devoted to each other for more than fifty years. They can finish each other's sentences. They're each a half of a whole. One without the other doesn't work." As he finished speaking, he realized how true his words were, and he was assailed by a feeling of overwhelming sadness. His grandfather was already sinking. What would happen when his grandmother was all the way gone?
"That's an amazing relationship," Ria said. "I've never known anyone who was married fifty years. That's quite an accomplishment."
"Neither one of them would ever walk away from their vows. It's not who they are."
"It doesn't sound like they were even tempted."
"Well, I don't know if I can go that far; my grandfather isn't the easiest man to be around, but she seems to handle his short-temper and demanding personality without a qualm. Anyway, I'm buying his boat with a couple of my brothers."
"What kind of boat is it?"
"It's a thirty-foot J boat. It has a sleeping berth, galley, and according to my brother made for cruising and racing."
"You're planning to race?"
"Possibly. Have you ever raced?"
"Lots of times," she said. "So your boat is much bigger than this one, but the basics are still the same. Let's start with the safety instructions. And don't try to tell me they're not necessary," she added, putting up a cautioning hand. "New students always get safety instructions. It's club policy."
"Instruct away," he said.
As Ria went through her safety talk, Drew's mind began to drift. He was distracted by her mouth, her eyes, and her curves. She'd taken off her jacket and wore a white polo shirt with the yacht club logo over a pair of soft jeans that clung to her hips. Seemed a little thinner than he remembered, but she still had curves in all the right places. Her breasts swelled against her shirt, and he could still feel the weight of them in his hands.
He drew in a quick breath as desire swept through him. He'd wanted Ria from the first second he saw her and that feeling was back.
He wished he could say he knew more about her now than he had before, but that wasn't true; he actually knew less. Because now he knew he couldn't take her at face value. She'd changed her name, but that begged the question—which name was really hers? Tory or Ria? Was who she'd been on the island a lie? Or was who she was now the pretense? Was she a victim or a villain?
Sighing, he felt like he was a treadmill; he kept going around and around, but he couldn't get anywhere, nor could he get off.
"If you're not going to take this seriously, then we can stop right now," Ria said abruptly. "You haven't heard a word I said."
"I was thinking about the last time we were together."
She caught her bottom lip between her teeth. "We're not talking about that now. So either pay attention or get off the boat."
"Fine. I'm paying attention."
"Good, because sailing in the bay can be tricky with the winds and the currents, and I don't feel like going for a swim."
"I know how dangerous sailing can be. I'm the one who pulls people out of the water."
"Right. I forgot about that," she murmured, her gaze narrowing. "You must have had some training on boats. You're in the Coast Guard, and you were in the Navy. Are you hustling me?"
"In the Navy, I landed helicopters on aircraft carriers in the sea. I didn't pilot the ship," he said dryly. "And in the Coast Guard, I fly well above the waves. But yes I have some knowledge of boating, and I understand how wind and lift work together, so with your guidance, I should be able to master the sails fairly quickly."
