"What kinds of rumors?" she asked.
Bailey didn't want to tell her but he thought she should know. "That he has sex for money."
"Oh, God. Whoever is saying that about Matt, I am going to kill them," she said and she looked ready to murder someone right then. She then eyed Bailey. "You don't believe it, do you?"
"Of course not," Bailey told her. "But I kind of wish I hadn't told you. It sounds like you might do something that will cost you your job and possibly land you in jail."
She didn't deny it. "If I find who is responsible, you might be right." Gwen planned to start with the guy who told Bailey about it and she was in a rush to go back to the hotel and start questioning him.
As she left, Bailey went over to see what Joey was doing. He was writing the letter J in the sand, and Bailey wrote the rest of his name. Then the waves smoothed it out.
"It keeps doing that," Joey said.
"That's the ocean for you," Bailey said. Then he got a text from Matt.
"Sorry. I'm on my way back. I'll grill us something for dinner," he said.
Bailey couldn't believe how relieved he was, but now that he told Gwen what that guy said, he would have to tell Matt too and he really didn't want to.
Chapter 16
Bailey didn't exactly decide not to say anything to Matt about the rumors, he just kept putting it off. He couldn't bring it up with him. Picturing Matt's face as he told him just stopped him dead.
Today they had plans for an excursion to an island, and he decided to keep his mind on that. They had to make sure they packed everything they needed since they were going to a small, wild island and there was nowhere to buy anything there. They might even have the place all to themselves if they got lucky.
Matt had shown Joey a map of the island and told him that pirates might have buried some treasure there. That got Joey's imagination going. "We're gonna find treasure!" he said.
"That's why you need this," Matt told him and held up the beach pail and little shovel that were absolutely the right tools for some serious treasure hunting.
They rented a motorboat and Matt drove to Pelican Island. For Joey, that boat ride might have been enough. He loved it and Matt took a few circles around the island just for his sake.
The island was pretty, wild and untouched, with no buildings or houses in sight, just some trees on one side and a sandy beach on the other. And there was no one else there.
Joey was running around and exploring, looking for where treasure might be hidden. Matt and Bailey were looking for the designated camp site. It had a place where they were allowed to build a fire and a space to put up a tent.
"I can't believe we're camping out here," Bailey said as he set down their cooler with food and drinks and looked around at the ocean on every side of them.
"It will be fun. I just hope I won't be crowding you guys," Matt said as he started to unpack the bag with the tent. They had only one tent and all three of them were sharing it.
"As long as we all fit," Bailey said and smiled at Matt.
They had the tent up, and Joey went in excitedly. "Are you looking forward to sleeping in there?" Bailey asked him.
"Not just me, all of us," Joey said and poked his head out of the tent.
"I'm ready for a swim," Matt said and he was already taking his clothes off.
Not letting himself just stare at him, Bailey stripped down to his swim trunks too. Then they went swimming and diving.
It was always wonderful to watch Matt in the water, the movements of his powerful body and how much fun he had. Joey was getting so good at swimming and having more fun with it than ever. He spotted some fish in the water and then felt them against his legs and feet.
"The fish like me," Joey said. "Can we take them home?"
"They are home here," Bailey told him.
Matt swam over to him and kept his voice low as he said. "I kind of want to swim all the way around the island."
"Of course you do," Bailey said and glared at him a little.
