Page 31 of Acadia Falls

“Maybe.”

She eyed me up and down. “I think you should talk me through this since you almost died in front of me.”

“I guess I can do that.” I steered the boat back toward the harbor. “Let me change out of these clothes, and I’ll come down to the house. Unless you still need to study.” I half-hoped she’d blow me off so I could go back and track Trey down. Maybe this time, I’d be successful…

Maran arched an eyebrow. “It’s not like I’m going to be able to concentrate after that.”

“You live in Manhattan,” I reminded her. “It’s not like you don’t see crazy every day.”

She looked at me square in the eye. “There are shades of crazy. You might be on the darker side.”

I couldn’t help it; I laughed. “You might be right, Blondie. You might just be right about that.”

Chapter Eleven

MARAN

Iwas shaky when I got back to the house. Relieved that it was quiet—Alex was still shopping off-island—I brushed my teeth, fluffed my hair, made my bed (for no particular reason), and put on a kettle for tea.

Jack had been shivering when he’d dropped me off, not that he’d admitted to being cold. He was tough. He didn’t seem like he was afraid of anything. He’d launched himself off the boat, beat up Trey, almost drowned, got CPR, then bounced up and acted like it was no big deal.

Jack was something, all right. And that something was all bundled up in testosterone and muscle!

I thought about my last boyfriend, Tim, and almost felt sorry for him. Almost. Compared to Jack, Tim was a Chihuahua—a quivering, bug-eyed spasm of neuroses. He’d been so jealous when I landed my new job that he’d gotten drunk, flirted with one of my friends, and told me that I hadn’t looked good in a long time.

It made me mad just thinking about it! First of all, it was finals. I’d been studying my ass off for weeks, and I was tired and puffy. Second… As if! I was at least a solid eight, if I did say so myself. And pale, thin Tim, preppy, with a noticeable Adam’s apple, was maybe a six.

In retrospect, I could see that he was also a douche. He was playing a game, trying to make me insecure. Most of the guys I met in the city were like that. Look at Derek! Real men didn’t cheat on you the night before your wedding or tell you you weren’t hot. Go look in the mirror, buddy!

Of course, I hadn’t met that many “real” men—especially living in New York these past few years, where it seemed like everyone had issues and agendas. But I was certain that real men had better things to do.

I was done with Chihuahuas. And douches. And head games. If I had a dime for every guy I’d met that wasn’t worth my time… That’d be a lot of dimes.

Jack was no quivering Chihuahua; that was for sure. What I wasn’t sure about was if I was ready for someone like him, someone real. But it wasn’t as though he was asking me to be his girlfriend. We’d hooked up a couple of times, that was all. Still, I should note his bravery, fearlessness, manliness—and recklessness—for the record.

Duly noted, Counselor. Now move on!

The tea kettle whistled at the same time Jack knocked on the door. “Come in!” I scavenged through the Vejas’s well-stocked cupboards and found a selection of high-end herbal teas. Mrs. Vejas was always prepared to entertain anyone, apparently including tea aficionados.

“Hey, Blondie.” Jack winced as he sat down on a barstool at the island. He’d showered and changed into a hoodie and a pair of comfy-looking sweats. His blue eyes glistened in the late-afternoon sunlight that spilled through the windows.

“Hey.” I poured us each a cup of ginger-turmeric tea, and Jack grunted his approval as I slid a mug to him.

“Turmeric’s a good choice.”

I blinked at him. “Why’s that?”

He blinked back. “Because it’s good for inflammation.” He said it like everybody knew that.

“Are you inflamed?” I asked.

He cracked a smile, and it was like the sun coming out. “Seems like it, don’t you think?”

I laughed. “Are you feeling any better?”

“I’m all right—a little banged up. Nothing unusual.” He scrubbed a tanned, calloused hand over his face. “I am embarrassed, though.”

“Because you didn’t kill that guy? Or because your cousin had to give you CPR?”