Page 10 of Crew Girl

“I designed it as a joke when my parents asked me what I wanted for my fifteenth birthday. At first, I thought they’d say no, but they were into it. Flew over these specialist crystal putter-on-er people from Eastern Europe. Had them working around the clock so the ribbon-cutting ceremony would happen on my birthday.”

“Sounds like they really love you,” Teagan said.

“Yeah,” Juliet said. “Totes.” She’d put on a smile that didn’t make it to her eyes and continued the tour. Since Juliet had been one of the First Day of School’s two highlights, Teagan hadn’t pressed.

The second highlight, to Teagan’s surprise, had been feeling a weird flutter of joy—relief?—when she’d spotted none other than Cam Dillinger climbing up the steps of the main school building.

Someone she knew! Well, someone she’d run into. Literally. Something he evidently wasn’t holding against her if the wave and smile he’d shot across the quad later that afternoon was anything to go by.

There had been one other moment of note. The one when Josh Regis had cozied up to her in English and read that poem with his blue eyes trained on hers, warm and fiery, like he’d written it himself.

If blond, blue-eyed Skarsgård lookalikes who made a convincing argument for the return of ’80s preppy fashion were her thing, she would’ve drunk the Kool-Aid there and then. But it wasn’t. Sorry, Josh Regis. He’d have to annoy someone else with his God’s Gift to Women act.

She’d been so stupidly elated when she’d heard there was a rowing team, she’d practically skipped to the boathouse. It was amazing. A sprawling cedar and glass haven for rowers.

A shed packed with top-of-the-range boats. The latest rowing machines (or ergs, as they were known). Everything a girl could want.

If, that is, Easton had a female rowing team. They did not. Not enough interest, apparently. A not very sympathetic assistant coach said there was a community club two towns down the road she could join for five grand.

Yeah, right. If she started prying crystals off Juliet’s fashion center, maybe.

“There’s a party down at the harbor tonight,” said Liam. “Town throws it every year,” he added, not getting the hint. “It’s for girls who’re up for a little fun. Do you like having fun, dock wench?” He rotated his hips in a way that was possibly a dance move, but actually made throwing up a very real possibility.

“Hey, Liam,” called a voice behind her. “Why don’t you try your moves on someone who cares?”

Teagan turned around, squinted against the sun, not entirely sure why the hottie in rowing gear sounded like Cam until she realized it was Cam.

Interesting.

Mechanic. Townie. Student at Easton Prep. And a rower.

Well, well, well. Wasn’t he the dark horse of Eagle’s Cove?

CAM

Cam had seen Liam hit on enough girls to know he was a crime against common decency. There was a chance Teagan might take the interruption as a cockblock—Liam would—but it was an act of public service.

Liam, no surprise, wasn’t happy. “Don’t talk to me, ‘FAID.’”

Perry, who was sauntering past, laughed and gave Liam a high five. Cam was used to it. His so-called teammates congratulating one another whenever someone got a dig in. To be fair, everyone took digs at everyone else, too. They were egalitarian in that way. Not so much in others.

“You okay?” he asked Teagan.

She shrugged like, Whatever. “What’s a ‘FAID’?”

“Financial aid. I’m a scholarship kid.” He tipped his head toward the rest of the crew who were gathering at the eight-seater they were taking out for time trials. “They love to remind me of it.”

She scrunched up her face. “That’s not okay.”

He shrugged. He was getting a good education and a shot at making some of his dreams come true. He could take the ribbing. “It is what it is.”

Coach Hayden gave the megaphone a quick blast that meant butts on seats, hands on oars. And, in Cam’s case, hitting the conditions of his scholarship. “Gotta go. You sure you’re cool?”

She gave a pile of goose poop a shove with her broom and shot him a grin. “Never better.”

Suffice to say, the Easton Eagles hadn’t soared to new heights.

It was the first set of time trials they’d done since last year and it showed.