Page 9 of The Sailor

Knox snorted and put a hand over his heart. “Foiled again because I can’t cook worth a darn.”

Zach glanced at Marit. “He burns water,” he told her with a straight face.

“He’s not wrong,” his brother said with a chuckle. When Marit and Zach climbed the steps and reached the porch, he held out a hand. “Knox Young. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Marit Phillips,” she said as she shook his hand.

“What’re you doing here?” Zach asked, as he leaned in and gave his brother a one-armed hug.

“You’ll see,” Knox said mysteriously. “Come on. We really were just about to call you.”

Zach gave in to the need to put his hand on Marit’s back as he urged her forward behind his brother. The touch was fleeting, really only his fingertips brushing against the small of her back, but it was enough to send those same tingles that he’d felt the first time he’d touched her zinging throughout his body once more.

The smell of gingerbread filled his nose, and Zach inhaled deeply. His mom usually only made her gingerbread cookies on special occasions, and he wondered anew what was afoot.

“Zach!” his mom exclaimed, as she made a beeline for him. She hugged him with a surprisingly strong grip, then let go faster than usual. “Introduce me to your friend,” she ordered, as she turned to Marit.

“Mom, this is Marit Phillips. She works with Eliot Sullivan on the Wave Rider. Marit, this is my mom, Evelyn Young.”

“It’s so nice to meet you, Marit,” his mom gushed. “Welcome to Lobster Cove!” Then she leaned in and gave Marit a longer hug. They were about the same size, his mom only a couple of inches taller than Marit. Her light-gray hair almost matched Marit’s white-blonde color.

But Zach could see how uncomfortable Marit was with the affection. His mom was a hugger. She was very touchy-feely, but it was obvious Marit wasn’t.

“All right, Mom. Enough,” Zach said gently, putting his hand on his mom’s elbow. Not to pull her away from Marit, but as a warning.

His mom wasn’t stupid, and she immediately let go. “Sorry,” she said with an easy smile. “I’m a hugger. I forget that others aren’t. Come in, come in. I’m making cookies.”

“I brought a lobster and asparagus risotto for Marit and you to try, but I didn’t make enough for everyone.”

“It’s okay. I grilled up some ranch chicken and green beans. We were just sitting down to eat when you got here. Great timing, son.”

“Hey,” Lincoln said from the kitchen, where he was spooning the fresh green beans into a bowl.

“Hey, bro. Marit, that’s Linc, the oldest. And that’s Chad, and his girlfriend, Britt.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Marit said politely.

Thankful that both his other brothers could see how uncomfortable Marit was with all the attention on her, they simply returned her greeting before going back to what they were doing. Chad continued to set the table—with two additional places—while Britt approached Zach and Marit.

“You work on a lobster boat?” she asked with a friendly smile.

“I do,” Marit agreed.

“That’s so cool! I’ve always wanted to go out on one. I haven’t had the chance since I’ve been here though.”

“Maybe after the summer season is over, I could ask if Eliot would take you out for a bit.”

“Really? That would be awesome! Chad! Did you hear? Marit’s going to take me out on a real live lobster boat!”

“I heard, Peach. I mean, you’re standing right there.” He grinned at her.

Britt rolled her eyes and turned back to Marit. “You get used to their smartass-ness . . . kind of.”

To Zach’s relief, Marit seemed to relax a little more. He wasn’t sure if it was just the presence of another woman around her age that made her not quite so tense, but he was grateful.

“Come on, everyone sit. Except you, Zach. You need to dish up that risotto so Marit and I can try it,” his mom ordered.

“It’s not fair that you didn’t bring enough for all of us,” Knox grumbled.

“If someone had invited me for dinner—which it seems that you were going to have without me—maybe I would’ve brought more. As it is, you can always come down to The Lobster Buoy and get some tomorrow,” he told his brother.

“But the line is always so long,” Knox whined.

Linc nodded. “Which means little bro is doing all right for himself. Give it up, Knox. You’d eat a corn dog someone dropped on the street if it meant you didn’t have to cook for yourself.”

“Not true,” Knox argued. “Maybe a donut. Especially one from Ruckus Donuts. But not a corn dog. Gross!”

Everyone laughed. Probably because they knew Knox wasn’t really kidding. He had a huge sweet tooth, but couldn’t cook or bake worth a damn.

Turning toward Marit, Zach whispered, “Okay?”

She knew what he was asking without him having to expound. She nodded. “I’m starving and everything smells delicious.”

Of course she was hungry. She’d burned a lot of calories hauling pots all day.

Zach still wanted to know what was up with his family, but as always, they wouldn’t let him in on whatever was going on until they were ready. Until then, he’d enjoy spending time with his loved ones and getting to know Marit better.