AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Caroline opened her eyes and caught him staring at her. For a moment, nothing existed between them. Not the water, the boat or that stupid muffin she drooled over. She looked from him to the blueberry muffin. Was she embarrassed? Could she see his reaction to her?
Think fast, Dune.
“Uh . . . I’ll tell my mom. She puts them on the grill.” Dune winked, hoping to show her he’s super casual and not some creeper who got a hard-on from watching her eat. He tried to play it cool as he steered one-handed into the open water.
“How come the diner isn’t on the must visit list?” Caroline took another bite and Dune made sure to keep his eyes on the water so as to not veer off course due to his reaction to her.
“It’s a gem,” he told her. “And always packed. People either know about it or they don’t. I don’t think they’ve ever advertised, to be honest.”
“I’ll have to go soon.”
“Then you’ll have to let me know how you like it.”
They were silent after that for a bit until Dune caught Caroline leaning back with her eyes closed. “Are you tired?”
“No,” she said without opening her eyes. “Just thinking.”
“Tell me about college.”
Caroline sighed. “Yale was . . . hard. My dad went there, and he was a big shot on campus, always joining clubs and volunteering. I tried to be like him during my freshman year, but my grades slipped. My dad was disappointed in me because I wasn’t living up to my potential, and all that.
“I didn’t get to do the party scene or anything like that. Between this club and that club, studying, and being in a sorority, school was like a full-time job. A job that I hated and didn’t want to do most of the time.”
“Don’t sororities have parties?”
Caroline nodded and kept her eyes closed while the sun warmed her face. “They do and you’re expected to attend. I’d get all dressed up, go, and then be back in my room an hour later. I was so scared of disappointing my dad again that I let that fear control me. Until now.”
“What’s different?”
She finally opened her eyes and looked right at him. “I woke up. At the beginning of my senior year, I decided I would do something for me once I graduated. I’d no longer be under his thumb. He paid for my schooling, but I have a job that starts in September. Granted, I probably got hired because he knows my boss. But I was a straight A student and worked hard to earn my degree.”
“So, if you don’t mind me asking, how did you pay for this trip?” His family had money, but it was never available for him and his brothers. They worked for everything, even though they had hefty savings accounts from inheritances. When his parents gave him and his brothers money, there was never a stipulation on what they had to do to have it. He wouldn’t even know what to think if his dad or mom acted the way Caroline’s father had.
Caroline sighed. “When my grandfather passed away, he left my sister and me some money. I used some of it for this trip. I didn’t want to ask my dad for money. My mom would’ve given it to me, but this was something I needed to do on my own. Besides, if my dad were to pay, he’d show up and take over my trip, and I didn’t want that.”
He had her pegged as a rich girl. While her father was, she wasn’t and was determined to have the summer of a lifetime on her own dime. Dune respected her for that.
Dune finished his wrap and tossed the wrapper into the bag. “I think you’re going to fit right in here.”
“Thanks. That means a lot.”
He nodded. “I’m sorry for calling you Rich Girl when we first met.”
Caroline shrugged. “You’re not the only one to do it. I’m not the one with money though, it’s my dad. Sure, he’d give me whatever I ask for, but everything comes at a price with him.”
“I wish I could say I understood, but I don’t. My parents are very giving. As long as we’re happy, they’re happy.”
“They sound great,” she said with a wistful smile.
“They are.” Dune pointed. “I’m going to pull up to the dock over here, run in and get the things my dad ordered, and then I’ll be right back. Five minutes, tops.”
“Do I need to do anything?”
He shook his head. “Nope, I’ll tie up to the cleats. You’ll be safe on the boat.” He did just that and jumped onto the dock before making his way up the ramp. The five minutes turned into fifteen and when he got back to the boat, Caroline had taken her shirt off and was lying on the bench.
