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“What I really want is to go dancing,” she told him.
“Gotta leave the island for that and head into the city.”
“So, you’ve said.”
“Come on, I’ll walk you home. You’ve had a long day in the sun.”
Caroline put some money onto the table and told the rest of them she’d see them in the morning. This time, Dune kept his hand on the small of her back and didn’t remove it until they were off the wharf and walking down the street.
dune
Dune hated being summoned home, especially after a long night. Needless to say, he hasn’t had the best night’s sleep in a few days, and he felt off. Of course, his mood had nothing to do with the hottie tourist who had all his attention.
Whenever his mom or dad asked him to come home, he dreaded what he would walk into when he entered their house. Nothing seemed amiss when he climbed the stairs to the front porch, and once he went inside, he heard music playing. A quick walk down the hall and he found his parents dancing to the song on the radio.
“What’s going on?” he asked as he stood in the doorway. His mother looked surprised to see him, which only confused him more since she was the one who sent him the text.
“Dune! What a delightful surprise!”
“Uh . . . you texted me to come home.” He held up his phone as if she could see the message.
Jack shook his head, kissed his wife on her cheek, and then went over to turn the radio off. Pearl came toward Dune. She caressed his cheek and smiled.
“Well, I haven’t seen you in a few days, and you haven’t been staying at your place.”
“Are you spying on me?” Dune asked her.
“Yes,” Jack answered for his wife. “And I’ve told her to stop countless times.” He came over to Dune and Pearl, and once again kissed his wife on her cheek. “But she never listens.”
Jack and Pearl were the happiest couple Dune had ever met. He couldn’t recall a single argument or fight between them and often joked they needed to bottle up their secret to a happy marriage and sell it. They’d make millions.
Pearl waved her husband away. “I wasn’t spying. I notice things.”
“And she hears things, son.”
Dune rolled his eyes. He knew it was a matter of time before someone mentioned Caroline to his mom. “I need to get to work,” he told her.
“Not until after breakfast.”
No matter how hard he tried, he wouldn’t be able to get out of breakfast. Dune went over to the counter and poured himself a cup of coffee. He looked out of the kitchen window and marveled at the view his parents had. The tiny home he had built on their property would only last him so long. Eventually, he’d want a house. Maybe even a family. Although, a family seemed years away. He hadn’t even really thought about it until now.
A firm hand clamped down onto his shoulder. “Thank you for running out and getting those parts for me yesterday.”
“Any time, pops.”
“So, who is she?”
Dune shook his head and took a sip of his coffee. “You’re worse than Mom.”
“The guys down at the yard asked. They saw you with an exceptionally beautiful blonde. Their words, not mine.” Jack stepped to the other side of Dune and filled his mug. “Plus, Wilson let it slip that you hired said exceptionally beautiful blonde, but I don’t see her name on the payroll.”
Dune sighed and rubbed his face. He was going to kill Wilson for saying something to his dad. “Caroline Taylor. She’s a recent Yale graduate who came to Seaport for a vacation.”
“And you hired her?”
He shrugged and then nodded. “She’s here until the end of the summer.” Dune took another sip. He really didn’t want to admit that he liked her, at least not to his dad, and definitely not when his mom was within earshot.
When his crew left for dinner, Dune had jogged back to the yacht, sweat-soaked from the day’s activity. He quickly showered and threw on a fresh shirt and shorts before heading out of the marina toward Diego’s restaurant, although he had told Wilson he wasn’t going to go out because he needed a break from Caroline Taylor. His emotions and thoughts about her were all over the place. He thought for sure they were going to kiss earlier, and when they hadn’t he was disappointed. Captain Blue Balls rarely cock-blocked himself but he had yesterday morning. Instead of staying in, like he said he would, he headed toward Diego’s, needing to be near Caroline. He told himself it was to protect her from the likes of the creepy guy who hit on her, even though Speed and Wilson could easily do this.
As he strode through town, his old high school friends flagged him down, in town visiting their families, and thought this was the best time to reminisce about their teenage antics. As much as Dune wanted to bail on them, he couldn’t. Blue Lobster Adventures depended on word of mouth, and who better to give it than the people who lived or once lived in Seaport? He had lost track of time, ended up missing dinner, and by the time he made it to the restaurant, all he wanted to do was spend time with Caroline.
