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“Do you remember who you’re talking to?” Jack shook his head in disbelief, though he lowered his voice in deference to the fact that their mother had zeroed in on their table and was making her way toward them with determined steps. “You think I don’t know state of the art boats? I’ve been in the U.S.Navyfor the last four years.”
The hard glint in his green eyes told Keith his brother wasn’t backing down. Of course, Jack could handle the boat. It was Alicia LeBlanc who would provide the challenge. And damned if Keith didn’t feel the smallest twinge of compassion for sending Jack into the fray unarmed and unaware.
But Keith knew what it was like to get taken in by a manipulative woman. And it pissed him off to think about his brother setting aside someone like Alicia without looking back. People fortunate enough to have something special like that had no business throwing it away.
Their mother arrived at the table in her peach silk dress and dyed to match pumps, her outfit perfectly coordinated with the harvest-themed colors of the engagement party. Colleen Murphy was all elegance on the outside with her understated diamond earrings and her French manicure, but she had a steely strength as tough as any of her sons. The fire in her light blue eyes right now suggested her maternal radar had gotten wind of a wager in the making.
“Boys?” She intervened discreetly, her gaze moving over each one slowly. “We agreed there would be no resolving discrepancies with feats of strength tonight, remember?”
On cue, Kyle flexed a bicep for show. “As if there was any point to that when the winner is so obvious.”
Keith rose to his feet to put her at ease.
“No arguments here, Mom.” He kissed her cheek as he pulled a set of keys from his pocket and tossed them on the white linen tablecloth. “Jack offered me a chance for a little downtime on the sailboat this week since I was in the market for a vacation. He offered to take my boat up to Bar Harbor to my company’s chief financial officer while I get to sail theVestadown to Charleston to meet a guy who wants to buy it. Just a friendly swap.”
Danny snickered. Kyle hid his grin behind a champagne glass. And Keith had to pat himself on the back for pulling off this operation so smoothly.
“That’s it?” his mother pressed. “A friendly trade?” She peered around the table, daring any of them to disagree.
Jack rose, staring Keith down for a little longer than was strictly necessary before offering a warm smile to their mom.
“That’s it,” he assured her. He took Keith’s keys and pocketed them. “I’m docked two slips down from you, bro. And since I don’t have one damn thing worth locking up, you won’t need a set of keys to get in. Good luck with a boat that doesn’t come with enough horsepower to fuel a jet engine. Sailing single-handed requires elbow grease.”
Keith yawned to demonstrate what he thought of the warning.
“Not a problem. When you cut yourself off from the rest of the world, it’s easy to focus on one thing.” He loosened his tie. “I could use the life of leisure for a week.”
Kyle whistled under his breath at the implication Jack was taking it easy. But damn it, when was he going to get back to overseeing the global properties for Murphy Resorts, a position he’d vacated to take the Navy gig?
Jack seemed ready to fire back a retort when their mom extended a peach-silk covered arm between them and gestured to Kyle and Danny.
“Speaking of leisure,” she blurted, no doubt to divert them, “there are some lovely young ladies here who would probably enjoy a turn on the dance floor.”
How was that for a segue? Kyle and Danny took the bait, standing to attend their bachelor duties as the band took up a swing tune.
Jack’s jaw flexed in an obvious effort to swallow back whatever he’d been about to say. He tapped Keith on the center of his chest. “Your life is only as complicated as you make it, hotshot. I’ll have your boat relocated to Bar Harbor in a few days and leave myself enough time to take in the sights.” Jack turned to their mother and kissed her cheek. “Mom, it’s been a pleasure. I’ll pay my respects to the happy couple on my way out.”
When Jack had disappeared into the darkness and out of earshot, Keith’s mom peered up at him.
“I don’t suppose you care to tell me what that was all about?” She twisted the small diamond stud in one ear.
“I’m just trying to remind Jack that ignoring the obstacles in life doesn’t make them go away.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about and no clue how a week on a spiffed up catamaran will call to mind any obstacles for Jack.” She tipped her head toward his shoulder. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
He thought about Alicia who should have already arrived aboard his boat and would quite possibly be safely asleep by now since he’d warned her he would be late arriving but would get underway as soon as he could. They’d set up a tentative meeting to talk over the business plan tomorrow afternoon. That was his only regret in his scheme to help Jack confront his past. Keith genuinely had some ideas for her, but he’d prepared a file to email her in the morning so she wouldn’t be deprived of that input.
Besides, Jack knew more about the hospitality industry than him after working in the family business before he joined the Navy. Keith had gotten out from under the family thumb early in his career to pursue his environmental consulting company. Ultimately, Jack would provide better input for Alicia’s business plan.
“Trust me.” He took his mom’s arm and led her toward the dance floor. “When you run as hard and fast as Jack does from problems, you’re bound to slam headfirst into trouble sooner or later. I’m merely speeding up the inevitable collision.”
His mother’s heels stuck to the turf they’d laid to protect the lawn, her feet never reaching the hardwood dance surface. Keith could practically see the wheels turning in her mind, her delicately arched blond brows furrowed in thought before they smoothed out again.
Clearly, she’d reached the only logical conclusion about an obstacle in Jack’s life. The one thing he’d run from hard and fast. Love – in the form of Alicia LeBlanc.
“Don’t tell me Alicia is in Bar Harbor.”
“Better yet, she’s on my boat.” Keith grinned, unrepentant. He tugged his cell phone out of his pocket slid open the keypad. “But don’t worry. I’ll give Jack a heads-up… once I’m sure it’s too late to turn back.”
