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“It really is spectacular,” Molly said, trying to take in all the different colors and shapes of the fish, turtles, and plant life living in the lagoon. “The entire facility is amazing.” She rotated slowly to take in the entire view. The Hope Floor above, the Discovery Lagoon in front of her, and the dock that led out to the sparkling Gulf of Mexico. It was as great a facility as any she’d seen. “You’ve thought of everything, even down to the picturesque sailboat at the end of your dock.”
“Technically, that’s not part of the facility,” Claire said, looking amused. “It’s Grant’s home.”
Molly’s eyes had widened so many times during her tour that there was a strong likelihood they’d stick that way and she’d live out the rest of her life like a surprised cartoon character. “You live on a sailboat?”
“Guilty.”
“For real? Like, permanently?”
Grant studied the boat with a look of pride. “As permanently as I lived anywhere, I suppose.”
“We tried to talk him into getting a place that was a little less volatile during storms, but it didn’t work,” Claire said.
Grant shrugged. “I kinda like the commute here. Plus, I can always crash on your couch if there’s a big storm.”
“I’ve never met anyone who lived on a boat before.” She considered that for a second. “I’ve never even been on a sailboat before.”
“Never?” There was a hint of shock in Claire’s voice.
Molly took in the white boat gleaming against the cobalt sky. It was so perfect, it almost looked like a picture on a postcard. “I’m from a small town in Kansas. There aren’t a lot of sailboats there.”
Claire clapped her hands together, looking delighted. “Then you should let us take you out!”
“Like take the boat out in the ocean?” A cold trickle of fear rolled down her spine. She’d never been on a boat of any kind in the ocean, either. A lake, sure, but the ocean? It seemed bigger and scarier and, well… “Is it safe?”
“I’ve sailed that boat all around the Gulf. She’s perfectly safe.” Grant gave her a reassuring smile. “Tomorrow is supposed to be a perfect day for sailing. You should come.”
“You have to say yes. It’ll be a sort of thank you for filling in today.” Claire bounced on her toes.
Sailing on the ocean was way outside of her comfort zone, but then again, the vast majority of today had been outside of her comfort zone. Next time she made a goal of adding more adventure to her life, maybe she needed to be more specific that she didn’t have to do it all in one day.
“Okay,” she said before she could talk herself out of it. “I’d love to.”
Chapter Three
After Grant made plans withMolly for tomorrow’s sail and convinced her to wait until then to give her final answer about working for them, he returned her to the vet clinic. As soon as he was alone in the turtle ambo, he switched his focus from finding a new vet for Turtle Care to his buddy, who was waiting for him at The Burger Shack. Today had been full of surprises.
He turned onto the main road and inched through summer traffic on the way to his next meeting. On the bright side, this one was taking place at his favorite restaurant.
The Burger Shack was one of those locally owned places that was small and friendly with an ocean view and more seating outside than in. Half of the patio was covered, and the other half had red umbrellas over tables that went right up to the sand. It was always filled with good food, warm coastal breezes, and laughter, making it the perfect place to meet up with an old friend on a Friday night. And better yet, it was the perfect cover to make this meet-up look like a social visit instead of what it was.
Judging by the crowds, Grant wasn’t the only one who’d thought this restaurant was a good choice. The place was packed. It was only early summer, but tourist season was already in full swing. He wove through the carefree vacationers to a high-top table on the far edge of the uncovered deck. “Hey, Jonathan. Sorry to rush you out earlier.” Grant shook his buddy’s hand before sliding into the seat opposite of him. “I haven’t mentioned the job offer to anyone at Turtle Rehab and I wasn’t quite ready to let that cat out of the bag.”
Jonathan nodded. “Understandable.”
“Here we can talk without a bunch of eavesdroppers listening in.” He glanced around at the couple of tables nearby to make sure there wasn’t anyone seated there who might be interested in their conversation.
Jonathan chuckled. “After years of working at the university, I know how that goes.” He motioned out at the beach, where the powdery sand melted into the waves. “Plus, you can’t beat the scenery.”
“You think the view’s great? You should try the fried pickles. They’re out of this world.” Grant caught the waiter’s attention and put in an order for his favorite appetizer, along with a couple of drinks. When the waiter walked away, he turned his attention to his old college buddy and possible future employer. “So, how are things at the old alma mater?” Yes, Grant was aware the question was avoiding the elephant in the room, but he wasn’t in the mood to wrestle with elephants quite yet.
Jonathan settled in his chair, seeming content to take the long road to why they were really there. “Other than missing you, not a whole lot has changed. Dr. Ford is still running the department. He still looks as old as he did the day we started undergrad and still wears the same 1970s pineapple shorty swim trunks anytime we do field work.”
Grant scoffed. “It’s surprising those things haven’t disintegrated.”
“Isn’t that the truth.”
“Is Dr. Brett still terrorizing the masters’ students?”
