19
Hawk
The sail back to the marina in Westport seemed lonely, which was unusual. This had always brought me peace before, hence the purchase and my lifestyle. This time, I was in no hurry to return. I expected it would be a while before I saw Isla. For some reason, this saddened me more than I expected.
Finally, as the sun began to dip in the sky, I reluctantly pulled into my slip, all the while praying no one would be on the yacht beside me. Naturally, this wasn’t to be. Bodhi saw me and rushed down to the dock.
“Throw me your lines,” he urged.
I passed one at a time to him and watched as he first fixed the bowline around the cleat, then started on the starboard side while I stepped off and worked on the port lines. We worked quietly and quickly. The wind was picking up and with it the waves, which was why the boat needed to be secured right away.
“Thank you,” I mumbled as held out my hand to Bodhi.
He grinned and we bumped knuckles. “Hey, do you have a minute?” he asked quietly while glancing up at the yacht.
“Is Max up there?” I asked in a low voice. He had me ready to hide in the cabin. With the boat plugged into the marina power and my air conditioner running, it was actually pretty comfortable there.
“Nah, but the captain is and I don’t always trust him since my brother pays, you know?” He eyed me quietly and waited for my reaction.
I nodded. “I get it, man.” Then I motioned for him to follow me. “I have beer in the ice box.”
Bodhi made a face. “You mean the freezer?”
With a laugh, I shook my head. “No, I mean the ice box. Now you get to see how the other half lives.” He followed me down the ladder to the galley. Once there, I lifted the wooden panel covering the ice box. “It’s a built-in cooler. If I had a real cooler, I’d have to secure it while sailing. So, you want a beer or not?”
“Yeah, I’ll take one, but we need to talk.” He sighed as he reached for the can of Bud Light.
“Maybe we should wait until I have at least one beer in me. This sounds serious,” I noted.
He shrugged. “Depends on how you look at it, I guess. Still, I’d drink up. This is about my sister.”
I stiffened. “Say no more.” Then I chugged the beer and reached for a second. “Just in case,” I commented absently. I took a few steps and settled in the cushioned seating area where I’d shared a meal with Isla a few days before. I feared those happy memories attached to this space were about to be ruined. As soon as he settled in across from me, I mumbled, “So…speak.”
“What’s going on with you and my sister?” he asked before taking a leisurely swig from the can while never losing eye contact.
I tried not to swallow hard. I’d been trained for interrogation in the Corps, but somehow, being questioned by Isla’s brothers was far more intense. Water boarding was actually starting to feel preferable to this. “What makes you think something is going on?”
He snickered. “Answering a question with a question. You’re good.” Bodhi tugged at his chin. “Of course, you’ve been trained for this. All I have are brother instincts. Isla’s the baby of the family.”
“By minutes,” I reminded him calmly.
“Yes. Minutes.” He shrugged. “Doesn’t really matter. What I need to know are your intentions.”
I was in the middle of taking a sip of the second beer when he said that. Naturally, I started choking. “Are you serious right now?” I spluttered. “She’s all grown up, just like you. Isla is perfectly capable of making her own decisions.”
“Yeah, but they aren’t always good ones,” Bodhi countered.
“Just like you again,” I blurted out. Then I felt the back of my neck start burning from embarrassment. I’d overstepped. I never should’ve said that. Still, I wasn’t ready to back down. This was too important.
Slowly, a smile spread across his face. “True.” He sighed and leaned forward against the table. “Listen, I know you went away together for the weekend.”
“I went sailing up the coast.” My chin jutted out. This wasn’t a lie. Technically, we didn’t go away together, we merely met up at a predetermined location. And now I could look Bodhi in the eye with my honor intact.
“Dude, I saw you doing the jog of shame the other morning. And I went surfing up the coast this weekend when you disappeared. I saw your sailboat. I found Isla’s car. You two planned this.” His brow rose.
I licked my lips. “Actually, your sister planned it. I went along with it.” I waited quietly to see where he planned to take this. No way was I going to let him go after her. I was fully prepared to quit my job to protect her.
“I see you getting all prickly over there.” Bodhi rubbed his face. “I’m going about this all wrong.” He shook his head. “Let’s start over.”
I pushed my beer to the side and laced my fingers on the table. “Okay. Whenever you’re ready, begin.”
“I’m not trying to cost you a job. Hell, I’ve saved it more times than I can count. It’s not me, it’s Max. He’s the psycho, overbearing, stupid protective one.” Bodhi leaned back. “Honestly, I didn’t think there was anything to discuss.”
“There still isn’t,” I argued.
“Yeah there is. And I really thought it would burn itself out by now.” He shook his head and looked at me with wonder. “Isla blows through guys like tissues. She goes on a date, maybe. More often than not, they have lost her before they even get that far. No one has ever held her attention. No one has ever made her look or act the way you do.”
I stared at my hands and picked at a callus that had formed from handling the ropes and sailing. I needed some distraction because Bodhi was making me blush. Though I shouldn’t want Isla to have feelings for me, there was no denying the pull. She’d awakened a need in me and it had yet to be sated. “So now what?” I muttered to show I’d been paying attention, even if I still refused to meet his eyes.
“Now you be careful. I think you could be good for each other.” He blew out a breath. “I can’t believe I’m doing this. Max will kill both of us before we can calm him down.” Bodhi sucked down the rest of his beer. Then he glanced out the porthole. “It’s getting darker. You should probably get going.”
I stiffened. “I’m supposed to leave?” My heart raced and my palms grew sweaty at the thought of never seeing her again.
“Yeah. I’m sure Isla is waiting on you.” He grinned as he stood and moved toward the ladder. Then he jerked his head toward my supplies near the radio. “And for the love of God, bring a flashlight so you don’t kill yourself on the rocks. They’re gnarly.” He exposed his shoulder for effect. “Bad dismount off my board.”
For a second I was numb. “Is this you giving us your blessing?” I asked quietly, even though I wasn’t sure there was an us to bless.
“Yeah, man. Peace.” Then he mounted the ladder and I watched him climb over the side of the boat and onto the dock.
My head was reeling. I had no idea what to do. I decided to send Isla a text.
Me: I miss you already.
Her reply was almost instantaneous.
Isla: Dammit, Logan. I miss you too.
I grinned. I hated to think I was suffering alone. I was about to set the phone down and scrounge around for some food when it vibrated again.
Isla: Come to me. I have chicken on the grill. Plenty for two.
That was all the encouragement I needed. Without hesitation, I sent her one more text.
Me: See you soon.
With a spring in my step, I walked over to the counter and picked up the flashlight. Bodhi was right. I needed it, but not nearly as much as I needed Isla.