“Kendra.” Her name slipped from my lips, barely above a whisper, heavy with longing. In that single word, all of the time we had spent apart—the ache of distance, the memories tinged with sweetness and longing, and the too-short moments spent on the phone—disappeared. Nothing mattered now that she was back in my arms.
Kendra wrapped her arms around my waist and pressed her curvy body to mine. She felt more muscular than before, but I didn’t care. My woman was back in my arms, and I wouldn’t question it.
Time stood still. Noise faded away. And all that mattered was me and her.
A tap on my shoulder brought me out of my reunion fog.
“Yeah. If you two lovebirds are going to do it, maybe go somewhere private,” Dixon suggested. Then, glared at me he said, “And don’t even think about the new outdoor shower.”
My face heated, and Kendra blushed furiously.
“Don’t worry, Dix,” Kendra said. “I have a promise to keep for my man.”
The pounding of my heart drowned out whatever Dixon said in response. And when Kendra tugged me toward the exit, I followed like the lovesick arsehole I was.
Chapter 41
Captain Kendra’s Log: Rigorous field testing is required
“Where are we going?”Rowan asked as I tugged his hand toward the docks.
“You’ll see,” I said, looking back at the man. Dark circles smudged underneath his eyes. His clothes were looser on him. And my heart clenched as I worried that I had done this to him.
When I left Pleasure Point, I planned to tour the East and Gulf Coasts, but my first stop kept me closer than intended.
Rown and I called and texted, but I refused to video chat with him because I felt it would confuse things.
I sent Rowan pictures of the weather and boats at different marinas.
Rowan sent me pictures of Pleasure Point: Ziggy trying to sell crabs out of a shack, Bert and Ernest walking through town, and my dad driving my mom in The Bolt - her expression of fear was freaking priceless.
I told my parents what I had been up to, but not too many details. There were things I needed to figure out myself without a committee weighing in.
I stopped before the pristine white ship in the Flamingo Cove marina. “We’re here.”
“Second Chances?” Rowan read the name of the ship. “Whose boat is this?”
“Mine. Come on board. I want to show you something,” I said.
He followed me up the ramp and into the main area. Everything gleamed as the fading sunlight peeked through crystal-clear glass windows.
Rowan ran his finger along the stainless steel railing, the vinyl seat backs, and the hardwood table. “This is incredible.”
I nodded. “Wait til you see the bedroom.” I dragged him down the hallway toward the stateroom.
“Wider doorways.” Rowan ran a hand over the trim. He walked to the bathroom entrance, poked his head in, then looked back at me. “Walk-in shower with proper grab bars and a bench?”
“I know a guy who helped me make it a reality.” I shrugged.
“When did you do this?”
I went to the bed and patted the mattress beside me. Rowan took the invitation to sit down.
“I might have fibbed to you a little bit.” I bit my lip.
He frowned. “Okay. What about?”
“I wasn’t touring the coast.”
