And he’d wanted that. He was close with his parents and siblings.
Those visits, however, were supposed to also include hanging around with Bobbie and getting to know her, better.
At the time, she still hadn’t decided whether or not she’d be able to attend college, but either way she’d be staying in her hometown. She’d been accepted to UMaine, Orono, but hadn’t finalized paperwork because she didn’t have the funds necessary for tuition. She’d saved and saved by working a number of restaurant jobs while in high school. Starting out by bussing tables, she’d proven herself to be more than capable, so when she was old enough at seventeen to become a server and a bartender, management hadn’t hesitated to elevate her position. The money had been pretty damned good, but in the end, it still hadn’t been enough, even though theonlypurchase she’d made during that time had been a very old, very used racing sailboat.
Looking into loans, it seemed that the boat wasn’t collateral enough, and no bank wanted to lend Bobbie money without a parent’s co-signature. Since hers had both disappeared into the ether a few years earlier, that option was out. And her two brothers? Useless. Neither one had lifted a finger to help at that juncture.
In the end, her college career had hinged on her winning two sailing competitions that summer. They both offered lucrativepurses for first place, and would have allowed her to afford at least her first two semesters.
But that’s when things had gone to hell.
Buck still wasn’t sure exactly what had happened. Because at the time, instead of being able to get to the bottom of things, he’d been practically tarred and feathered by the townspeople and Bobbie, then hustled out of town.Notto the college in Vermont he’d set his sights on, to study marine sciences.Nope. By the time he’d paid restitution to those he’d supposedly wronged, his bank account was dry and his only option besides incarceration—thank you Chief Ildavorg for the choice—had been the military.
He'd signed up with the Coast Guard because his love of the ocean demanded it, and he’d subsequently managed to thrive in that environment.
But now?
Now, he had the time and resources to find out what hadreallyhappened back in that fateful summer, and he was damned well going to do some serious digging.
Why?
Because even if he couldn’t change history and have a happily ever after, he might be able to make the undeserved chip on his shoulder a little lighter by finding the parties who were really responsible for derailing his life.
CHAPTER 4
Bobbie hustled around,trying to ignore glimpses of Buck as he circulated with the dinner guests, but her brain wouldn’t give her a rest. She’d almost reflexively kept an eye on him as he’d mingled, as he’d procured a drink at the bar her team had set up, and as he’d laughed with his family. It subsequently became even more impossible to disregard him when Ellen made the announcement for everyone to take their seats for dinner, and he’d grabbed a chair facing her cooking stations.
Yeah.He’d probably done that on purpose. Not that a seat at the other end of the barn would have made too much of a difference. Bobbie would have zeroed in on him, regardless. The man stood out, even amongst his own brothers. At least he did to her. She’d had no trouble following his silhouette from place to place, easily distinguishing him from his equally brickhouse-built sibs while they circulated. There’d also been no mistaking him when he’d finally grabbed a spot to eat.
What did it say about the state of her mind that she couldn’t keep herself from locating him like some ill-conceived sonar? Was it because he stirred up old, poignant memories? Sensitive emotions?
Thatdidn’t make sense. She’d sworn off him, in spades. The last time she’d seen him was when he’d almost single-handedly destroyed her future. What kind of person was she that her brain was trying to ignore that horrific, blaring fact?
A masochist, obviously. Which was almost laughable. Bobbie didn’t have a single self-flagellating bone in her body.
No.This anomaly simply had to be because she’d been blindsided at seeing him again. Even though she’d tried to prepare herself for the eventuality of his presence at the wedding, the reality of him had derailed her train of thought. All her hardened resolve had disgustingly flown out the window in an instant.
She had to admit, begrudgingly, that the man was annoyingly striking.Yup.He was downright compelling.
Suck it up.
She’d just have to deal with this stupid and unexpected magnetism. Kind of like she did when she was at the movies and got hit with a nonsensical, superhero crush. Lust might be leaping up to smack her between the eyes, but in all cases, stuffing it back in a box was prudent because nothing would ever come of it.
And right now, work called.
“Three more minutes on those lobsters,” Bobbie shouted over to Melo who was monitoring the crustaceans as they cooked. Bobbie was currently using tongs to carefully lift corn-ears from the steamer she was manning, placing them into large bowls by the dozen that would be ferried to the various tables.
Devid was at the grill and she addressed him, too. “What’s your ETC on those steaks?” Estimated time of Completion was an acronym Bobbie used quite a bit.
He answered while she made sure the mashed potatoes weren’t sticking to the bottom of several large pans on her portable propane stove.
“The rare ones are already up,” he told her. “Two minutes on the medium rare, and five on the well-done.”
Perfect.Bobbie loved it when the timing of everything ran smoothly.
She looked around, purposely skipping over Buck.
People were clearly enjoying the steamed clams that had made it to their tables, and in five minutes her servers would be bringing around the bowls of corn, along with everyone’s individually prepared plate, which would keep all the guests engaged for the duration.
