Tex’s wife Melody kept telling her husband not to be such a busy-body, but none of the Sothard’s felt that way. With how many times Tex had saved the day for not only them, but so many mutual friends, Buck and his family would listen to anything Tex had to say, and take it as gospel.
Buck glanced down at the overly-filled fish bucket.
Yup.He hoped Melody and Tex liked mackerel.
Buck was just about to cast again when movement on the horizon caught his eye. A single masted craft was just rounding the mid-channel marker into the harbor, and… Buck squinted. From the silhouette of the sloop, it sure looked like it had to be Bobbie’s.
As it got closer, Buck could make out the single female at the helm, and yes. His heart sped up. Itwasher. Pulling past the demarcating buoys, Bobbie expertly turned and pointed hervessel head-to-wind, depowering her mainsail before lowering it with ease.
Bobbie took another minute to temporarily secure the large sheet before switching over to auxiliary power. He couldn’t be sure at this distance, but was her vessel propelled by a small inboard engine or an outboard?
Did Bobbie have hopes to race theSmall Dreamsomeday? A large inboard would give more stability to a boat at sea, but the added weight would be a hindrance while racing. An outboard, on the other hand, wouldn’t be an impedance, but her weekly trips might have been Bobbie’s reasoning if she’d chosen an inboard, since she’d gain more ballast as she sailed open waters several days a week. Maybe she’d finished with her dreams of racing.
Buck hoped not.
He knew the minute he’d been spotted. Bobbie lowered her head and shook it, while at the same time squaring her shoulders.
Buck wasn’t going to let her deflective posture discourage him as he stood, ready to help her dock.
From what the harbormaster had told him, she always unloaded her numerous containers onto the pier, then took her boat back out to its mooring before using her motorized dingy to come back in.
It looked like she wasn’t going to deviate from that behavior today, because of his presence.
Good.
And wow. Bobbie looked awesome. Dressed in a T-shirt that had seen better days, the worn material clung to her chest like an old lover, making him want to cup his hands around the full breasts showcased beneath.
And her legs… Long, toned, and tanned from her time at sea, their bareness seemed to go on forever, stopping at the fringeof her cut-off jeans. The denim, oh, Lord, the denim hugged her ass in such a way that Buck could almost feel those lush cheeks filling his palms, even if he’d never had his hands on them.
Bobbie’s dark hair was braided back away from her face so he could see her full expression, but as she approached, looking sour, her azure blue eyes still avoided contact with his.
Buck wondered for an instant if Bobbie would try to ignore him completely, but she finally lowered her bumpers and tossed him a rope.
He gave an internal sigh of relief. At least he wasn’t going to becompletelypersona non grata.
The boat drifted close to the pier under Bobbie’s expert hand, and Buck easily cleated the bow-line she’d sent his way before snagging the stern-lead and securing that as well.
Bobbie hadn’t yet acknowledged him verbally, fussing about with a few sail-ties before eventually giving up the fight and facing him.
“Fine. You want to make yourself useful? Grab the boxes I’m going to give you, and stack them on the dock.”
“Aye, aye, Captain.” Buck gave a jaunty salute, then immediately wondered if that was too over-the-top.
“Cut the crap, Buck.”
Yeah. It was.
“You’re here. You want to help. I’ll allow it,” she snapped. “But don’t think this means we’re friends,” she huffed and headed down the companionway.
“Not yet, anyway,” Buck mumbled under his breath, but he’d do his best to make that, and maybe more, happen.
When Bobbie emerged, he played the hand she’d dealt him, and silently took the first large box from her to heave it over the gunwale and onto the wooden pier. All the while thinking…
How was he going to get past her prickliness?
After several more boxes, bags, and coolers had been dealt with in stoic silence—and there was nothing else to offload—Bobbie got behind the helm and started her engine again.
Buck watched from the dock to see what her next move would be.
