“That brings me back to what I asked before,” Buck reminded her. “How were you going to avoid having Drew and Jeff set eyes on you once you made your way into Searsport, and how would they miss my arrival? Considering what’s been happening, they’ll be watching, right?”
“I actually hadn’t thought about it,” she revealed with a huff. “Which is stupid. Because, yeah, of course they’re not going to give up. I’m sure of that. Not, at least, until they concoct something that will drive us apart like they did fifteen years ago.”
“My thoughts, exactly,” Buck concurred. “So… I had an idea. I was going to bring it up after you arrived tonight, but since you’ll be here in the morning, we should plan now. Hear me out, okay?”
“I’m listening,” Bobbie replied. She’d always had an open mind with Buck, up until she hadn’t. But she was making up for lost time and trust.
“You know Spence, Tabbi, and I are opening our office up in Hampden, right?”
“Uh, huh,” she immediately responded, her voice holding curiosity.
“And of course you heard ad nauseum from Spencer that Tabitha’s looking to purchase a sub.”
“Right.”
“Spencer also says we have a line on a speedboat with a high-powered motor that will get us down the Penobscot in quick fashion for emergencies.”
“Yeah…” she prompted.
She was being very patient for someone who was usually all inquisitiveness.
“Which means that yesterday,” Buck continued, “he put me on the task of securing both dock space and a mooring for our business.”
“And did you?” Bobbie’s voice grew excited. “Get spots, I mean?”
Buck knew why she was asking with such eagerness. She’d know that both dock space and moorings in the area were highly coveted and in short supply. Luckily, the Sothard family was well known in these parts, and pulling a few strings with old friends, Buck was able to procure those two things without too much of a fuss. Although a berth at the pier wouldn’t be available until the following week.
“I got them.” He couldn’t help but gloat. “Which means you could bypass your normal spot at Searsport and head up to Hampden, instead. That way your brothers won’t see you until you want them to.” Maybe, because of weather, the pair would even assume she’d put in somewhere up north, then he and Bobbie could spend the entire dayandnight together.
“I like the sound of that,” Bobbie agreed heartily, and Buck had to almost pinch himself as a reminder that she hadn’t heard his inner thoughts and answered him.
He coughingly gave her the GPS coordinates of the future water home for Diver Downeast’s vessels, as well as the number she’d see on their new mooring buoy, then cleared his throat. “I can meet you there,withCooper of course, so he and Reyghan can play. Then we can spend the entire day on your boat. If that’s okay,” he hurriedly added.
Again, no pressure. He wanted to take things as slowly as Bobbie needed. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her away.
“That sounds perfect,” she answered, sincerely.
Did he detect a huskiness in her voice when she said that, or was he optimistically hearing things over a sat line that had been progressively breaking up?
Breaking up…
“Is weather moving in faster than you expected?” he asked worriedly, when that thought finally settled in.
“Not at all,” she assured him. “I’ve been keeping an eye on the radar, and believe me, I’ll be moored long before it hits. I take it you’re worried right now because we’re losing signal?”
“A little,” Buck admitted.
“Don’t be. It’s just because the sky is starting to get really overcast. But it was good you reminded me of the incoming storm, though. This concern isn’t a huge one, but if you’re worried about riding the gale out on my boat in Hampden Harbor, we could make different plans.”
“Nope. Not on my account. Unless it looks like it’s going to getreallybad. Then for safety’s sake, we could get a hotel room there that allows dogs, or even drive back to my place until it passes.”
“Mmm. I like both of those ideas,” she agreed.
Buck’s balls tightened up again at the innuendo he could clearly hear in her tone this time, and he reminded himself that Bobbie had pretty much given them the green light to move ahead last time they’d talked, at least in the physical sense.
Damn himself to hell. He’d take her up on it, too. He wasn’t strong enough to wait; deny going there with her until Bobbie could decide he was worthy of her love again.
Yup.He was an impatient asshole.
