Her smile disrupted his neurotransmission, rendering him momentarily mute. She was even prettier up close. The sun glinted off the golden tips of her lashes. “Uh, hi.”
“You have a ticket?”
Idiot. You’re staring.“Sorry.” He held out his phone only to find his hand shaking.
“Um, you’ll have to put in your passcode.”
“Oh, right. Yeah. Sorry.” It took three tries to get his thumbs to cooperate while the girl waited. His cheeks were hot and he was probably getting perspiration rings under his arms. Real sexy. He opened the email and enlarged the QR code. “Here you go.”
“Perfect.” She scanned the code, then handed him a laminated boarding pass, treating him to a dazzling smile. “Boarding is in ten minutes right over there.”
“Great. Thanks.” He walked away, fighting a strong urge to slap himself. Wow, what a charmer. A 4.2 and he couldn’t manage a single complete sentence. Just as well. He was here for a job, not a girl.
He gave his head a shake, wondering if he had marbles in there instead of neurons, and joined the line already forming in front of the boat. He had to get his head on straight and focus on securing this position. Thank God the girl was only working the booth and wasn’t part of the crew.
The girl was part of the crew. She’d not only given out the boarding passes, but now she was collecting them, boat side, and telling guests she’d see them on board. When it was his turn, he managed to hand his over without making a complete idiot of himself, then he filed on board with the paying customers.
Josh Reynolds stood at the ready, greeting passengers. “Welcome aboard. Make yourselves comfortable.” His eyes lit with recognition as they fell on Will. “Good to have you along today, Will. Stick around after the tour. I’ll introduce you to the crew.”
“Sounds good. Thank you.”
“Snack bar is on the main level. Feel free to check it out and roam around all you like.”
“Will do.” Once on board Will followed the majority of the passengers up the steps to the upper level. As promised it was covered, providing a shady reprieve from the July sun. Bench seats, facing a door that read “Pilothouse,” took up most of the space. But Willsettled at the railing, enjoying the water view while the rest of the passengers boarded.
He’d never seen himself working on a boat, but he enjoyed new experiences and challenges. Plus there was the money. And the owner seemed like he’d be pretty cool to work for.
About ten minutes later Josh’s voice came over the speaker, introducing himself as Captain Josh and welcoming them aboard. He stood in front of the pilothouse, delivering safety information and life jacket locations through a headset. “While you’re aboard, feel free to move about the vessel. However, we would ask that you maintain a point of contact at all times, especially when going up and down the stairs.
“For those of you on the upper deck, please be aware we will have variable winds today, so be sure to hang on to your hats. If the wind does catch a hat and pull it into the water, we do have a hats-overboard procedure. We ask that everyone stand up and offer that hat a final salute because we will not be going back to retrieve it.”
The crowd chuckled.
“Before we get underway, I’d like to introduce you to my first mate, Darius”—the stout guy offered a wave from a seat nearby—“and Addison, who handed out and collected your boarding passes, is filling in at the snack bar today.”
Will fought the urge to run down for another peek even as he reminded himself why he was here.
After encouraging the group to sit back and enjoy the ride, Josh stepped into the pilothouse and began maneuvering the boat into the waterway.
A few minutes later the scent of popcorn mingled with the diesel fumes, and some of the passengers made their way below.
Once the boat was headed downriver, Josh settled on a bench and listened to Captain Josh’s monologue. He told the history of the area, including Snow’s Cut, the scenic waterway that bridged Wilmington and Seabrook. He explained that the Cape Fear River had gotten its name from the twenty-eight miles of shifting silt known as the Frying Pan Shoals, where more than 150 ships had met their demise.
Having been born and raised in Wilmington, Will knew the history, but Josh made it interesting and his sense of humor kept the passengers entertained. Along the route he used his headset to point out areas of interest and otherwise let the guests enjoy the scenery.
At the halfway point Will made his way belowdecks. The space was open down here with tables lining both sides. The snack bar was on the far end. Addison waited on a family of four. He took a seat nearby to observe as she made small talk with the couple visiting from Ohio. After they received their sacks of popcorn and drinks, the family moved to a table across the deck and she waited on the next person in line.
The job seemed simple enough. Certainly no more difficult than the carnival game. He made a list of questions for Josh while he quietly observed and idly wondered if Addison was actually part of the crew or if she was merely filling in. He found himself hoping for the former, despite his uninspired first impression on her. And despite the fact that the last thing he needed was a distraction—no matter how beautiful—from his goals.
Chapter 19
Maggie and Zoey were headed out to the beach when Maggie’s phone vibrated from her cover-up pocket. She’d been waiting for Josh’s call—Will Jennings had ridden along on this morning’s tour, and she was eager to hear what he’d discovered. But the ringtone was her mother’s.
Maggie was currently loaded down with two chairs, a soft-sided cooler, and a beach bag, trudging through the thick Carolina sand. But Mom had called while Maggie was in the shower, and if she didn’t answer, it would set off another round of silent treatment, long-distance edition.
Almost to their spot, she quickened her steps and, once there, dropped her burden as Zoey, beach pail and shovels in hand, rushed toward the wet sand.
“That’s far enough,” Maggie called.
