“Good point.” Harper got her phone out and looked at the screen, swiping and tapping. She shook her head. “Nothing new.”
“Maybe we scared him off.”
“I don’t think so. His first email was too open for him to get scared off now. I just think older people aren’t as on top of email as we are.”
“Maybe.” Frankie hoped she was right.
“I’m sure he’ll respond soon. Maybe he’s waiting for his wife to get home from work to help him. Let’s just try to enjoy the day and not think too much about it.”
“Oh, I’m going to enjoy this day plenty.” Frankie smiled, took out her phone and got a couple of pictures.
“I’ll leave you to it. Archie’s been oddly quiet. So has Scout. I’d better go see what they’re up to.”
“Be there in a second.” Frankie took a few more pictures, then sat in the dining booth and tried a selfie. She didn’t love the picture, so she deleted it and tried again. Three more tries and she got one she liked.
She texted it to her son, Jason, along with a note.You won’t guess in a million years whose boat I’m on.
His response was oddly quick.Mitchell Ripley
She frowned at her phone.How did you guess that?
Willa already sent pics.He added a face laughing so hard it had tears coming out of its eyes.
Frankie rolled hers.Wish you were here.
So do I! Have fun!
Already am.Frankie went up top again and to the back of the boat, which was mostly shaded by a roof that extended from the cockpit.
Willa was slightly further back, near the platform that was almost water level. She was in the sun, now in just her bikini. The dogs were laying on the deck next to her and Harper was in the process of taking her T-shirt off.
“Mom, is this not thebest?” Willa was all smiles. “I want this to be my life. How do I do that?”
“Marry well?” Frankie offered. “Sorry, Willa. If I knew the answer to that, we’d be onmyboat.”
Mitch returned from the front of the boat and went to stand behind the wheel. “Front is all switched over. And now, unless you all want to stay in the slip all day, I’m going to get us moving.”
“Aye, aye, captain,” Harper answered.
Mitch gave her a smile, his gaze quickly skimming her newly exposed upper half before looking straight ahead.
The motors kicked on and the low rumble vibrated through the craft.
“Maybe we should take a seat,” Frankie said.
Harper nodded. “Yes, we should. Although I’m sure Lucas is wondering what happened to you.”
“It’s a big boat, but it’s not that big,” Frankie said. “I doubt he thinks I’ve gone missing.” All the same, she made her way back to the bow, where nearly the entire open area had become one large sunbed.
Lucas was shirtless, stretched out, hands behind his head, sunglasses on.
Her heart skipped a beat.
He turned his head toward her. “There you are. This is the life.” He moved his arm to pat the open spot next to him. “Comejoin me. Get comfortable. If we can’t own the boat, we can at least enjoy it.”
This was awkward. She thought she’d wanted this kind of alone time with him, but it suddenly seemed so much more intimate than she’d expected. She gave him a smile she wasn’t quite feeling, slipped off her flipflops, and lay down beside him. Did he think she’d set this up on purpose? That she was going to try something?
She liked Lucas a lot. The idea of being in a romantic relationship with him didn’t seem real. Not that she couldn’t imagine it. She could. Shehad. But she just couldn’t wrap her head around him liking her that way.
