They’d just finished lining up the last of the clean glasses when one of the dock teens appeared in the doorway, life jacket half-buckled and panic written all over his face.
“Krista!” he blurted. “Sorry, do you have a second?”
She swallowed a sigh. “What’s wrong?”
“The paddleboat’s being weird again,” he said. “Cassidy and Liam are on it, and it just keeps spinning out there. Also, I forgot to have them sign the rental form before they went out.”
Krista closed her eyes for a beat. “Alright. Where are they?”
“I got them docked…” the teenager said, pointing to the end of the dock where Cassidy could be seen giggling while Liam attempted to fix the boat.
Krista grabbed the dock clipboard off the hook near the back door and turned to Joe. “Field trip?”
“Lead the way,” he said.
The boardwalk creaked under their feet as they headed down toward the dock. The air was cooler here, the lake stretching out in soft ripples. The paddleboat in question bobbed near the end. Liam was bent over trying to get a look at the rudder while Cassidy was telling him to just wait a minute.
“We have no idea what we’re doing,” Cassidy said, hand on her forehead, blocking out the sun.
“I know how to drive a paddleboat,” Liam replied, voice muffled.
“Sure you do,” Cassidy replied in good fun before turning her attention back to Krista. “Tonight, Crafting Club. You joining us? I mean, it’s here after all.”
“I wish. I’ve got to pay some bills and take care of the banking for the campground. But hopefully next time.”
“Alright, I suppose I’ll just have to make an extra set of ocean wave resin coasters for you. I’m adding glittery starfish to mine.”
Liam sat up, interrupting the conversation. “Your boat’s making me look bad.”
“Not possible.” Krista smiled. “Let’s have a look and see what’s going on.”
She stepped out onto the floating dock they were moored against and crouched near the edge, bracing one hand on the weathered boards as she leaned toward the stern to check the rudder.
“Looks like the steering arm’s loose again,” she said. “We’vebeen meaning to replace this model. Let me tighten it up, and we’ll add extra time to your rental, okay?”
“Extra time, huh?” Liam raised his eyebrows at Cassidy.
Cassidy’s mouth curved. “We could actually row someplace private.”
Joe stepped onto the floating section of dock and pulled the boat closer with the rope. The plastic hull thumped against the side, the whole thing rocking gently. When Krista leaned a little farther, the dock shifted. A warm hand wrapped around her ankle, steadying her.
“Careful,” he said.
She glanced back at him. For a second, the rest of the dock seemed to blur—the slap of water, the murmur of Cassidy’s voice. It was just Joe, shirt stretched over his forearms, eyes steady on her like he actually might dive in after her if she slipped.
“Thanks,” Krista said, smiling. “It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve gone in.”
She turned back to the rudder. Between the two of them and the tiny wrench from the dock box, they got the bolt snug again. She spun the pedal with her hand, satisfied when the rudder obediently followed.
She tried not to be jealous of the fact that Cassidy and Liam, both business owners, were having a romantic afternoon out on the lake, enjoying summer and each other, when she didn’t even have time to have a proper lunch. Life didn’t seem fair sometimes.
“Try it now,” she said, straightening.
Liam pedaled, and this time the paddleboat glided in a straight line toward the buoy.
“Perfect,” she called. “Just return it before Crafting Club. Have fun, you two!”
“We will!” Cassidy waved over her shoulder.
