Far too effective.
Then she turned and walked back toward the beach.
I waited until she disappeared beneath the palm lights before pulling out my phone.
Seven messages from Rachel.
Two from Sophie.
One from my mother.
I opened my mother’s first.
Did you have fun? Rachel sounds like she’s developing a twitch.
I looked toward the pier.
Then I typed:
Yes.
A second message arrived almost immediately.
Good. Do more of that.
For once, I decided to take her advice.
Six
Ellie
Kissing a mysterious woman on a questionable pier was not technically against company policy.
I checked.
Not because Reef Rascal had an employee handbook. Hank considered written procedures evidence that civilization had become too comfortable.
But I had looked through the binder beneath the register while he was outside loading tanks, and nowhere betweenBOAT FUEL RECEIPTSandTHINGS TODD HAS ASKED ABOUT SHARKSdid it say anything about kissing customers.
Which meant I was probably safe.
Professionally.
Personally, the situation was less clear.
I had slept badly.
Not because I regretted kissing Annie.
That would have been sensible.
Instead, I had spent most of the night remembering the exact expression on her face when I asked permission, the way herhand had settled against my jaw, and the small, surprised sound she had made when I kissed her again.
At two in the morning, I decided that sound was none of my business.
At two-oh-five, I replayed it anyway.
By seven, I was at Reef Rascal filling out boat logs while Captain Pancake lay across my feet, preventing circulation below both ankles.
