Summer Secrets - Barbara Freethy [65]
"If I don't go now, I'm not sure I will ever go."
"Then that's a good reason to wait."
Ashley sank down on the edge of the bed, feeling defeated.
After a moment Sean sat down next to her. "Do you want to talk about any of it?"
"No." There were too many thoughts crowding her head to make sense of any of them.
"All right, then. "
Sean put his arm around her shoulders. Ashley tensed, but when he didn't make another move, she gradually began to relax, taking precious comfort in his embrace. He wasn't asking anything of her. He wasn't demanding that she do something or say something. For the first time in a long time, she felt safe. This was Sean, her first love, her only love, if the truth be told. No one else had ever come close. She'd tried to put her love away, because she didn't deserve him. But he was here, and she was weak. She needed to lean on someone.
"Don't go," she whispered, resting her head on his chest. The beat of his heart was strong and steady. "I know I shouldn't ask."
"It's about time you did," he muttered.
"You must hate me."
He let out a heavy sigh. "I wish I did. It would make it a whole lot easier."
Kate just wanted a closer look. It wasn't a crime, she told herself, as she walked down to the docks. She was human after all, despite her father's earlier criticism, which still stung. She'd tried to work, but sorting inventory at the bookstore hadn't proved a big enough distraction, and there was no way she was going back to the Oyster Bar. She'd had enough of her father, and Tyler, too.
She just wanted a few minutes alone with something that had once been a very important part of her life, the Moon Dancer. They'd come together as a family when they'd first set sail, the close confines of the boat forcing them to talk to one another, to share the workload, to rely on one another for everything from food to survival. They'd learned a lot on the water with only themselves to depend on. When the racing had begun, the experience had taken on a new dimension.
The competition had created an excitement, a rush as they barreled into the wind, trying to go as fast as they could. The ports of call had been filled with parties, celebrations, and tall tales of what had happened during each leg of the race. In the beginning, she had soaked it all up as if she were a hungry sponge. She'd loved being part of it, seeing her father in his element, and Jeremy, too, sharing the same excitement and joy. She should have realized that two such strong men would come into conflict.
Looking back, she could see where the first thread had begun to unravel. Unfortunately, she hadn't noticed that loose thread until everything fell apart.
Shaking her head, Kate moved closer to the siren that called her name. The Moon Dancer sat proudly on the water, bobbing gently with the swells. Her breath caught in her throat. It was a magnificent boat, a lightweight, forty-seven-foot speedster guaranteed to give a spirited yet comfortable ride. Her parents had designed the boat and had it custom built at a yard in Seattle. Their idea was to use race technology to build a cruiser that could win races. And the Moon Dancer had more than lived up to the challenges they'd put it through. She'd not only won for them, she'd sheltered and protected them.
Kate drew in a breath and slowly let it out, allowing the emotions to sweep through her soul. There was no point in trying to hold them back; they were overflowing. She felt joy at seeing the boat; she also felt incredible sadness for a time in their lives that had been both the worst and the best. Maybe life would always be like that, offering something good, only to counter it with something bad.
"Boo!"
Kate jumped at the sound behind her. She whirled around in surprise to see K.C.'s son, David, laughing at her. "David. You scared me."
He pulled the cigarette out of his mouth and flicked the ashes into the water. "That's what you get for trying to sneak onto my boat. Or do you still