Summer Secrets - Barbara Freethy [94]
Hell, he was out of his mind. He didn't want any of those things. What he wanted was a drink. Thankfully, the Oyster Bar was just around the corner.
It was fairly crowded for a Tuesday night. Tyler stood for a moment, checking out the room for familiar faces. Sure enough, there were two: Caroline and Duncan sitting at a table in the corner. His eyes narrowed at the sight. He wondered what they were cooking up. There was an intensity to their conversation that was apparent in their body posture, the way they leaned in toward each other, the sharp look on Duncan's face as he said something to Caroline.
Tyler moved closer, unabashedly eavesdropping, but they were too caught up in their conversation to even notice him.
"I want to help you, Daddy," Caroline said. "You know I do. But Kate won't race again, and Ashley can't even get herself on a boat these days."
"You have to convince them, Caroline. I'm counting on you," he said loudly, firmly.
"I'll come with you. I'll race. I'll be your partner. Maybe that will be enough. We can get a good crew. There are plenty of strong, willing sailors around. We don't need Kate or Ashley."
"Of course we need Kate. She's --" He waved his hand in the air as if searching for the right word. "She's the one who makes it all work."
"I can make it all work."
Duncan called to the waiter to bring them two beers.
"I don't want a beer," Caroline said. "Look, why don't you take me out on the practice run tomorrow? You'll see how good I am."
"You haven't sailed in years."
"Neither have you," she argued. "But I've kept in shape. I'm still really strong."
The waiter set down two beers in front of them. Duncan picked his up and drank like a man who hadn't tasted water in a week, but, judging by the empty glass on the table, this was not his first beer. Nor would it probably be his last. As he set down his glass, he saw Tyler and motioned him over.
"There you are, my favorite reporter. What are you drinking?"
"Beer, I guess."
"Will, bring me another for my friend," Duncan called out. "And put it on my tab."
"How's it going, Caroline?" Tyler pulled out an empty chair at their table and sat down.
"Fine," she said with an expression that was not particularly welcoming. "You sure do seem to pop up wherever we are."
"She's upset," Duncan told Tyler. "She wants to race with me, but I need Kate, too."
"I still don't get why," Caroline retorted.
"Well now, honey, I don't want you to get your feelings hurt, but you're kind of a jinx."
Caroline sat upright in her chair. "I am not a jinx. How can you say that?"
"Trouble follows you around like a tail follows a dog." Duncan smiled over at Tyler. "If there was a bucket nearby, Caroline would no doubt step in it. If there was a drink by her elbow, she'd knock it over, accidentally of course." He glanced back at his youngest daughter. "It's okay. You can't help it, and you always try hard."
"I am not that clumsy," she protested.
"Oh, look, there's Rudy." Duncan waved his hand toward his friend. "Hey, Rudy, come over here and sit your sorry ass down."
A big, burly man in his late fifties ambled over to the table. "Who's your friend?" Rudy asked.
"Tyler something," Duncan replied. "He's a reporter looking for some good sailing stories."
"Don't believe a word this bastard has to say," Rudy said, giving Tyler a hearty pat on the back. "Duncan lies so much he's forgotten what the truth looks like."
"That's for sure," Caroline said harshly as she got up. "I'm out of here."
"Hey, you haven't touched your drink," Duncan said. "Push it on over here, would you? I don't want good beer