Read Online Baby on Board by Lisa Ruff - Free Book Online Page A

“Who knows? It was an accident then. Happens to the best of them.”
    Patrick could see the horror on Kate’s face as she listened to the exchange.
    “That’s right,” he said. “It was an accident. They happen all the time, even on boats.”
    “Yeah, they do, so you can’t say sailing isn’t dangerous,” Evan argued.
    “I didn’t say it wasn’t dangerous.”
    “Yes, you did.” The protest was made in triplicate.
    “I said, it’s not that dangerous.” Patrick was annoyed that his brother and best friend were hurting his case with Kate. “How many people die in car accidents every day?” Patrick looked at Kate as he spoke. “Accidents happen whether you’re on land or at sea. You walk across the street and get hit by a car. Or some idiot crosses the line on a narrow road and there’s a head-on collision. Or you slip in the bathroom and crack your head on the tub. Is walking across the street dangerous? Is driving dangerous? Taking a bath? No, of course not. Sometimes accidents just happen.”
    “But you expose yourself to unnecessary dangers on the ocean,” Kate said. “And what if you fall off the boat? Or get hit by the boom, like Evan said? A thousand miles from nowhere, there’s no one to help you.” She paused, searching his eyes. “And you choose to be out there.”
    “Things like that rarely happen, Kate. We’re harnessed in, tethered to the boat, and there’s a full crew to help anyone who is injured. You should worry more about me when I get in my truck and drive to the grocery store. Or when I walk down the stairs at your house.”
    “But you’re less likely to die in one of those accidents than you are on a boat on the ocean.”
    “That’s not true,” Patrick said in frustration. “What do I—”
    “Ahoy, there, Blue Magic! ”
    The crew all looked over to starboard. A small power-boat pulled up alongside and Ian jumped up to grab its rail. A skinny runt of a man stood grinning at them.
    “Youse all look like you might be wantin’ a tow.”
    “Yeah, Stub,” Ian said. “That would be nice, since it’s your fault we’re stuck out here.”
    “My fault! How’s that?”
    “The fuel line is fouled and we couldn’t get the engine started.”
    “Well, you the fools taking out a boat when I ain’t finished workin’ on her engine yet. Course, I thought I got ’er all cleared.” Stub scratched his head. “I guess I’ll have to take another peek. Toss me a line, Ian.”
    Ian and Evan scrambled to get the sails down and some towlines rigged. Patrick shifted Kate to one side and lifted the cushion to get into the locker beneath their seat. He pulled out three fat white fenders and passed them to Ian. Once they were secure alongside the launch, Stub put the engine in gear and guided them back to the marina.
    Kate was silent on the return trip. Patrick watched her closely, but she refused to meet his eyes. She seemed calm, but her fingers were wound together tightly. Stub maneuvered them into the dock carefully. All three men jumped off and secured the boat in her slip. With a wave, their rescuer left them, shouting that he would look at the engine later that day.
    “Hey, they’re calling for winds up to twenty knots on Thursday,” Evan said. “You want to try this again?”
    “Get lost, McKenzie,” Patrick snarled at him.
    “What’d I say?” Evan was the picture of wounded innocence, his green eyes wide and guileless.
    “What didn’t you say?” Patrick began then, checking to see that Kate could not overhear, whispered, “Would it have killed you to help me out a little?”
    “What do you mean?”
    “He’s pissed because you told Kate about Benny,” Ian said.
    “So?”
    “So, she’s terrified out of her mind and you tell her about some guy dying on a sailboat,” Patrick hissed. “How big of an idiot are you?”
    “Well, it’s the truth. I—”
    “I’d like to go home, Patrick,” Kate said quietly.
    Patrick spun around to see her standing on the