Read Online Forget Me (Hampton Harbor) by Jess Petosa - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jess Petosa
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wheel and to the edge of the boat.
He is wearing green board shorts and no shirt, a sight I've seen just once
before. His bare chest is just as glorious the second time, and I'm glad I've
kept my sunglasses on so that he doesn't know that I'm staring.
"Yes, you did," I
say. "But I didn't know you meant here. How did you even know I'd be out
here?"
"I had a hunch,"
he says with a grin.
"Is this boat
yours?" I ask, surveying the white speedboat. It has gold lettering along
the side to name the ship's maker.
He spreads his hands out.
"My one and only. I call her Missy but I haven't had the chance to paint
her name on the side just yet, even though I've had her five years."
I look the boat over again.
"Missy? Is that a past girlfriend?”
He grins and I realize that
I sound jealous.
"Want to come
aboard?" He motions to the space around him.
I hesitate. "I'm not
sure."
"I can tell you're
looking for an excuse to refuse me, one you don't have." He pulls his
sunglasses back down and leans over the edge, reaching a hand toward me. The
boat has drifted a bit and is too far from me to just step onto it.
"I have to work tonight,"
I retort.
Will smirks. "I'll get
you back in time. It's the least you can do after bombarding me with a kiss
last night."
I gasp. "So now I kissed you ?"
"Take my hand and
we'll pull her in," he changes the topic.
I grab his hand and am
almost pulled into the water, but I correct my balance, leaning backward. The
boat jolts slightly as it hits the bumper along the dock. Will doesn't release
my hand; instead he pulls me closer to the boat.
"Come on, Jane, what
else are you going to do today? Get in the boat," he says.
I sigh. "Oh,
alright."
Will opens a small door on
the side of the boat and I'm able to step right in. I assess the inside
quickly; white leather seats and a tan carpeted floor. There is even a little
seating area in front of where Will stands to steer the boat. He motions for me
to sit down in the chair across from where he stands to steer the boat, and he
uses his foot to push away from the dock. Soon the engine is running again and
we pull away from shore. I watch Charles and Marie's house grow smaller and
then I turn to look out over the bay.
We are quiet as he pulls
further out into the water, and I find the silence comforting. I no longer feel
awkward over our kiss, or that fact that I am wearing a bikini in front of him.
All those feelings seem childish and impulsive now, as the salt water clears my
mind.
"So what is the
meaning behind the name Missy?" I ask. "I had some guests at the cafe
the other day who said naming a boat is almost as important as naming a
child."
Will laughs and looks over
at me. "Missy was a friend I had when I was five. I barely remember her,
since it was so long ago, just that she was my best friend that summer. We
would play on the docks some days, and down at the playground on other days.
Then one day she was just gone," he says. "Nothing crazy, just some
good memories from when I was a kid. When things seemed much simpler."
"That's neat," I
say. "I like that. Good boat name."
"What if I had said it
was my ex-girlfriend?" he asks.
"I may have asked you
to take me back home," I reply with a smile. "Seems like a bad
omen."
He directs his gaze back
over the water and points to a small piece of land in the middle of the
bay.
"There is a sand bar
over there. Not many others really know about it, just a few locals."
He is right. In fact, when
he parks the boat in the water, there is no one else in sight. The small piece
of land is almost comical, just a circular sand spot surrounded by water. From
here I can look back and see the eastern shore of the island.
I stand on one of the bench
seats and look over the side.
"Am I just supposed to
jump?"
Will comes up behind me and
shakes his head. "Hold on."
He hops over the side of
the boat, feet first. He looks so graceful when he lands in the water, and I
know that I would look like a
He is wearing green board shorts and no shirt, a sight I've seen just once
before. His bare chest is just as glorious the second time, and I'm glad I've
kept my sunglasses on so that he doesn't know that I'm staring.
"Yes, you did," I
say. "But I didn't know you meant here. How did you even know I'd be out
here?"
"I had a hunch,"
he says with a grin.
"Is this boat
yours?" I ask, surveying the white speedboat. It has gold lettering along
the side to name the ship's maker.
He spreads his hands out.
"My one and only. I call her Missy but I haven't had the chance to paint
her name on the side just yet, even though I've had her five years."
I look the boat over again.
"Missy? Is that a past girlfriend?”
He grins and I realize that
I sound jealous.
"Want to come
aboard?" He motions to the space around him.
I hesitate. "I'm not
sure."
"I can tell you're
looking for an excuse to refuse me, one you don't have." He pulls his
sunglasses back down and leans over the edge, reaching a hand toward me. The
boat has drifted a bit and is too far from me to just step onto it.
"I have to work tonight,"
I retort.
Will smirks. "I'll get
you back in time. It's the least you can do after bombarding me with a kiss
last night."
I gasp. "So now I kissed you ?"
"Take my hand and
we'll pull her in," he changes the topic.
I grab his hand and am
almost pulled into the water, but I correct my balance, leaning backward. The
boat jolts slightly as it hits the bumper along the dock. Will doesn't release
my hand; instead he pulls me closer to the boat.
"Come on, Jane, what
else are you going to do today? Get in the boat," he says.
I sigh. "Oh,
alright."
Will opens a small door on
the side of the boat and I'm able to step right in. I assess the inside
quickly; white leather seats and a tan carpeted floor. There is even a little
seating area in front of where Will stands to steer the boat. He motions for me
to sit down in the chair across from where he stands to steer the boat, and he
uses his foot to push away from the dock. Soon the engine is running again and
we pull away from shore. I watch Charles and Marie's house grow smaller and
then I turn to look out over the bay.
We are quiet as he pulls
further out into the water, and I find the silence comforting. I no longer feel
awkward over our kiss, or that fact that I am wearing a bikini in front of him.
All those feelings seem childish and impulsive now, as the salt water clears my
mind.
"So what is the
meaning behind the name Missy?" I ask. "I had some guests at the cafe
the other day who said naming a boat is almost as important as naming a
child."
Will laughs and looks over
at me. "Missy was a friend I had when I was five. I barely remember her,
since it was so long ago, just that she was my best friend that summer. We
would play on the docks some days, and down at the playground on other days.
Then one day she was just gone," he says. "Nothing crazy, just some
good memories from when I was a kid. When things seemed much simpler."
"That's neat," I
say. "I like that. Good boat name."
"What if I had said it
was my ex-girlfriend?" he asks.
"I may have asked you
to take me back home," I reply with a smile. "Seems like a bad
omen."
He directs his gaze back
over the water and points to a small piece of land in the middle of the
bay.
"There is a sand bar
over there. Not many others really know about it, just a few locals."
He is right. In fact, when
he parks the boat in the water, there is no one else in sight. The small piece
of land is almost comical, just a circular sand spot surrounded by water. From
here I can look back and see the eastern shore of the island.
I stand on one of the bench
seats and look over the side.
"Am I just supposed to
jump?"
Will comes up behind me and
shakes his head. "Hold on."
He hops over the side of
the boat, feet first. He looks so graceful when he lands in the water, and I
know that I would look like a
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