Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 72059 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72059 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
She inhaled the salty air, finding she enjoyed sitting here versus being on the beach. Although she loved the way the sand felt after baking in the sun all day long. Galvin hated the rancid odor of the seaweed when it washed ashore. Still, she wouldn’t give up her current location or living status for anything. Having access to the beach any day of the week was a luxury she never knew she wanted until she had it.
After being in town for a few weeks now, and waiting on a handful of the same locals, she felt like she belonged. They said hi to her when they saw her at the store or when she was out exploring, and they greeted her with a smile while she worked, even if they didn’t have her as their server. Galvin fit in and she loved the close-knit community.
With her eyes closed, she leaned back and absorbed the warmth from the sun. Her plan was to sit there for a few more minutes, and then head to the library. There was a list of books she wanted to check out, and it was one of the places on her list she had left to visit.
In a simultaneous motion, she startled and opened her eyes when she felt a presence sit down next to her. At first, she wondered who in the hell would sit next to a stranger on a park bench, and then she regretted the notion because what if someone needed to rest? But no, it wasn’t someone who needed to take a break from walking—it was Sail, the guy who claimed he was the son’s owner, which Galvin hadn’t been able to confirm with Penny because she’d forgotten.
“What are you doing?” Her question had some bite to it.
Sail smiled at her. It wasn’t one of those creepy, I’m a serial killer type of smiles, but then again, Galvin never met a serial killer, so she wasn’t sure what kind of smile they had. Still, something told her Sail was safe despite her body and mind battling against each other. Oddly, she felt an attraction to him, and she likened him to being a shiny new toy. But her mind put up a block. She didn’t have the time or patience for any type of romance. Especially with the owner’s son. Those types of relationships never ended well.
“I saw you sitting here.”
“And thought you’d sit down?”
Rude much, Galvin?
“Sorry, that was rude.”
“No, I get it,” Sail said as he stretched his long lean and very tan legs out in front of him. He wore stylish sneakers with what she assumed were no show socks, with dark blue dress shorts and a cream polo styled shirt.
“Are you going to work?”
Sail shook his head and then motioned toward the dock. “I’m about to take the boat out. Wanna go?”
“Uh, no.” Galvin shook her head. “Does that line work on women?”
He laughed and shrugged. “In my defense, people know me around here, so they wouldn’t think twice if I asked.”
There was a niggling sensation in the back of her mind, reminding her she’d heard his name mentioned with sailing or boating. Not that she knew the difference. Or maybe it was with rowing? Galvin wasn’t sure, but she knew it had to do with him and the water, which she thought was irony since his name was Sail.
And then it came to her.
“Wait, you’re the captain dude, right? The one who has some weird nickname?” She snapped her fingers, trying to remember what she’d heard the other say about . . . “Blue balls!”
Sail’s expression morphed from happy-go-lucky to utter horror. His eyes widened to the point Galvin thought they were going to pop out of socket.
Maybe she had the nickname wrong?
“Is that not your nickname?”
“Hell no,” he said, having to swallow in between words. “Why? Wh-what?”
“Are you okay?”
Sail let out a strangled breath, combined with a jumble of incoherent words. “Who told you that?”
Galvin shrugged. “Pretty sure someone at the diner mentioned it. Honestly, I’m not really sure. I wasn’t paying attention.”
He stared at her.
Was he dumbfounded she hadn’t listened clearly?
People talked a lot in the diner. If she listened fully, she’d have too many voices running through her head and wouldn’t be able to keep anything straight.
They stared at each other. It was like one of those who would blink first type of competitions, only neither of them agreed to take part. Doing so gave Galvin unsolicited minutes to really take Sail in, every inch of his flustered look. He dressed nice, especially for someone who was going to go play on a boat. Clearly, he didn’t care if he got wet or fell in.
Sail had the brightest blue eyes she’d ever seen and wondered if that was why his parents gave him the name they had. His darker hair was the perfect contrast to his eyes and seemed to go well with his tanned skin. Now that she’d studied him, he looked a lot like his father, Jack. Galvin could easily see the resemblance.