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)
“Fantastic.”
“Are you on your lunch break?”
Sail shook his head. “Nah, Dad said I could take the day off.”
Galvin’s expression changed and she worked hard to mask it. He had a life in Seaport and had one long before she showed up in town. There was no reason for her to be upset.
Sail reached for her hand before she could move away from him. “I’ve been with my dad, working on my boat.”
She nodded in understanding and then leaned forward. “The man behind you is here to compete so . . .”
Sail nodded. “Thanks for the heads up.” He winked. The simple gesture sent her heart fluttering and her thoughts back to Lalaland. “What are you doing tonight?”
“Uh, I literally have no plans.”
“Do you want to go out to dinner with Dune and Caroline?”
“That’s like a date date,” she said under her breath.
Sail nodded. “I’d like to take you on a date, Galvin. In public, with people I know all around us. I think you’d like Caroline and since my brother plans to marry her, I should probably get to know her.”
Her mind raced a mile a minute, if not faster, with scenarios—mostly centered around Jack and Pearl finding out about her and Sail—she couldn’t think and felt a panic attack coming on. She pulled her hand from his grip and darted through the door to the kitchen and then beelined it for the back door. She threw it open and gulped in as much fresh air as she could.
“Galvin.” Sail’s voice cut through the ringing in her ear. “I’m sorry.”
She turned to face him, tears in her eyes. “You don’t need to be sorry.”
“I do.” He took a hesitant step forward. “I know you’re worried about your job. I wish you’d believe me when I tell you, my parents would never fire you for dating any of us . . .” Sail paused and grimaced. “Well, they might if you were to date Tidal and Crew. You know, age difference and all.”
She didn’t want to laugh, but she did.
Sail reached for her hand. “I understand.”
Galvin shook her head. “No, I should go. We should go. If I’m going to live here, I need to know people.”
Sail smiled and leaned in to kiss her. He paused, right before their lips touched. “As long as I’m the only resident you get to know.”
He kissed her before she could protest.
sail
. . .
After leaving Galvin to finish her shift, Sail drove back to his parent’s house. Seashells crunched under his tires as he pulled into the driveway. He parked near the barn and took a long look at Dune’s tiny house. Putting a house on their parent’s land was a brilliant idea, and now that Dune was building a home for him and Caroline, Sail wondered what his brother planned to do with the existing space.
Sail shook his head at the thought of living in it, although by next summer he’d be home for good unless he found a job in Florida. Like he’d told Galvin, he had no idea what he wanted to do but was expected to work for the family. Resentment boiled. No one ever asked Sail what he wanted to do.
If they did now, he’d shrug and avoid the question.
He liked the idea of being a professional sailor. Finding sponsors would be easy and maybe he’d be the one to put together a winning team. A team that could bring the Americas Cup back to New England.
Sailing came easy to Sail, which was perfect since it was his name. When he was younger, kids use to tease him. That was until they saw him on a boat. The teasing turned into healthy competition. Everyone tried to beat him, but no one ever could.
“Hey, what are you doing out here?” Crew asked as he came up the drive.
Sail shrugged. “Just thinking.”
Crew motioned toward the tiny house. “Are you going to build one too?”
“Nah.”
“You’re coming back, right? After graduation?”
Sail looked at his baby brother. All four of the Carter boys were tall, within inches of each other, and all with dark hair. There was no mistaking them for siblings.
With the smallest of head shakes, he said, “I don’t know.”
“Oh,” Crew said as he ran his hand through his hair. “That would suck.”
Sail laughed. “Why because you’d have to work sooner?”
“No, because I like having you home.”
Any other time, Sail would’ve gone to his little brother, put him in a headlock and rubbed his knuckles over his scalp until Crew cried out for their parents. Instead, Sail went to Crew and gave him a hug.
At first, it was awkward, but Crew relaxed and hugged Sail back.
“What was that for?”
“No reason,” Sail said. “You’re a good kid.”
“Have you met our father?”
Sail nodded. Each boy had a bonafide fear of their father, but it stemmed from not wanting to disappoint him. Jack Carter raised his voice, never his hand, and had the deadly look when he was unhappy with one of his kids. Sail felt it often.