Page 10 of The Sailor

Chapter Three

Marit couldn’t believe she’d volunteered to take Britt on the Wave Rider. First off, it wasn’t her place to invite people onto Eliot’s boat. Second, she wasn’t sure she wanted to prolong a relationship with anyone associated with the Young family. She liked Zach, had been attracted to him from the first moment she’d seen him, was still attracted to him . . . but the fact that he had three brothers made her very uneasy. Made her less sure about getting involved with him.

She had a bad history with brothers. Starting with her own. But over time, those bad feelings extended to any brothers. Unfair, she could admit . . . but she couldn’t help that the very word itself was a constant reminder of the awful men she’d left behind. The ones she tried hard to forget.

If she’d met any one of the Young men individually, she likely wouldn’t have any issue with them. It was seeing them together, acting all . . . chummy, that set off the bad memories in her head. Making her remember her own brothers, always ganging up on her.

Forcing her thoughts away from the past, Marit did her best to enjoy dinner, concentrating on the here and now.

And to their credit, Chad, Linc, and Knox weren’t behaving like her brothers. First off, they were clearly being respectful of her boundaries. They could tell she was nervous—whether they knew it was because of them or not, she couldn’t say. But they didn’t press her to talk. Instead, they made jokes and picked on each other throughout dinner, but in a friendly way. Not in the mean-spirited, hateful way that she was used to with siblings.

Also, watching them take care of their mother was . . . a revelation. They made sure her water glass was always full. When she dropped her fork on the floor, Linc jumped up to get her a new one. They patiently waited while she took her fill of the food—along with Britt and Marit, actually—before any of them dug in, and the compliments on her cooking were plentiful and sincere.

Overall, their respectfulness and attentiveness surprised her. It was as if the brothers were wired to see to the needs of the women at the table before their own. It was a shock for someone like Marit, who’d been looking after herself from a young age. Who lived and ate alone as an adult . . . and even before.

By the time the meal was nearly over, Marit reluctantly admitted she may have been wrong about this particular set of brothers.

And as it turned out, Zach had brought more than enough of his lobster and asparagus risotto for everyone to sample. It was so damn good, Marit thought she’d died and gone to heaven. Creamy, rich, and whatever Zach had used to spice it complemented both the rice and the asparagus.

“This will be gone in a heartbeat,” she told Zach honestly. “As soon as the first person tries it, they’re gonna exclaim about how amazing it is, and everyone else in line is gonna forgo the stupid lobster roll they were going to get and buy this instead.”

“Oooh, what if you put this on top of the lobster roll? That would be amazing!” Britt added.

“I don’t know, a huge bowl of this would be enough all by itself,” Linc countered.

“Of course it would, but if you could get them to buy both a lobster roll and the risotto, you’d make twice as much,” Britt suggested.

“But then you’d need to change the name. And what the hell is risotto, anyway?” Knox asked.

Everyone laughed.

Marit secretly agreed with him. But “rice with asparagus” didn’t sound nearly as fancy or appealing.

“You ready for Lobster Fest?” Chad asked.

Zach snorted. “No. I remember from us growing up and going to the festivals how crowded and busy they always were. And from what I understand from other vendors, it’s just grown since then. I’m second-guessing how many lobsters I need to buy each day to meet demand and what items I want on the menu. I want stuff that’s quick and easy to make to keep the line moving, but it needs to be different . . . special. Not typical.”

“I have faith in you,” Evelyn said. “You’re going to do great, son.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“You need help?” Linc asked.

Marit glanced at Zach’s older brother in surprise.

“If you’re volunteering, yes,” Zach was quick to say.

“You paying in food? Because if that’s the case, I’ll talk to my boss and see about getting some time off to help too,” Knox said.

“The rental houses are booked for next week. I mean, of course they are,” Chad said. “But I’m sure Britt and I can still find some time to come by and do whatever needs doing, as well.”

“You guys are the best. Thank you. I’ll definitely let you know if I need some extra hands.”

Marit’s chest felt tight. It was more than obvious this family was a true unit. She should’ve known that when Zach said he and his brothers had moved back to Maine because their mom needed help. But actually seeing the closeness and cohesiveness and willingness to help each other was a whole other thing. Something she had no experience or familiarity with.

Even on the lobster boats, competition was a big thing. Everyone was competing against everyone else. For the best lobsters, the biggest catch, and to work on the best boats. True, when a disaster happened, lobstermen tended to work together, but after the crisis was over, it was right back to being cutthroat.

“Mom, I’m gonna take Britt out to the beach so we can look for sea glass. You need any help before we head out there?” Chad asked.