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“Cam? No. He’s my brother’s best friend. I grew up with him.”
“Oh!” The girl looks at her mom, who’s smiling at her husband. “My dad was my mom’s brother’s best friend.”
“Really?” I smile.
“I still am their best friend,” the dad says.
The mom leans over. “It took me a long time to admit my feelings.”
The big guy with more tattoos than Fisher moves to sit next to his wife, setting his hand on her knee. “But I wore her down.”
“Now they’re gonna kiss,” their son whines and covers his eyes.
After their chaste kiss, we’re out of the marina and on our way to a fishing location that I hope will be successful for the little boy because it would suck if he didn’t catch anything. Once we’re there, the mom sits with me while the dad puts bait on the kids’ hooks.
“So there’s nothing between you two?” She actually catches me off guard and the look I give her causes her to step back, hand raised. “Sorry, I sound like my grandma.”
I can’t help but chuckle. “My grandma too. In fact, if I didn’t know better, I’d suspect she booked your charter to get the skinny on Cam and me.”
She laughs and looks at me for a moment. “I think I know you, actually. Do you have a brother who plays soccer?”
“I do.”
She points at herself. “Savannah Bailey—er, Kelly. But my niece Calista plays with your brother… Rylan, right?”
My eyes widen. “You’re a Bailey?”
“Was a Bailey!” her husband calls from the front of the boat.
“Liam, I’ll always be a Bailey,” she says.
“Nope, you’re a Kelly.” He looks at his children. “We’re Kellys.”
Savannah laughs. I thought she looked familiar, but I see so many people during tourist season it’s hard to keep them all straight.
“So your grandma is Dori Bailey?”
“The one and only,” Savannah says. “And I swear she did not send me here.” She holds up both hands this time.
We laugh, and just then, Cam’s boat goes by, venturing farther out. He’s at the helm, the wind blowing his hair, his charter guests all laughing, and a woman at his side is chatting him up. She’s attractive and definitely his type.
Why the hell isn’t he in the bathroom by now?
I watch them pass, and he doesn’t even give me a wave or a hello.
I look at Savannah, who’s giving me a knowing smile. “Your secret is safe with me.” She looks at her husband and kids. “God knows, it took me forever to get where we are.”
“It’s not…” But I stop, because why lie to this woman? “It’s just complicated.”
She puts her hand on mine. “Oh, I know. Believe me, I know.”
* * *
For the rest of the day, Cam and I pass one another on the water. He doesn’t look uncomfortable. He’s not sweating. He even stopped and talked to Liam Kelly for a good half hour and was his usual charming self. He’s taken out all of his charters, helped them carry the fish in, and nothing. What am I missing?
It isn’t until the end of the day, when we’re both cleaning out our boats, that he calls my name. Rowdy has already left the marina, and the majority of the fishing boats are gone for the week.
“Chevelle!” he says. “Come over and have a beer.”
