“Come on in. Get out of that mess,” he called across the yard.
Maggie clutched the cupcake container against her chest and had a sudden rush of panic, remembering that underneath her raincoat was absolutely nothing. What had Blair talked her into? She dodged as many raindrops as she could and raced to the open door of the boathouse.
“Maggie, what are you doing out in this storm?” He rubbed his left eye under his glasses.
Glasses! Reid was wearing black wire-rimmed glasses. Maggie’s heart went to her throat, and her belly did that annoying little tingle again. She absolutely loved a man in glasses. Sure Henry Cavil was hot, but when he donned glasses in a few scenes in Man of Steel, it was
pure sexiness. And that old Kevin Costner movie her mom loved. The one where he built a baseball field in his backyard. There was this scene where Kevin wore a crisp white shirt and glasses. She could still visualize him looking up over his papers in those glasses. All of a sudden, she understood why her mom and all her friends mooned over ole’ Kev.
“Are you ok? What’s wrong? Are Blair and Justyn ok? They’re at your place, right?”
“They’re fine. I didn’t mean to scare you. It wasn’t this bad when I left the house. I was out for a quick walk.” She took her hood off and shook the excess rain from her head before running her fingers through her curls, trying unsuccessfully to tame the unruly mess her hair had become in the five-minute walk.
Reid looked down at her with an amused question in his eye. He hadn’t bothered to put any distance between them after ushering her in the door, and she could feel his breath on her forehead. His smell wafted to her nostrils. Sawdust and sea air with a hint of mint. So Reid. So right. She took it in with a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment, steeling herself for what she trekked through the rain to do.
“Here.” She shoved the container of cupcakes toward his chest. “I brought you these.”
“Cupcakes?”
“Strawberry. I baked them myself,” she said. “Justyn really liked them. He said you might want some and that you could use a break.”
“Thanks.” He dropped the box on a nearby table. “I’m just finishing up some measurements for one of the proposals. Can you give me a minute? I’m working inside the cabin.” He had already turned and was walking toward the boat, which was resting on scaffolding and taking up almost the entire workspace.
Maggie had the sinking feeling that her plan was unraveling. She couldn’t let Reid submerge back into work.
“Can I come with you? I’d like to see one of the custom yachts.” Maggie hoped the answer would be yes. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold on to this scheme.
“Sure. I can show you around.” Reid turned to help her up the ladder.
“What’s left to do?” Maggie asked.
“Well, this one is almost ready. Just a little more paint and some final touches inside. We’re waiting on the fixtures for the galley and staterooms,” Reid explained.
“Galley? Staterooms?” Maggie asked, walking toward the stern and standing on her tiptoes, trying to get a peek inside. “This isn’t a cruise ship we’re talking about.”
“There’s a small sitting area and kitchen on the first level down. On the second level, there’s cabin big enough to sleep four,” Reid said. “I’ll give you a tour.”
The deck was empty except for a fishing rod platform near the stern of the boat. The deck ended with two steps up that led into the cabin. Just to the right of the cabin door, a raised bench faced the back of the boat where up to four passengers could enjoy a nice view on their cruises. To the left, Maggie spied a ladder.
“What’s up there?” she asked.
“That leads to the bridge and where the captain drives the boat,” Reid explained. “Also a great place to spot fish. A great view when the boat’s in the water, but you wanted to see the luxurious indoor accommodations, right?”
Maggie nodded her head, amazed at the beautiful wood and obvious attention to detail that had gone into crafting this boat.
“This way.” He led her toward the door that was situated between the ladder and the bench.
Down three steps, the duo emerged in a room with a small kitchen area to the left and a built-in sofa on the right. “Reid, this is really amazing. Did you and Justyn do all of this by yourselves?”
“The woodwork and painting. We ordered the engine, the granite for the countertops and of course the cushions and stuff for the couches and seats, but yes, most of it.”
“Y’all are so talented.” She moved closer and placed a hand on his forearm. “This business is going to boom. I just know it.”
“I sure hope you’re right.” Reid moved past Maggie and toward more steps that led down to the boat’s lowest level.
Maggie shook her head. Fun and playful one minute, distant the next. He couldn’t take a compliment. He flirts one minute and shuts out the next. Sometimes this guy was discouraging enough to make her give up her summer plan. Then she remembered the lighthouse, the pier, and the hammock, and how she felt every time those sparkling brown eyes looked her up and down.
“Don’t you want to see the sleeping quarters?” Reid called from below deck.