“Don’t get me started,”
Justyn growled. “Like I said earlier, last cruise.”
Reid hopped out of the skiff and ran to the side of the truck. Undoubtably toward Maggie. Justyn suppressed a sigh and thought about the cold beer waiting for him on the boat. He watched his cousin play the rescuer role. Reid could never resist a damsel in distress.
“Hey, Maggie, let me get that for you.” He released the bag from the seat belt strap, and heaved it on his shoulder.
“Thanks, Reid. I don’t know how I got it wrapped around the seat belt.” She pushed a few locks of her coffee-colored tresses from in front of her eyes. “Where are we cruising tonight?”
“Have you ever been to a lighthouse at night?”
Justyn wished he had covered his ears before that question was posed. Maggie’s scream rang out in the creek.
“Blair! Did you hear that? We’re going to the lighthouse!” She raced toward the skiff and hopped in faster than her usual entrance.
Justyn glared at her. “We’re not going to be sneaking in anywhere if you scream like that, girl.”
Maggie covered her mouth. “Oh, sorry. I’ve just always wanted to go the lighthouse. But wait. Did you say sneaking in? Is this legal?”
Reid caught up to the group and lowered the bag into the boat. “Depends on how you define legal, Maggie.” He chugged the beer in his hand.
“Wait a minute,” Blair chimed in. “I’m not doing anything illegal. I have a career to think of.”
“Calm down, princess. No one is asking you to break the law. If you don’t want to go, my keys are in the truck. You can drive home.” Justyn pointed to his parked vehicle.
“Whatever. Let’s go.” She shot him an icy look.
Justyn cranked the engine, threw the skiff in reverse, and pointed her toward the blinking light hovering above the skinny strip of Cape Lookout’s shores. The foursome settled into their now-routine seating habits. Maggie and Blair perched on the bow while the cousins manned the steering wheel.
As the strobe of the lighthouse grew stronger and brighter, Justyn slowed the boat to a crawl, and Reid checked the ropes on the anchors. Justyn drove the boat straight onto the beach. Reid heaved the anchor ten feet beyond the boat’s stern and tied a strong latch to the bow.
The beach was desolate. The hundreds of beachgoers who dotted the sandy shores during the day were back on the mainland at night. Except for the nocturnal wildlife in search of dinner, the area was deserted.
“Maggie, you ready to climb?” Reid asked.
“Climb to the top? I would love to!” She must have taken his lecture back at the creek to heart. Maggie managed not to squeal this time. “How are we going to get in? Isn’t it locked?”
“Have you already forgotten my ultra cool Coast Guard status? I’m hurt, Maggie.” Reid feigned a dagger hitting his heart and laughed. “I know where the key is.”
“Seriously? There is a hide-a-key?” Blair scoffed.
“Yep. Every house has one.” Reid waited for Maggie to join him. “Come on, Maggie. We’ve got some winding stairs to tackle.”
Maggie tossed her shoes on the bow of the boat and smiled at Reid’s outstretched hand. She looked back toward Justyn and Blair, who nodded for her to go ahead.
Justyn watched Maggie and Reid traipse over the low-lying sand dunes and onto the boardwalk that encircled the black and white diamond-studded lighthouse.
“Don’t ya wanna go?” Justyn tipped back a cold beer in his hand, trying his best to avoid eye contact with Blair. Her hair was drifting with the light winds, and he could see the dew on her skin resting on her chest.
“I didn’t exactly plan on climbing to the top of a lighthouse in this dress.” Blair smiled in his direction. He noticed how careful she was to avoid the knotted bowlines as she stretched one leg over the side of the boat until her toes were firmly in the sand.
“Most girls don’t wear dresses like that on boat rides, you know?”
“I’m not most girls.”
“I’ve noticed,” Justyn murmured under his breath.
Blair passed him and walked in the opposite direction of the lighthouse.