Cruel Legacy (Cruel 3)

“Are you all right?” Melanie asked.

“Uh, yeah. I’m fine. Go ahead upstairs. I’m going to make some coffee and wait for Penn.”

“Thanks! You’re the best,” Melanie said, standing and pulling me in for a hug. “Hey, Nat, I was going to ask—would you be my maid of honor?”

A knot lodged in my throat. “Really? Not Marina?”

“Definitely you. I know we haven’t always been close, but that’s just normal sibling stuff. I’d really love to have you up there with me.”

“Of course I will. I’d be honored,” I told her truthfully. I might dislike her fiancé, but I loved my sister.

“I’m so excited.” She yawned again. “But I need a few more hours of sleep before I can show my enthusiasm.”

I laughed and watched her climb the stairs. My unease refused to abate as I ventured into my parents’ kitchen, found the coffee grounds, and set the pot to percolate. About ten minutes later, Penn appeared around the corner. His dark hair was wet from the shower, and he was dressed down in khakis and a polo with an Arc’teryx jacket.

“Is that coffee?” he asked me with big puppy-dog eyes.

“I’ll pour you some.”

“I can get it. You go change. I have a surprise for you.”

“A surprise, huh?”

He nodded. “I had an idea and talked to your mom last night.”

“Oh dear lord, this can’t be good.”

“On the contrary, it will be excellent.” He reached for the coffeepot as I passed him. But he called out to me before I left, “Dress warmly.”

“Why do I have a feeling I’m going to regret this?”

He grinned and I nearly sighed at that beautiful face. “You won’t.”

I hurried back upstairs, sneaking into my bedroom to steal clothes while Melanie was fast asleep. I changed into layers for the cold in the bathroom. I pulled my long hair up into a high ponytail, and then I braided the pony and tied off the end. I grabbed my jacket and then came back downstairs to find Penn with a thermos of coffee in his hand, a cooler, and my mother’s car keys.

“You’re all prepared, huh?” I asked. “Did you move in when I wasn’t looking?”

“Just schemed behind your back.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “We talked about that.”

“For the greater good.”

“Yeah, okay.”

He pulled me in for a quick kiss. “Just trust me.”

And there was that word. I could trust him. I was already trusting him with my heart. Scheming with my parents I could probably handle. Maybe.

We took my mom’s car into town. I was worried that Penn would need directions to wherever we were going, but he seemed to have it handled. It was strangely refreshing to have someone else drive me around my own hometown. But the one benefit was, I knew where we were going before he told me.

“We’re going out on a boat? Today?” I asked, pulling up the temperature on my phone. “It’s only sixty.”

“It’s supposed to warm up later. And anyway, we’ve sailed in this weather before.”

“Sailing?” I groaned. “You’re going to make me do physical labor, aren’t you?”

Penn rolled his eyes at me and passed over the cooler. “Come on. You’re the one who grew up in a boating town.”

“I only lived here four years,” I protested.

“Fine. I’ve been on the water since I was born. I’ll do most of the manual labor.”

“That sounds fair,” I said with a smile.

He shook his head at me and then directed me to the docks. This had always been more Melanie’s scene than mine. Especially since Marina’s family owned one of the largest boating companies in the harbor. So I wasn’t surprised when we ended up walking under the Hartage Boating sign and toward the front desk.

Marina’s brother, Daron, stepped outside. He’d been the hottest guy in any of the high schools when I was younger. He had been the star quarterback and dreamboat. He now ran the Hartage Boating with his father.

“Ah, you must be Mr. Kensington,” Daron said, holding his hand out to Penn.

“Yes, Penn. You’re Daron?”

“That’s right.”

Daron tilted his head at me. “Hey, Natalie. How’s Melanie?”

“Engaged.”

Something flickered in his eyes. Distaste perhaps. We’d all hung out some last summer, and I knew he wasn’t particularly fond of Michael either.

“That’s a shame.”

Oh, I liked him. “At least I’m not the only one who thinks so.”

“Well, let’s get you all set up.”

Daron walked us down the docks to a medium-sized sailboat. He and Penn went back and forth for a few minutes about the boat, chatting like they had known each other forever. Finally, Daron seemed satisfied that Penn knew what he was doing and left us to our day on the water.

Penn helped me on the deck and then set to work on getting the boat out on the water. He was a professional at this. His strong muscles working the line and steering us into the wind. It was intoxicating, watching him move. It almost made me forget my earlier fears.