Dirty Summer 2

Blair and Maggie glanced back over their shoulders at their tour guides. The girls had found seats at the bow of the boat. The wind whipped through their hair as Justyn steered them around the island.

Reid was laughing at something Justyn had said, but Blair couldn’t hear what the guys were discussing over the muffled sounds of the wind.

“Where do you think they’re taking us?” Blair questioned.

“You can’t seriously be worried about them. Did you really want to stay at Shirley Lane for the night?” Maggie prodded.

Blair sighed. “No, but they could at least talk to us if they’re going to offer to take us out. Exactly how many times have we circled the island and they haven’t come up here once.” She eyed the captain.

“Why don’t we go back there?” Maggie suggested.

“They’re the ones who invited us. Don’t people around here have any manners?” Blair tried to catch her hair in a fist. It was blowing all around her face.

“Come on. Let’s go talk.” Maggie edged off the bow and attempted to stand. Before she was completely upright, the boat slowed to a crawling pace.

“Be careful up there,” Justyn called. “I don’t want my passengers going overboard.”

With the boat almost still, Reid walked toward them. “You need something? Out of beer?”

“Uh, no, just wondering if you could tell us where we are.” Maggie looked away from Reid, and motioned toward the unknown body of water around them. “You promised a better-than-the-book tour.”

Reid laughed. “You’re right. Why don’t I point out some places?”

Blair noticed how Reid eyed Maggie. He moved toward her friend assessing the seating at the bow. There definitely wasn’t enough space for all three of them.

“I’ll move back there. Go on with the tour.” Blair stood and balanced herself before taking a step toward the stern. As soon as she was out of the way, Reid slipped into the open seat next to Maggie.

“Can I sit here?” She pointed to the seat Reid had vacated next to the captain. Maggie and Reid were in deep conversation about the birds that lived in the marshes, and she wanted to give her friend time alone.

“Go ahead.” Justyn sipped from his beer and cut the engine to an idle. “We can slow it down in these calm waters. No danger of hitting sandbars tonight.”

Blair lowered herself onto the narrow bench next to him. He kept his eyes straight ahead, concentrating on the channel markers. As he clutched the steering wheel with one hand, Blair noticed the muscles in his arms flexing with each movement.

Reid mention something about Shell Point, and Blair saw him pointing toward the horizon as the boat rounded the end of the island.

“What’s he talking about up there?” Blair asked. If she was going to take one for the team, she might as well pass the time.

Justyn cracked a smile. “He’s probably trying to impress her with some island ghost story.”

“Ghost story?” She liked it when he smiled. There was something sexy about it, even if he was being standoffish and distant.

“These waters are full of them. But I wouldn’t want to scare you.”

“You can’t scare me,” Blair taunted.

“You sure about that?” Justyn smiled again. He eased closer to Blair and rested his arm on the ledge above her shoulders. The breeze swirled through her hair, and she wondered if he could smell her shampoo.

“Try me.” She turned toward him, fully aware that his arm was almost touching her.

“See that light out there.” He pointed to a faint flashing yellow light in the distance.

“Of course,” Blair responded. It was as clear as any of the other markers dotting the dark waters.

Justyn turned toward Blair. “Even if I wanted to, I can’t take us to it.”

“What do you mean? Is it on land or something?” Blair couldn’t tell if he was teasing her.

“See,” he paused, “that light always moves, and as soon as we head toward it, it will move.”