After All (Cape Harbor #1)(51)
“Is there a difference?”
“Ugh,” she groaned in frustration. “Don’t you pay attention in science class?”
Bowie looked away sheepishly. The answer, she was sure, was no. Austin did, though, and he would prove that she was right. She marched off toward the boat and stood on the dock, calling for him. He came around in a rush, asking her what was wrong.
“Nothing. I need you to come tell Bowie he’s wrong about Wally.”
Austin jumped onto the dock and walked toward Bowie and Wally. “What’s going on?”
Brooklyn crossed her arms and huffed. “Bowie seems to think Wally is a walrus. I said he’s a seal. Who is right?”
Austin ran his hand over his hat and adjusted it a few times. He let out a sigh and finally looked at Bowie. “Sorry, man. She’s right.”
“What?”
Austin shrugged. “I figured you knew.”
“Old man Potts said he brought one back with him, that it snuck on board.”
“Old man Potts is like eighty, and he’s been telling that story since he was twenty. If it were true, the walrus would’ve died a long time ago. Come on—we gotta go.”
Brooklyn smirked at Bowie and followed Austin to the boat. He helped her come aboard and held her in his arms for a bit. “I love that beautiful brain of yours.”
She blushed. He teased her often about how smart she was, but he was just as smart, if not smarter. They shared most of their classes together, and both excelled in science. As much as she wanted to be a nurse, she wasn’t ruling out going into marine biology or something of the like so they could work together. Silly dreams, she knew, but couldn’t help it.
Once Bowie boarded, he and Austin worked as a team to get the boat ready to go. As soon as Austin started the motor, he suggested Brooklyn put on a life vest and asked if she wanted to sit with him while he steered the boat. She thought she would stand next to him when she saw that there was only one chair, but he told her to sit. She did, and he stood behind her with his chest pressed to her back. He placed her hands on the steering wheel and told her to relax. Brooklyn loved being in his arms, and it was moments like this that made all the other stupid ones seem trivial.
They were sailing out toward the ends of the earth—at least that was the only way to describe it. It seemed that the farther they went out, the darker it was. The sun rose behind them, casting a beautiful orange, pink, and red glow over their town. Every so often Brooklyn would look over her shoulder and sigh.
“This is why we get up so early, so we’re reminded of how stunning our home is.”
“Like Bowie, you tell lies. You get up this early so you get the best fishing spots. It’s a sport, and like every sport it has advantages and disadvantages. I know enough to know fish bite better in the morning.”
“And where would you have heard such a thing?”
Brooklyn tilted her head toward Austin, and he smiled down at her. “This guy I met a few months back. He introduced himself as the resident heartthrob and local fisherman. He’s told me a few things about fishing.”
Austin chuckled. “What about the heartthrob part?”
“Meh,” she said, giggling. “The jury’s still out on that one.”
He let go of the wheel so he could tickle her. Brooklyn yelped and jerked the boat to the left. Bowie let out a string of curse words, to which Austin yelled, “Sorry, man.” Was he really sorry, though? Brooklyn wondered because he was hiding his laughter in her shoulder. Austin helped her get the boat back on course and instructed her to head straight. While she did, he held her and kissed her neck every chance he got.
They cruised for about thirty to forty-five minutes, out to what Brooklyn would call the middle of nowhere. There was land on both sides of them, but she wasn’t sure if it was inhabitable or not. She wasn’t going to ask, either, mostly out of fear that Austin would want to find out, and the last thing she wanted was to put herself in a Lord of the Flies situation. She appreciated the lush scenery, though, and enjoyed the beaming sun. Even though she was supposed to fish, she hoped that Austin would suggest she read one of the books she had brought along and bask in the sun.
Bowie watched some radar device that apparently told them if there were fish in the area. Austin finally dropped the anchor and told her to look over her shoulder. Behind her was their town, and if she squinted, she could see the faint outline of Cape Harbor. It was glowing, thanks to the rising sun.
“Wow.”
“Pretty spectacular, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it really is. I guess this is why you wake up so early.”
Austin kissed her on her nose. “That, and so I can get home to you.” She reveled in his adoration. He simply was the best part of living in Cape Harbor.
“I love you,” she said as she rose up on her tippy toes to give him a kiss.
“I love you, Brooklyn. Now it’s time to fish. Bowie and I will bait your hook, but if you get a bite, you need to reel that baby in. Do you remember how I showed you when we were at the pond?”
Regrettably, she did. All hope was fading that she’d be able to sit by while the guys did all the work. Fishing was important to Austin, so this needed to be important to her. He had asked her to come out with him for the day, and she should be grateful. She did wonder, though, when Austin was going to take an interest in her hobbies. She’d love to take him to a baseball game, the batting cages, or even to the mall so she could put a fashion show on for him. Each time she’d asked, he’d been busy. There was always something to occupy his time, although he made sure to include Brooklyn in everything he had going on.