Rebound (Boomerang #2)(26)

And then he’s in front of me, wearing jeans and a slate-colored linen shirt that stirs in the ocean breeze. His smile is open and genuine, so beautiful. Deep crinkles bracket his thoughtful gray eyes as he looks up at us, into the sunlight.

“Beautiful vessel,” he says to my father. His expression is so good-natured and boyish that I know this is just a coincidence, not strategy. I still don’t know what she’s told him. And I still don’t know how I’m going to handle a day at sea with her, but my shoulders drop a fraction of an inch, and I smile at them both.

“Come on aboard,” my dad says.

Adam helps Mia onto the short boarding ladder, and my father rushes forward to help her onto the boat. Vaguely, I’m aware of Adam handing off his gear to Weston, along with a bottle of champagne, which earns a distracted smile of approval from my father as his eyes are elsewhere.

“Who have we here?” he says, taking Mia’s hand.

Adam steps onto the deck. “Graham, I’d like you to meet Mia Galliano.”

“I can see why you’d want to bring her along.” My father doesn’t let go of her hands. I feel my face warm. “I wouldn’t let her out of my sight either.”

“Oh, no,” Mia protests. Pink spreads over her olive skin. “I’m just . . . I’m an employee. Thanks for having me along, Mr. Quick.” She looks at me, and it’s plain from her discomfort that there’s nothing spiteful about her appearance here today.

Finally, my father lets go. “Glad to have you.”

“Mia’s in marketing now,” Adam says. “But she’s a filmmaker. She’ll bring a lot of great ideas and creative energy to the new studio.”

“Oh, we’re not talking business already, are we?” my mother says, sweeping out into the sunlight. “Why don’t we get comfy at the front of the ship?”

“The bow, Vivian,” my father says and rolls his eyes toward Adam, inviting his participation.

But Adam just smiles. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, Mrs. Quick,” he says, and shakes her hand. “I read that you’re chairing a fundraiser over at LACMA. I’d love to get involved in some way.”

“Oh, wonderful,” my mother says. “We’d love your help.” And her besotted expression tells me she’s sold. Of course, she’s easily charmed. Something my father has been banking on for years.

My mother leads the group away, leaving just Adam and me for a moment.

“You look like you belong on a boat,” he says. “Or in the water. Like a mermaid.”

I don’t know why, but this surprises me. Maybe because it feels so personal. Or because it suggests he sees so much.

The sun feels warmer, baking me in my skin. I want to tell him he looks like he belongs everywhere, like he was born to rule the world. But of course I don’t.

If we were only bodies, everything would be simple. I’d drag him off into a cabin and bolt the door, finish what we started on Halloween night.

But we’re not. Our bodies had their moment. Now it’s time to use my head.

I give Adam a smile. “Come on,” I say. “Let’s join the others.”





Chapter 14



Adam


As the boat leaves the harbor and moves into open water, we settle into a covered seating area and talk about the day’s agenda. The plan is to cruise to Catalina Island and drop anchor near Lover’s Cove, where we’ll have lunch. Weston, the captain, takes our orders right away so he can pass it along to his wife, Sandra, the chef.

This shouldn’t take long since there are only five of us, but Graham seems to want to download everything he knows about barbecuing, so our meal is nothing short of perfect. Vivian Quick rolls her eyes between sips of her drink until Graham notices.

“Problem, Viv?” he asks.

“No, Graham. But I think Weston knows how to grill shrimp, don’t you Weston?”

“Always willing to improve,” Weston says smoothly and excuses himself.

“See, Vivian?” Graham says. “He has the right attitude.”

Vivian takes another sip of her drink and doesn’t reply. Instead, she turns the conversation back to the LACMA fundraiser, going over the details with me, her eyes alive with excitement for the first time since I boarded. Graham interrupts every few seconds, giving me conversational whiplash.

Mia glances at me, clearly picking up on the tension between the Quicks.

Across from me, Alison’s face is cold, impassive. I can’t read her thoughts, but her fingers are clenched around her glass, and her pink-tipped toes grip the deck. She’s not happy about me seeing her parents like this. I want to pull her aside and tell her it’s okay. I know family dysfunction well. But I remember Rhett’s warning—eye on the prize—and force myself to focus on Graham.

With lunch ordered, he’s launched into a list of all the custom upgrades he made to the Ali Cat.

“Sorry,” I say, interrupting. “The name, Ali Cat?”

The boat’s moving into choppier water, and we all pick up our drinks to keep them from spilling over.

“Alison and Catherine,” Vivian says. “Our daughters.”

I can’t help but smile. “Ali, huh?”

“It’s a family nickname,” she says as a blush creeps up her neck.