The Cinnamon Bun Book Store (Dream Harbor, #2)(57)

‘Anyway, this is Ginger.’ He gestured with a flourish to the boat docked next to them, its name scrawled on the side. It looked like most of the other boats parked in the marina, at least to Hazel it did. White, with navy-blue trim, a few cushioned seats, steering wheel, two engines in the back. Typical boat, in her mind, but Noah was looking at her like he was introducing her to his baby.

‘A little on the nose, isn’t it?’ she teased, glancing at his copper hair, glinting in the sunlight.

He ran his hand through the coarse strands, leaving one side sticking up. Hazel reached up and smoothed it down. Noah caught her by the wrist and tugged her closer.

‘I missed you.’

‘You could have stopped by.’ She hadn’t meant to say it, had nearly convinced herself that she didn’t care that he’d disappeared for a week, but apparently the not-lying-to-herself started now.

‘I should have. I just thought maybe you wanted some space.’

‘Nope.’

Noah smiled at her quick response and ran his nose along hers. ‘Good, me neither.’

‘Good.’ He stole the word from her lips and she smiled against him.

‘Now,’ he said, pulling away from their kiss. ‘Are you ready for your first voyage?’

Hazel eyed the boat where it bobbed menacingly in the water. It wasn’t very big. Hazel had been on exactly two boats in her entire life. One had been a cruise she went on with her dads and her mom for her mom’s sixtieth birthday. And the other had been the ferry out to Martha’s Vineyard with Annie for a girls’ weekend.

Those boats had been large. Large enough to feel ... sturdy. Safe. This boat looked like it could easily be tossed around.

‘Uh ... yes?’

‘You don’t sound very confident about that.’

‘Because I am not at all confident about it.’

He kissed her again, sure and swift. ‘Trust me, Haze. It’s going to be fun.’

‘Hmm.’

‘Come on.’ He grabbed her hand and tugged her toward the boat. He was vibrating with excitement and it was almost contagious. If she wasn’t also a bit terrified she might have caught it.

‘Here, give me your bag.’ He took the large, straw bag from her hand and his eyes widened. ‘What’s in here? Rocks?’

‘No.’

He continued to study her with an amused expression, waiting for her to go on.

‘Mostly snacks and a water bottle and a couple of books.’

His eyebrows rose at that. ‘You brought books?’

‘Yes.’

‘Several?’

‘Of course.’

‘Of course. For what?’

Hazel sighed. ‘To read. You know, in case there is a lull in the ... excitement.’

Noah smirked. ‘There won’t be any lulls, I can assure you.’ His gaze skimmed the top of the bag and delight lit up his face. ‘Oh, wait, you brought book three of the Wolf Brothers series!’

‘It just came in.’

‘Thank God!’ He hefted the book from the bag and hugged it to his chest with one arm. ‘The last one ended on a cliffhanger and I was dying to know what happened to the seer.’

Hazel grinned. ‘So maybe there will be a lull or two today?’

Noah nodded as he turned the book over and read the back. ‘Oh, yeah, there might have to be.’ He squeezed her hand and looked up at her. ‘Thanks, Haze. This is great.’

‘My pleasure.’ And it was. Seeing how excited Noah got over these books made her feel like maybe they had more in common than she first thought. That maybe they could make sense together. They’d been making plenty of sense so far.

‘Okay, let me give you the tour.’ He easily stepped onto the boat and then gave Hazel his hand and helped her over. The water was relatively calm today, but the ocean always had a rockiness to it, one that Hazel immediately felt when she stepped on board.

‘What if I get seasick?’ she asked as Noah stowed her bag in the cockpit. Cockpit? Was it the same on a boat as on a plane? She’d have to find out.

‘You won’t,’ he said. ‘I brought motion-sickness tablets and ginger candies. They always work.’

‘Hmm.’

Noah spread his arms wide. ‘The open sea awaits us, Hazel! Doesn’t that thrill you?’

‘It’s the openness that concerns me, actually. And the sharks.’

‘There are no sharks on the boat, Haze.’

‘What if I go overboard?’

‘You won’t.’

‘Hmm.’

He came toward her and wrapped his arms around her. It was chilly so she let him. And she liked his arms around her. That, too.

‘Trust me, okay? I’ll keep you safe. Promise.’

She tipped her face up to his. ‘I do trust you. There’s just a lot of ways this could go wrong.’

‘Yeah, but think of all the ways it could go right.’

Were they still talking about this boat trip or everything else between them? Hazel wanted to believe it could go right, she really did. But there was a reason she’d done the same thing for fifteen years, kept the same job and the same friends. Hazel liked to play it safe, and somehow that hadn’t occurred to her until she stood on this rocky boat, held by this man who might not be a safe bet. Who might end up hurting her in the end.