One Long Embrace (Eternal Bachelors Club #5)

Jay turned and walked outside, while she watched him disappear. She sighed. Things were perfect. She’d never imagined that being with a man could be like this. She didn’t have any other words for it. Only perfect could describe it—well, perfectly.

She’d already showered and dressed. Now she headed back down to the stateroom she and Jay had shared the previous night and made the bed. Jay had told her that they would leave in a couple of hours, once they’d filled up their water and gas tanks to have sufficient fuel for the engine and enough water to take showers. In the evenings they would overnight in various small harbors along the way and enjoy the local food. They would take a more leisurely trip back and rest during the nights. Well, rest was maybe the wrong word.

She smiled to herself when she heard footsteps from above. Closing the stateroom door behind her she headed up the stairs that led right into the main cabin.

“Jay, you’re back al—” She nearly choked on her last word. Shock coursed through her entire body.

“Well, look at you,” her father growled.

“Dad.”

He stood in the middle of the main cabin, legs broad, shoulders squared, her mother next to him. Both were glaring at her.

“Did you think we wouldn’t find you?”

“How could you do this to us?” her mother complained.

“I’ve done nothing!” Tara defended herself. “How did you even find me?”

“Damn it, Tara! Don’t you even know what you did? You became an accessory to a crime!” her father thundered.

“What?” she managed to press out. What the hell was he talking about?

Her father made a sweeping motion with his arm. “Your so-called boyfriend stole this boat!”

“No! That’s not true! It’s his!” How could her father spout such baseless accusations?

“His?” her mother hissed. “He’s a waiter, Tara! Wake up! If he’s telling you anything else, he’s lying to you.”

“He’s not a waiter!”

Her father interrupted, “This boat belongs to a Jay Bohannon. You said yourself that the man you met is a waiter. Your sister confirmed it.” He lifted his finger in an accusatory manner. “So don’t you lie to me now, young lady! I wasn’t born yesterday. I know exactly what’s going on here!”

“You don’t know anything!” she spat. “The man I’m with is Jay Bohannon of Hannon Boats. He didn’t have to steal this boat, because he owns it! Damn it, he built it!”

“He’s an imposter!” her father barked. “And the police are arresting him as we speak.”

Instinctively, Tara took a step back. “No! No, you can’t do that. Jay is innocent. You can’t have him arrested!”

Her father made a move toward her, grabbing her wrist in a vice grip. “You’re lucky that we’re not filing charges for kidnapping against him. Trust me, the only reason we’re not is to keep you out of the news and avoid a scandal.”

At the last word, her mother huffed. “It’s bad enough that people are talking about you because you pulled that drunk out of the Gilberts’ pool!”

Tara clenched her teeth. “Would you rather I let him drown, Mom? Would you be happy then?”

“There were plenty of other people to get him out. You didn’t have to involve yourself!”

“Well, and whose fault was that?” Tara ground out. “You were the one who fabricated that invitation to Paul’s house. I had no intention of going there, but no, you thought you could play matchmaker again. Guess what? You’ll have to live with the consequences now. If you hadn’t forced me to stay with the Gilberts, I would have never met Jay.”

“How dare you speak to your mother like that?” her father shouted. “You’re coming with us now. We’re taking you back to New York. No more escapades for you. From now on, you’ll do what your mother and I tell you to do.”

“I won’t! I’m staying with Jay!”

“Whoever this man is, he’s going to prison for impersonating another man and stealing his boat.”

“You’re making a big mistake,” she warned him, as he yanked her along by her wrist. “Jay will clear this up, and then you’ll be sorry for having had him wrongly arrested.”

Because Jay was no imposter. She’d seen him in his office in the city. He was who he claimed to be.





28


A paper tray with two cups of coffee in one hand, and a bag of pastries in the other, Jay left the coffee shop and headed back to the dock. The barrista had been inexperienced and slow, and there had been a long line of customers waiting to receive their correct beverages.

Jay looked out toward the end of the dock where his yacht was tied off. Several smaller yachts and sailboats sat on either side of the long wooden pier. On the boat next to his, a man sat on the deck, reading the paper and drinking coffee. On the one opposite, a couple was getting ready to untie the ropes and take the fenders off, to take the sailboat out on the water.

He loved mornings like this. Peaceful. Quiet. Relaxing.

“Excuse me, sir.” He heard a voice from behind him.