“Like I’ll see Greg before next week,” I grumbled. I felt a hand on my back and turned to look into his blue eyes.
“Ask and you shall receive.” He kissed me and then looked up at Toby. “Four large coffees to go. The district attorney’s coming in, and I’m not subjecting him to Esmeralda’s green tea this morning.”
“You could have called. I would have delivered these.” Even after what I knew had been a long night, the guy looked powerful in his jeans and fresh shirt. “Did you get any sleep last night?”
Greg shrugged. “A few hours. Don’t worry, I’ll be fresh as a daisy tomorrow when I pick you up for our adventure.”
“Five, right?” I tried to sound excited, but honestly, I’d thought maybe Conner’s arrest would have put the fishing trip on hold. Like, forever.
Greg chuckled. “Wear layers. It can be pretty cold in the morning, but by midafternoon, we’ll be getting a tan.”
Toby put the last cup into a cardboard holder and grinned. “You want to add something sweet to this, just in case the guy’s in a sour mood getting called out on a weekend?”
Greg took a ten out of his wallet for the coffee. “John can get his own breakfast.” He kissed me again. “See you tomorrow morning.”
I thought about mentioning Sherry’s call, but we’d have time to talk tomorrow. Lots of time, if my memories of past fishing trips held true. I put my hand on his arm, squeezed, and lied. “I’m looking forward to it.”
After Greg left, I updated Toby on the few tasks I didn’t complete, then finished my coffee while wandering through the new releases on the shelves. I found a women’s fiction from a favorite author that I hadn’t remembered ordering, and headed home. Time for a few chores, then I’d eat a salad to make up for the junk-food meal I’d had the day before and dive into the author’s world.
True to his word, Greg knocked on my door right at 5 a.m. the next morning. I unlocked the door and motioned to the kitchen. “Coffee’s on and I have cinnamon rolls just coming out of the oven.”
He followed me into the kitchen. “Smells wonderful in here. You didn’t have to make anything. Jim ordered sandwiches and chips from Lille’s. He’s on his way there now and will meet us at the marina.”
“That’s lunch. I’m hungry now.” I poured coffee into a carafe. “Does Jim take cream or sugar?”
“Nope, he’s a simple man, just like me. Real men like their coffee black.” Greg got three travel cups out of the cabinet. “Fill mine up now. Jim can pour his own once we’re on the boat.”
Once the coffee was set, the oven timer went off on the cinnamon rolls. “Sadie brought these over last night with specific instructions on how to bake. I love her to death, but sometimes I think she believes I’ve never turned on my stove before.”
“You can get distracted.” He held up the book I had set on the table when I let him in. “Like when you’re reading.”
I grabbed the book and tucked it into my bag. “Sue me, I love a good story.” I placed the disposable pan into a fabric carrier Sadie had let me borrow to transport the rolls. “Coffee, rolls, napkins.” I checked off my mental list. “What am I forgetting?”
“A hat and sunscreen if you have some.” Greg eyed the rolls. “You think we should try one, just in case they aren’t completely done?”
I slapped his hand as he reached to unzip the cover. “They’re fine. You’re just going to have to wait. And I’ve already packed a hat, sunscreen, and hand wipes.” I nodded to the oversized bag I’d gotten out last night. The thing could carry a laptop, a couple of books, and still have room for a few bottles of water. “Should we bring bottled water?”
“Jim should be getting some, but it might not hurt.” Greg went to the fridge and pulled out six chilled bottles. “You have a small cooler we can take?”
I pulled out a soft-sided cooler painted with a beach scene. “Amy gave me this last summer when she took me out for a surfing lesson.”
“I would have paid to see that.” He packed the water and took ice cubes out of the freezer to keep the bottles cold.
I ignored his comment and took a bone out of the cabinet for Emma. I gave my dog a kiss on the head and herded her outside. “See you tonight.”
When we got to the marina, Jim was already on the boat waiting for us. “Took you long enough.”
“We brought breakfast,” Greg offered, holding up the rolls and coffee.
I could tell when the smell of the rolls reached Greg’s brother because his frown disappeared—for two-point-five seconds. He turned and started untying the boat. “Well, get in and let’s get going.”
The sun was just beginning to rise over the mountains as we left the marina. I sat on a bench and watched the beach disappear as we moved out into open water. The gulls were flying overhead, arcing around our wake. Greg sat down next to me and put his arm around me.