done something with Burke and Aiden, and this would be a good opportunity to reconnect. But a boat? He'd always been about planes, then helicopters. He'd spent some time on carriers in the Navy, but that was just in between flights.
He'd certainly never thought of himself as a boat owner. But why not? It could be fun—something different, something to take his mind off the woman who haunted his dreams every night.
Shaking that thought out of his head, he turned into the crowded parking lot by the marina. The morning's storm had completely disappeared and the sun was bright in the sky, bringing out the locals and the tourists. After squeezing his black SUV into a compact parking spot, he got out of the car and walked toward the Bayview Yacht Club. Aiden and Drew were waiting for him on the sidewalk.
They walked down the dock together. The boat bobbed gently in the water in a slip at the far end of the marina, a beautifully proud and a little weathered thirty-foot sailboat.
They hopped on board and walked around. Drew hadn’t been on the boat in years, but as he took a quick look downstairs at the galley and sleeping berth, he flashed back on some happy daytrips with his grandfather at the helm, and his dad showing him how to rig the sails.
"It's not in bad shape," Burke said, as Drew came up the stairs. "What does the interior look like?"
"Fine, a little aged," Drew said. "But not unacceptable."
"I agree," Aiden said, excitement in his eyes. "We have to do this." He waved his hand toward the bay, the majestic Golden Gate Bridge in the distance, Alcatraz and Angel Island. "Look where we are—in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The Pacific Ocean is just beyond the bridge. We've all been working hard for a long time. Our jobs have big stakes, life and death. The pressure is tough. We need to relieve that tension every once in a while. This boat is the perfect solution. We can cruise, we can race." He paused. "We can entertain the ladies."
"You're getting married, that's lady singular to you," Drew said with a grin.
"Well, you and Burke can go crazy then. Look, I can do the dance and tell you all the reasons why we should do this. And then Burke can tell us all the reasons why we shouldn't. But bottom line—I'm buying this boat," Aiden said. "I want to partner with you both, but if you're not in, I'll keep looking. So what do you say? Are you in or are you out?"
"I'm considering it," Burke said. "Give me a minute."
As Burke went to check out the galley, Drew's attention turned to a small sailboat pulling into a slip two rows in front of them. As the woman jumped off the boat to secure the lines, his chest tightened, and his heart skipped a beat. She was slender, wearing jeans and a navy blue windbreaker. Her light brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail.
Two teenage kids got off the boat. They exchanged a few words with the woman, and then took off. As she turned around, Drew saw her face.
"Oh, my God," he muttered.
"Drew?" Aiden asked. "What are you looking at?"
He heard the question but he didn't have time to answer. He had to get to her before she disappeared again.
He jumped off the boat and ran down the docks, hearing Aiden call after him. He didn't even glance back. He was not going to let Ria get away again.
But she was already walking down the dock toward the yacht club.
"Ria," he shouted as he ran after her.
She glanced back and stiffened, then turned around and quickened her pace.
What the hell?
He broke into a jog, catching up to her in the parking lot. "Ria, wait." He grabbed her arm, hoping he hadn't completely lost his mind and was about to scare the life out of a total stranger. But it wasn't a stranger staring back at him. It was Ria.
Her brown eyes widened, and she sucked in a quick breath of air.
"It is you," he said, feeling confused, relieved and amazed all at the same time. "You're alive."
Her hair might not be blonde anymore, but her brown eyes with the gold lights
He'd certainly never thought of himself as a boat owner. But why not? It could be fun—something different, something to take his mind off the woman who haunted his dreams every night.
Shaking that thought out of his head, he turned into the crowded parking lot by the marina. The morning's storm had completely disappeared and the sun was bright in the sky, bringing out the locals and the tourists. After squeezing his black SUV into a compact parking spot, he got out of the car and walked toward the Bayview Yacht Club. Aiden and Drew were waiting for him on the sidewalk.
They walked down the dock together. The boat bobbed gently in the water in a slip at the far end of the marina, a beautifully proud and a little weathered thirty-foot sailboat.
They hopped on board and walked around. Drew hadn’t been on the boat in years, but as he took a quick look downstairs at the galley and sleeping berth, he flashed back on some happy daytrips with his grandfather at the helm, and his dad showing him how to rig the sails.
"It's not in bad shape," Burke said, as Drew came up the stairs. "What does the interior look like?"
"Fine, a little aged," Drew said. "But not unacceptable."
"I agree," Aiden said, excitement in his eyes. "We have to do this." He waved his hand toward the bay, the majestic Golden Gate Bridge in the distance, Alcatraz and Angel Island. "Look where we are—in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The Pacific Ocean is just beyond the bridge. We've all been working hard for a long time. Our jobs have big stakes, life and death. The pressure is tough. We need to relieve that tension every once in a while. This boat is the perfect solution. We can cruise, we can race." He paused. "We can entertain the ladies."
"You're getting married, that's lady singular to you," Drew said with a grin.
"Well, you and Burke can go crazy then. Look, I can do the dance and tell you all the reasons why we should do this. And then Burke can tell us all the reasons why we shouldn't. But bottom line—I'm buying this boat," Aiden said. "I want to partner with you both, but if you're not in, I'll keep looking. So what do you say? Are you in or are you out?"
"I'm considering it," Burke said. "Give me a minute."
As Burke went to check out the galley, Drew's attention turned to a small sailboat pulling into a slip two rows in front of them. As the woman jumped off the boat to secure the lines, his chest tightened, and his heart skipped a beat. She was slender, wearing jeans and a navy blue windbreaker. Her light brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail.
Two teenage kids got off the boat. They exchanged a few words with the woman, and then took off. As she turned around, Drew saw her face.
"Oh, my God," he muttered.
"Drew?" Aiden asked. "What are you looking at?"
He heard the question but he didn't have time to answer. He had to get to her before she disappeared again.
He jumped off the boat and ran down the docks, hearing Aiden call after him. He didn't even glance back. He was not going to let Ria get away again.
But she was already walking down the dock toward the yacht club.
"Ria," he shouted as he ran after her.
She glanced back and stiffened, then turned around and quickened her pace.
What the hell?
He broke into a jog, catching up to her in the parking lot. "Ria, wait." He grabbed her arm, hoping he hadn't completely lost his mind and was about to scare the life out of a total stranger. But it wasn't a stranger staring back at him. It was Ria.
Her brown eyes widened, and she sucked in a quick breath of air.
"It is you," he said, feeling confused, relieved and amazed all at the same time. "You're alive."
Her hair might not be blonde anymore, but her brown eyes with the gold lights
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