find out. And she didn’t dare try to get anything from the house in Seattle. Shopping was out, at least for now. Nick’s Aunt Sophia said they could get to town from her house, but the beach road was still out. The best solution was a boat.
“Nick, do you know how to drive a boat?”
“Yeah, sure. I used to have one, a twenty-eight-footer. I lived on it until I married Lisa.”
Cara made her way to the sofa, trying not to trip on the dragging blanket as she walked. “Why don’t we buy one?”
“Come on, Cara.” Nick waved his hands while he talked, something he did often. “Is that your answer to everything? Just buy one?”
“Nick, think about it. I need to have my stitches out. I need to see an attorney. We need groceries. I need clothes. Can’t you use a boat?”
“I can’t afford to buy a damn boat.”
“Then I’ll buy one for Max and Company.”
He stared at her for a minute and shook his head slightly, as if he couldn’t believe her. “You’re crazy.”
She lifted her chin and stared him down. “Do you have a better solution?”
Without a word, Nick lifted his hands and dropped them.
“Let’s buy a thirty-footer or thereabouts. It doesn’t have to be new as long as it’s in good condition. Are there places in Gig Harbor that sell boats?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Then call one. If they have a boat you think would do, have them bring it out so we can see it.”
Nick stared into her eyes for several seconds, as if asking if she were buying the boat for him. Cara suspected he already knew the answer. A boat would solve their temporary transportation problem, but it wasn’t the only reason for buying one. Would he go along with it? She didn’t want to step on his pride.
“Are you sure, Cara? It could be pricey.”
“It’s all right, Nick,” she said gently. “We can afford it.”
“ You can afford it.” Nick flipped through the Gig Harbor telephone book. He couldn’t afford the damned dinghy, and having a woman buy things for him, even this woman, didn’t sit well with him. Was she trying to say thank you for saving her life or providing necessary transportation? Or was she asking to stay longer?
He wouldn’t mind having her stay, except he didn’t want to have a run-in with her pretty-boy husband. Still, he didn’t like the idea of sending her away when he knew everyone in the world was looking for her. With a reward on her head, someone was bound to recognize her and call her husband.
He couldn’t let that happen.
Chapter Five
N ick made his call and showered while Cara folded the clean laundry and dressed in a pair of his clean sweats, still warm from the dryer. About the time the second load of laundry came out of the dryer, Tony and Angelo appeared with Riley and a bag of food. Nick stuffed the clean clothes in a basket, set it on the coffee table for Cara to fold, and told his cousins about buying a boat for Max and Company.
Tony set the bag of food in the kitchen. “Ma sent a pan of lasagna. Salad, bread.”
Cara smiled. “Oh, that sounds so good. Let’s eat it now.”
Nick turned on the oven. “We ate canned chili for breakfast. It was the only thing we had left.”
Cara wrinkled her nose. “Disgusting stuff.”
“Cara, have you been watching television?” asked Angelo. “They’re saying you’ve been spotted in San Francisco, New York City, Portland, Spokane, and Yakima. Your husband is supposed to be on his way to Spokane right now.”
“Good.” With any luck, he wouldn’t search Gig Harbor. As soon as Nick found a boat, she had to see an attorney and get started on the process of ending her marriage. Lance would find her at some point, but if she could get the legal process in motion and change her will before he found her, maybe he’d give up and leave her alone.
<>
After a delicious lunch with her new friends, Cara saw a small cabin cruiser pull up to the neighbor’s dock. She took Nick’s arm. “Let’s go check it
“Nick, do you know how to drive a boat?”
“Yeah, sure. I used to have one, a twenty-eight-footer. I lived on it until I married Lisa.”
Cara made her way to the sofa, trying not to trip on the dragging blanket as she walked. “Why don’t we buy one?”
“Come on, Cara.” Nick waved his hands while he talked, something he did often. “Is that your answer to everything? Just buy one?”
“Nick, think about it. I need to have my stitches out. I need to see an attorney. We need groceries. I need clothes. Can’t you use a boat?”
“I can’t afford to buy a damn boat.”
“Then I’ll buy one for Max and Company.”
He stared at her for a minute and shook his head slightly, as if he couldn’t believe her. “You’re crazy.”
She lifted her chin and stared him down. “Do you have a better solution?”
Without a word, Nick lifted his hands and dropped them.
“Let’s buy a thirty-footer or thereabouts. It doesn’t have to be new as long as it’s in good condition. Are there places in Gig Harbor that sell boats?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Then call one. If they have a boat you think would do, have them bring it out so we can see it.”
Nick stared into her eyes for several seconds, as if asking if she were buying the boat for him. Cara suspected he already knew the answer. A boat would solve their temporary transportation problem, but it wasn’t the only reason for buying one. Would he go along with it? She didn’t want to step on his pride.
“Are you sure, Cara? It could be pricey.”
“It’s all right, Nick,” she said gently. “We can afford it.”
“ You can afford it.” Nick flipped through the Gig Harbor telephone book. He couldn’t afford the damned dinghy, and having a woman buy things for him, even this woman, didn’t sit well with him. Was she trying to say thank you for saving her life or providing necessary transportation? Or was she asking to stay longer?
He wouldn’t mind having her stay, except he didn’t want to have a run-in with her pretty-boy husband. Still, he didn’t like the idea of sending her away when he knew everyone in the world was looking for her. With a reward on her head, someone was bound to recognize her and call her husband.
He couldn’t let that happen.
Chapter Five
N ick made his call and showered while Cara folded the clean laundry and dressed in a pair of his clean sweats, still warm from the dryer. About the time the second load of laundry came out of the dryer, Tony and Angelo appeared with Riley and a bag of food. Nick stuffed the clean clothes in a basket, set it on the coffee table for Cara to fold, and told his cousins about buying a boat for Max and Company.
Tony set the bag of food in the kitchen. “Ma sent a pan of lasagna. Salad, bread.”
Cara smiled. “Oh, that sounds so good. Let’s eat it now.”
Nick turned on the oven. “We ate canned chili for breakfast. It was the only thing we had left.”
Cara wrinkled her nose. “Disgusting stuff.”
“Cara, have you been watching television?” asked Angelo. “They’re saying you’ve been spotted in San Francisco, New York City, Portland, Spokane, and Yakima. Your husband is supposed to be on his way to Spokane right now.”
“Good.” With any luck, he wouldn’t search Gig Harbor. As soon as Nick found a boat, she had to see an attorney and get started on the process of ending her marriage. Lance would find her at some point, but if she could get the legal process in motion and change her will before he found her, maybe he’d give up and leave her alone.
<>
After a delicious lunch with her new friends, Cara saw a small cabin cruiser pull up to the neighbor’s dock. She took Nick’s arm. “Let’s go check it
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