crouched beside Roy, working a metal scraper over the hull as she talked to the old guy.
“Aiden, you know everybody, right?” Mike asked.
“It’s been a long time, Mr. Mayo,” Aiden said, sticking out his hand. “You probably don’t remember me.”
Roy grabbed his hand in a crushing grip. “Hell, boy, you think I got Alzheimer’s or something? Of course I remember Sean Flynn’s oldest son. You hit three home runs to win the high school regionals back in… was it ’ninety-nine? Anyway, I remember Lily got so excited that night I thought Annie and I were going to have to call 911 if she didn’t calm down,” he said with a toothy grin.
That gave Aiden a little jolt, since he hadn’t even known Lily was at that particular game. She’d only been a freshman then, a nice girl from his hometown and just one of the kids he rode the ferry with every day to school on the mainland.
“And call me Roy, for God’s sake,” the old guy added.
In light of the hostility over the development deal, it was nice to see that not everyone in the Doyle camp hated the Flynns. Well, Lily didn’t hate him, although Aiden was beginning to think she wasn’t ready to welcome him with open arms either. Not if this crazy bet was any indication.
“Aiden, I’m Jessie.” The dark-haired girl offered him a slender hand topped with purple fingernails. “I was your scorer last night. I’m sure you don’t remember me from before, since you were so much
older
.”
Jessie’s emphasis on
older
was obviously a little payback for his gaffe about Roy’s memory. He replied with a polite smile and a murmur that of course he remembered her. And he certainly would have said hello to her last night if he hadn’t been so focused on trying to get Lily alone. In the end, that hadn’t worked out because Morgan Merrifield had never once left Lily’s side, and Micah Lancaster had hung close too. Both had given off the distinct vibe of being on a mission to protect Lily, as if Aiden were some kind of pirate intent on having his evil way with their island princess.
Mike slapped
Irish Lady
’s bow and looked at Bram. “You brought her in last week for antifouling paint and an upgrade to the GPS, but now you want to tune her up for racing too?” He raised skeptical brows at Aiden. “You’re serious?”
“She’s that bad, huh?” Aiden sighed.
Mike and Jessie exchanged meaningful glances before Mike said, “Look, that old diesel is fine for trips back and forth into Portland, which is about all your father and Bram use it for anymore. But for racing? No way.”
“Shee-it, Michael O’Hanlon, since when did you start talking like a pussy?” Roy scoffed. “If these boys are set on racing this old bag of hammers, let’s you and me try to give them a chance to win.” He shifted his gaze, his faded blue eyes zeroing in on Aiden. “Sean already told me you’d be footing the bill for this work, son. So, if you give me the go-ahead, I can tune this engine, all right.It’ll cost you, but I’ll find you some extra horsepower. Guaranteed.”
“You’re on your own with that, boys,” Mike said, shaking his head. “We’ll get the hull shipshape, but any diesel modifications are all Roy’s. And Aiden,” he added, “remember that Roy Mayo doesn’t work for O’Hanlon’s, so whatever happens with the engine, my company’s not on the hook for it.”
“Got it,” Aiden said drily.
Mike obviously thought they were nuts to let Roy anywhere near
Irish Lady
. Not that money was an issue. He hadn’t become rich playing baseball, unlike some of the superstars he’d played with. But spending a little on the boat to try to measure up to Lily’s challenge wouldn’t put a dent in his healthy bank account. Maybe it was just a crazy waste of time and money, but he couldn’t back down now.
“Do what you need to do, Roy,” he said. “Give me all the power you can squeeze out of the old girl because I sure don’t want to be bouncing
“Aiden, you know everybody, right?” Mike asked.
“It’s been a long time, Mr. Mayo,” Aiden said, sticking out his hand. “You probably don’t remember me.”
Roy grabbed his hand in a crushing grip. “Hell, boy, you think I got Alzheimer’s or something? Of course I remember Sean Flynn’s oldest son. You hit three home runs to win the high school regionals back in… was it ’ninety-nine? Anyway, I remember Lily got so excited that night I thought Annie and I were going to have to call 911 if she didn’t calm down,” he said with a toothy grin.
That gave Aiden a little jolt, since he hadn’t even known Lily was at that particular game. She’d only been a freshman then, a nice girl from his hometown and just one of the kids he rode the ferry with every day to school on the mainland.
“And call me Roy, for God’s sake,” the old guy added.
In light of the hostility over the development deal, it was nice to see that not everyone in the Doyle camp hated the Flynns. Well, Lily didn’t hate him, although Aiden was beginning to think she wasn’t ready to welcome him with open arms either. Not if this crazy bet was any indication.
“Aiden, I’m Jessie.” The dark-haired girl offered him a slender hand topped with purple fingernails. “I was your scorer last night. I’m sure you don’t remember me from before, since you were so much
older
.”
Jessie’s emphasis on
older
was obviously a little payback for his gaffe about Roy’s memory. He replied with a polite smile and a murmur that of course he remembered her. And he certainly would have said hello to her last night if he hadn’t been so focused on trying to get Lily alone. In the end, that hadn’t worked out because Morgan Merrifield had never once left Lily’s side, and Micah Lancaster had hung close too. Both had given off the distinct vibe of being on a mission to protect Lily, as if Aiden were some kind of pirate intent on having his evil way with their island princess.
Mike slapped
Irish Lady
’s bow and looked at Bram. “You brought her in last week for antifouling paint and an upgrade to the GPS, but now you want to tune her up for racing too?” He raised skeptical brows at Aiden. “You’re serious?”
“She’s that bad, huh?” Aiden sighed.
Mike and Jessie exchanged meaningful glances before Mike said, “Look, that old diesel is fine for trips back and forth into Portland, which is about all your father and Bram use it for anymore. But for racing? No way.”
“Shee-it, Michael O’Hanlon, since when did you start talking like a pussy?” Roy scoffed. “If these boys are set on racing this old bag of hammers, let’s you and me try to give them a chance to win.” He shifted his gaze, his faded blue eyes zeroing in on Aiden. “Sean already told me you’d be footing the bill for this work, son. So, if you give me the go-ahead, I can tune this engine, all right.It’ll cost you, but I’ll find you some extra horsepower. Guaranteed.”
“You’re on your own with that, boys,” Mike said, shaking his head. “We’ll get the hull shipshape, but any diesel modifications are all Roy’s. And Aiden,” he added, “remember that Roy Mayo doesn’t work for O’Hanlon’s, so whatever happens with the engine, my company’s not on the hook for it.”
“Got it,” Aiden said drily.
Mike obviously thought they were nuts to let Roy anywhere near
Irish Lady
. Not that money was an issue. He hadn’t become rich playing baseball, unlike some of the superstars he’d played with. But spending a little on the boat to try to measure up to Lily’s challenge wouldn’t put a dent in his healthy bank account. Maybe it was just a crazy waste of time and money, but he couldn’t back down now.
“Do what you need to do, Roy,” he said. “Give me all the power you can squeeze out of the old girl because I sure don’t want to be bouncing
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