Knockdown by Brenda Beem Read Free Book Online

head we could put in here. ” I pointed at the shower stall. “Remind me to fix it up later.”
    “A salt water shower?” Zoë made a face.
    “Better than nothing.”
    She sighed, scrubbed the blood off her face, and followed me out of the bathroom.
    We peeked into the cabin in the bow of the boat. It had always been my parents’ bedroom. “Dylan and Cole should sleep here.” We moved to the main salon. “This is like the living room of the boat. That table folds out to twice the size.” I pointed to the tabletop attached to the wall and then to the sofas. “And this couch becomes a double bed. I guess Nick and Takumi can sleep here. My brothers say that when they race the boat, one spreads out this way and the other sleeps the opposite way.” I pointed. “They have to stare at each other’s feet, but it’s better than face to face.”
    Makala giggled.
    We turned to a couch on the other side of the room. “And Jervis can sleep on this couch, although it will be a little small.”
    Makala fro wned at the narrow sofa.
    “The cushion back comes off. See?” I pulled off th e sofa back and the couch grew almost twice as wide. Makala still didn’t look convinced.
    “We’ ll take turns day and night sailing the boat, so we won’t all be in bed at the same time. It won’t be as crowded as it seems.”
    “A TV !” Makala squealed as she climbed on Jervis’ couch and began pushing the flat screen’s buttons.
    “M akala, get down.” Angelina scowled.
    The little girl’s face fell and she put her hands behind her back.
    “Sorry ,” I chimed in. “It doesn’t get reception unless we are at a port. But we have DVDs and a cord to connect tablets to it. But once we start sailing, power will be a problem.”
    Makala climbed down, grabbed her sister’s leg and pouted.
    I opened a locker on the wall next to the chart table and took out a pile of movies. Makala and Angelina pushed away some of the gear on the couch, sat, and began to sort through them.
    Zoë followed me to the small, U-shaped galley kitchen.
    “This of course, is the kitchen, or galley. We can only keep the refrigerator going while the engine is running.” I opened a door to the side of the sink. “Garbage goes in here.”
    “And now we’re back at the girls’ room,” I pointed to the aft cabin we’d started out in. “We’ll sleep here.”
    “You mean all the girls?” Zoë took a step back. “The four of us will have to sleep together? All in the same bed?”
    Medical girl or not, she didn’t seem to be getting it. “We are a little short on beds ,” I reminded her.
    Zoë eyed my brother’s cabin and raised her brows at me.
    “Whatever.” I shrugged.

     
    Chapter Seven
     
    Ten Hours Before
     
    Zoë removed her pom-poms and shoes from the storage in the girls’ room and stowed them in Dylan and Cole’s cabin. I wondered how Cole would feel about sharing his bed with her and Dylan, but decided to let him deal with it. I hunted through my clothes for a shirt that would fit Zoë. Most of my tops would be too tight. I told her we could go through Mom’s things later. She didn’t look pleased.
    I left Angelina and Makala with the old DVDs and climbed up on deck. I was surprised to see Nick behind the wheel. Cole was talking softly to Jervis.
    Zoë cradled Dylan’s head on her lap. I joined Takumi on the bench across from them. He smiled at me and I smiled back. I waited. Sure enough, my cheeks burned.
    Cole came back to the stern and stopped beside the wheel. He chec ked the wind, and asked me to gather together all the lifejackets I could find.
    I groaned. I’d just sat down. But I searched around and ended up tossing the life vests the guys found and the ones we already had into a big pile on the floor of the cockpit.
    Cole cleared his throat. “Okay , guys. We need to talk. Angelina and Makala, would you come up please. Jervis, we need you here too. Dylan, sit up.”
    Jervis stood next to the cabin, halfway between the