Treading Water by Marie Force Read Free Book Online Page A

Jack felt as if he was awakening from a long
slumber and had to remind himself not to stare as he watched
her.
    A few minutes later, she strolled down the
dock to join him. “I like the name of the boat. Very clever.”
    “ Thanks. Come aboard. The
others will be here soon.” He offered her a hand. “What can I get
you to drink?”
    “ Do you have white
wine?”
    “ Sure do. Everything all
right in Juneau?” he asked from the galley as he uncorked the
bottle.
    “ It is now. We’ve had one
disaster after another out there, and we’re getting down to the
wire with the opening.” She sighed. “Why is it some jobs are so
smooth and others are a total mess from the get-go?”
    “ I wish I knew. We’ve had
our share of disaster jobs, but most of the time we can find a way
to blame it on someone else.”
    She laughed. “I like that
strategy. Fortunately, Bill, my deputy, was able to straighten
things out. He’s on his way back to Chicago with a new artist
commissioned to fill in for the one we all loved until she got pregnant with
triplets and had to quit.”
    Smiling at her dismay, he handed her a glass
of wine.
    “ He told me the funniest
story about an old man and a dog-sled team. One of those ‘you had
to be there’ things, but it was comical.”
    Jack gestured at the picturesque marina.
“I’d say you got the better end of the deal.” The sun was a ball of
fire in the late afternoon sky with hours yet to go until
sunset.
    “ No kidding! I didn’t dare
tell him where I was when he called.”
    “ Here they come.” Jack
gestured to the rowdy group pouring out of Frannie’s Range Rover.
Jack had bought the car for her to run the kids around in. He never
let anyone use Clare’s Volvo wagon, which still sat in the garage.
“You remember Jamie, right? Well, he’s got my sister, Frannie, and
my daughters, Kate and Maggie, with him.”
    Jack made hasty introductions as the group
boarded.
    “ Hey, Andi, nice to see you
again.” Jamie shook her hand. “I hope Jack is showing you a good
time so far.”
    “ Nice to see you, too.
We’ve had a great day. I can’t wait to get out on the
water.”
    Jamie rubbed his hands together. “Then let’s
do it.”
    Jack handed out beers and sodas to the crew
and told Andi to relax and leave the work to them.
     
    Jack joined Andi on the bow to watch the
sunset. Sitting next to her, he said, “Can I get you anything?”
    “ No way! I haven’t eaten
this much in one day, well, ever. Dinner was great. Thank
you.”
    “ My pleasure.” He nodded to
the colorful sunset. “Pretty, isn’t it?”
    “ I feel kind of guilty
calling this work.” She wrapped her arms around her knees and
turned to him. “Your girls are lovely. You must be so proud of
them.”
    “ I am. They amaze me in
some new way just about every day.”
    “ It’s fun to watch you all
together. You’re obviously very close to Jamie and
Frannie.”
    “ Jamie is the brother I
never had, and Frannie is much more than a sister. She’s always
been one of my best friends, too.”
    “ You’re lucky to have
them,” she said wistfully. “I’m an only child.”
    “ Sometimes when Frannie was
trying to dress me up or get me to play tea party, I used to dream about being an only
child,” he said, and they laughed at the visual.
     
    Frannie stood next to Jamie at the helm.
    “ Is my brother laughing up there?” she
whispered.
    “ Nice to see him so
relaxed.”
    “ She’s a
knock-out.”
    Jamie leaned down to kiss her forehead. “So
are you.”
    Startled, Frannie looked up
at him. “Are you flirting with me, Jamie Booth?”
    “ Maybe.”
    Flustered, she turned the conversation back
to Jack and Andi, who sat close to each other on the bow, engrossed
in conversation.
    “ He’s attracted to her,”
Frannie said.
    Jamie took a long swig from his beer.
“You’re seeing things.”
    “ What’s her deal
anyway?”
    “ I’m not sure. I didn’t
spend much time with her outside the office in