Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 92743 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92743 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
And that power might be growing very soon…
He isn’t the oldest or most experienced fisherman in the Tripp crew, but he’s Rodger’s son. I can’t imagine his dad passing the torch to anyone else. Weaver may have gotten the yacht, but Mark will get control of the fleet and everything else.
“But that’s not what I need to talk to you about,” I add, still not sure if Elaina is the best person to trust with this information, but I don’t have anyone else.
Maya is a sweetheart, but she hates drama and has even less experience with men than I do. And she’s out of town with her mom, doing some remodeling shopping for their vacation rentals, and won’t be back for a week. Sydney would be a great source for advice—she has experience with older men—but she’s in the middle of moving to Burlington, Vermont, and shifting the entire course of her life.
She’s…a little busy.
Besides, Elaina can keep a secret, as long as she understands from the jump that I’m serious about this staying just between us. “I need you to pinkie swear you won’t say a thing about this to anyone else, okay? Not a word. Not even to Sydney or Maya. I want to keep this quiet.”
“Okay.” Elaina nods seriously, searching my face. “You can trust me, Gertie. I hope you know that. I love gossip, but I love you more. Your secrets are always safe with me.”
“I know.” I squeeze her leg through her overalls, so grateful for her. I never would have made it through my mom leaving or my dad falling apart without Elaina.
She’s always been there for me. Even when we were kids.
“So, who were you with last night?” she asks. “If it wasn’t Mark? I didn’t realize you were interested in anyone else.”
I sigh, threading my fingers together into a fist, dreading this part. “I wasn’t. I’m not.”
Liar, the inner voice hisses, you totally wanted to take Weaver up on his breakfast offer and stare into his sexy silver eyes over scones and a fruit plate.
I clear my throat, screwing my courage to the sticking point before I blurt out the entire story—from the stupid text I sent Mark to tracking his phone to the Tripp yacht to ending up in bed with his sexy beast of an uncle.
By the time I’m done, Elaina’s jaw is practically dragging the ground.
I tap the bottom of her chin, laughing despite the stress of the day. “You’re going to swallow a bug.”
She exhales another wheezing sound before swallowing with an audible gulp. “Oh my God, Gertie.”
“I know,” I say.
“Oh my God.”
I nod. “Yep.”
“God.”
I widen my eyes her way. “Yes. I know. It’s crazy. But you haven’t heard the worst part yet.”
Her lashes flutter as she clearly makes an effort to work through her shock. “Worst part? So far, it sounds pretty fucking amazing, Gert. Like, a little scary that you went out there alone, but so hot. And that man is unbelievably gorgeous.” She blushes and hunches her shoulders closer to her ears. “I might have flirted with him a little after you left. But I obviously had no idea you two were a thing, and I will never flirt with him again.”
“We’re not a thing.”
She arches a brow. “No? Sounds like you’re a thing. He stood up for you against his own nephew and asked you to breakfast.”
“But last night he acted like he wanted to keep banging me in secret,” I remind her.
She waves a breezy hand. “That was last night, before he realized how obsessed he is with you.”
I roll my eyes. “He isn’t obsessed.” My stomach sours as I force myself to get to the big reveal. “He’s probably grossed out. Or he will be soon. As soon as he realizes who I am.”
She frowns. “What do you mean?”
“We didn’t exchange full names last night. I guessed he was one of the older Tripp relatives, but he looks way younger than he is. I had no clue he was Weaver Tripp, and he doesn’t know I’m a Sullivan.”
Elaina’s features tighten. “I’m still not following. I mean, I know there’s tension between your families, but I personally don’t think that’s a deal-breaker. Especially now that Rodger Tripp is out of the picture. It might be time to put all the bad blood in the past. Not all the Tripps are dicks, you know?”
I sigh. “Yeah, I know, it’s not about that.” Acid rises in my throat. “I thought you knew. About Weaver. About who he is and…what he did. But it makes sense that you don’t. We were just kids. You weren’t a gossip hound at eight.”
Her frown deepens. “Sure, I was. I was just gossiping about third-grader shit like who had the coolest scented pencils and Maryanne Nicholson’s boy-girl party in her garage and why I wasn’t invited.” She brushes my hair over my shoulder, her hand lingering gently on my back. “What did this guy do, Gertie? I’ve never seen you this pale. You’re scaring me a little. Please don’t have a heart attack up here, okay? I’m not in good enough shape to carry you down the hill.”