Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 79433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Mom huffed. “Yes, she will. And how dare he suggest otherwise.”
Brody and I both chuckled. Our mother was already so protective of Adelaide.
My phone buzzed, and I shot a glance at my mother. She raised a single brow as if daring me to answer.
Before I could even think about taking the call, Brody started to speak.
“You’ll never guess who asked me out last night when Brax and I were at the bar.”
“Who?” my dad and I both asked.
Brody smirked. “Olivia.”
My mother huffed. “Why am I not surprised. I never did like her. Was always something…strange about her.”
I laughed. “Like what kind of strange?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Call it a mother’s intuition.”
“What did you say?” I asked Brody.
He looked at me like I’d lost my damn mind. “I told her no. You honestly think I’d take your sloppy seconds?”
“Brody Wilson!” my mother exclaimed.
My brother’s cheeks turned red. “Sorry, Mom.”
“Best to stay away from that one,” Dad said.
Brody and I both looked at him and then each other.
“Don’t worry, Dad, the last thing I’m interested in is getting tied down to anyone.”
My mother sighed, then gave me a little shrug. “At least I can count on you and Adelaide to give me grandchildren.”
I choked on a cherry tomato, and Brody laughed and gave me a whack on the back. “You okay there…Dad?”
I pushed his hand away, and when my mother wasn’t looking, shot him the finger.
* * *
THE SEASIDE CHRONICLE
September 8, 2022
REEL ’EM IN, LADIES
Seasiders,
The votes have been counted, and we have our new Catch of the Season! It’s Brody Wilson. Sources involved in the voting say it was a close race, but the older Mr. Wilson just barely beat out Braxton Bradley. Better luck next year, Braxton!
Don’t fret, ladies, we have all the details on Mr. Wilson. He’s six-feet tall, and that dark brown hair, almost black, makes his hazel eyes stand out even more. And he lives on the
edge with his slightly dangerous job as an underwater welder.
Who will be the lucky fish to win the heart of this year’s Catch of the Season? Good luck to all you single ladies out there!
Fairwinds and following seas!
* * *
“I can’t believe your brother won! I was positive the manwhore would get it,” Chip said as he tossed the Thursday edition of the The Chronicle down on my desk.
I picked it up to read it, then laughed. “Maybe now they’ll focus on him instead of me and Addie.”
Chip lifted his brows. “If you could only be so lucky.”
I sighed. The last few days Brody hadn’t been acting like his normal self. He normally dated a lot, though never anything serious. But now I wasn’t even sure when he’d last gone out on a date.
Not a minute later, I heard a light knock on the door and lifted my head to see Adelaide standing there. She had a wide smile on her face as she stepped into the office and glanced between me and Chip. “Am I interrupting anything?”
“Not at all, sweetheart,” I said, standing and making my way to her. I kissed her before pulling her in for a hug. Her perfume engulfed me, instantly making me feel like I was home. Anywhere Adelaide Bradley—soon to be Adelaide Wilson—was, I was home.
She smiled even wider. “Trish said you’re heading out in a few minutes, so I won’t keep you.”
I took her hand in mine and glanced over at Chip. “Heading outside.”
“No problem.”
We walked in silence until we got to one of the docks. Across from us was the large cargo ship I would be piloting back out to sea. I watched as Adelaide took it in.
“I still can’t believe you steer these things in and out of the bar and the harbor.”
Smiling lightly, I leaned against the rail with my back facing the water. “I love it.”
She turned and leaned her hip on the rail as well. “What’s wrong? You seem tense.”
With a shake of my head, I replied, “Not tense. Something’s been bugging me about Brody.”
“What is it?”
I faced her. “He just hasn’t been acting like himself. I can’t put my finger on it, but something’s off.”
She nodded. “I feel the same way about Sutton. Do you think it has something to do with them both? Like, maybe something’s going on between them?”
I snapped my head up to look at her.
“Oh my God! You know something, don’t you?”
“No,” I said, shaking my head again. “I honestly don’t know anything.”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “But you do know something.”
I rubbed at the back of my neck. “He’s my brother, Addie. I can’t betray his trust.”
Her face grew serious. “Is everything okay?”
“I think so. Besides, it happened a long time ago.”
“This thing you know about?”
“Yeah.”
“And it has to do with my sister?”
With a shrug, I didn’t reply, letting the breeze sweep past me, but I was almost positive Adelaide knew that something had happened between Sutton and Brody.