Shielding You (Baytown Boys Book 13) Read online

  “What the fuck do you mean you want to stay out here for two more hours? The deal was a morning run only!”

  His brother owned two commercial fishing boats, but it always seemed like he had trouble keeping his crew. Today, besides David steering the boat, he needed two others to let out the nets and haul them back in.

  With an eye on the clock, Dylan said, “I’ve got to be back at my house by four o’clock.”

  “What the hell for? It’s not like you’ve got a date. Just go to whatever bar you go to and pick up whoever is there.”

  Clamping his mouth shut, he wondered if his molars would crack with the pressure as he bit down. He might have deserved that remark from his brother in the past, but it had been a long time since he had picked up a one-night stand at a bar.

  David stared at him then chuckled. “You’re shitting me. You’ve actually got a date?” Shaking his head, he added, “Look, I’m not trying to fuck up your evening, but I don’t get paid if I don’t bring in fish.”

  He nodded, knowing his brother was right. David had always been cool with him, knowing that Dylan never wanted to go into the family business. His brother had often hushed their grandfather when he was ranting about Dylan abandoning the family.

  “Don’t worry, we’re going to go out to deeper water, and we should get enough that this will be a successful run. I’ve got two new guys that are starting tomorrow, so I’ll be back to a full crew.”

  “Listen, while we’re here, I’ve got a favor to ask. Can you use a strong teenager to help you in the afternoons after school with the catch once you’ve gotten back to the harbor?”

  “Got someone in mind?”

  Nodding, he said, “Yeah. Todd Sears. He got into some trouble, and I’ve been checking up on him. He’s smart but acts out. Dealing with his dad who’s a prick, I get why.”

  “You handin’ off trouble to me?” David asked. “I can use the help but need to know what I’m taking on.”

  “Had a chance to talk to him some, and I think he’s got potential. Probably won’t stick around after high school, but I’d like to see him have some options.”

  David chuckled. “You didn’t stick around either. But it worked out okay for you, didn’t it?” He sucked in a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah, send him around.”

  “Thanks, bro. And if you have any problems with him, come straight to me.”

  Several hours later, as the net wound upward and the haul came in, Dylan caught David’s excitement at seeing how many fish they’d caught. Grinning, he opened the bottom of the net, letting the fish spill all over the deck. David headed the boat toward the harbor while Dylan and the other crew member, Lorenzo, sorted the fish. The good ones were sent down into the hatch and they tossed the excess over the side.

  He had grown warm and taken off the slicker, now wishing he’d kept it on the whole time considering that he was wet, sweaty, and smelled like fish. But as long as he had time to get home and shower, it would be fine. Suddenly, a grinding of gears was heard and the boat engine sputtered to a stop. Dropping his head back, he stared up into the sky, shaking his head back and forth. You have got to be fuckin’ kidding me!

  David came over, fussing and cussing, not wanting their haul of fish to be held up, and all Dylan could think of was that he was going to be late picking Hannah up for their date.

  Since Lorenzo had experience with boat engines, he and David disappeared into the engine room leaving Dylan alone on the deck, separating the fish. Another hour passed and he knew he needed to text Hannah to let her know what was happening and that he was going to be late. Pulling out his phone from his pocket with his slippery fingers, he watched in horror as the phone squirted out of his hand, flew over the rail, and dropped into the Atlantic Ocean. “Fuckin’ hell!” he screamed, standing at the rail, his gaze pinned on the water as though his phone would suddenly float to the surface.

  David popped his head up from below. “What’s the matter?”

  “I lost my fuckin’ phone! Dropped it in the goddamn water!”

  David scowled. “Shit, man, I thought you cut your hand off!”

  “Let me borrow your phone so I can at least text Hannah to tell her I’m going to be late.”

  David climbed up and stomped over the deck, tossing a towel toward Dylan. “Dry your hands first. I don’t want my phone to go over the side too.”

  “You know you’re going to have to buy a new phone for me.”

  “You’re getting paid for today. Just use that for a new phone.”

  Throwing his hands up into the air, he argued, “I need a new fuckin’ phone because I’m helping you out!” He looked down at David’s phone, then realized he hadn’t memorized Hannah’s number. It was only by sheer will that he didn’t throw David’s phone overboard as well.

  Suddenly, the engine turned over, chugging noises coming from the engine room. He and David barely breathed for a few seconds as their eyes stayed pinned on the door, then finally, the engine began running in full.

  David raised his fists into the air and shouted hallelujah before running back to the bridge. Dylan would’ve done the same if he wasn’t so tired.

  It took another hour to get back to the harbor, unload the fish, and pack them on ice. As soon as that was done, David urged, “Go, go! Hopefully, she’ll forgive you!”

  Flipping his laughing brother off, Dylan jogged to his truck. With no way to contact Hannah, he wasn’t sure what to do. Not wanting to keep her waiting for an explanation any longer, he drove straight to her house. Glancing at the clock on the dashboard, he pounded the steering wheel when he saw that it was almost six o’clock. His shirt and pants were wet. His hair was sweaty and plastered against his head. And he smelled disgustingly like fish.

  Stopping outside her bungalow, he sat for a moment and debated turning around and driving back home. A movement in front of him caught his eye, and he watched as Hannah stepped out onto her front porch, her fists on her hips. A wraparound dress in emerald green, looking both beautiful and comfortable, showcased her figure. He had no idea what shoes she’d planned on wearing to dinner because now she was barefoot. Her hair had been styled to flow around her shoulders, and as his gaze drifted to her unsmiling face, he swallowed deeply. Now, more than ever, he considered turning around and driving home.

  Refusing to take the coward’s way out, he climbed down from his truck and walked toward her. The closer he got, the more her nose wrinkled, and her eyes widened.

  “Dylan! Where have you been, and why do you smell like that?”

  He stopped well short of her porch, not wanting to move any closer, wishing he was not downwind. “I’m so fuckin’ sorry, Hannah. I promised my brother that I’d work on his boat this morning, and he turned it into an all-day-long fishing expedition since the morning run yielded such a small amount. Then the fucking engine died and we were stuck out in the ocean. I was the one who had to deal with the fish, and I knew I was going to be late and tried to call you, but my phone slipped out of my hands and went in the water.”

  For a few seconds, her face held his gaze, showing no emotion. Then suddenly, she threw her head back and laughed, her arms wrapped around her stomach, clenching her middle. “Oh, my God! I totally believe you! First of all, no one could make up a story like that, and second of all, you really do stink!”

  Unable to keep a grin from sliding across his face, he said, “I can’t believe I fucked up our date. But I don’t have a phone, I’m going to have to spend part of tomorrow buying a new one, and there’s no way I can get back to my place to shower and then come back here and pick you up to get to Manteague for dinner.”

  12

  Hannah couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed so hard. And she certainly never expected Dylan to be the cause of her mirth. Seeing him so bedraggled and smelly with regret clearly worn on his face, the irritation that had been building when he was late to pick her up completely fled, leaving only pleasure in knowing he truly wanted to be with her.
r />   She pondered the situation for a moment, then shrugged. “If you want to shower here, you can as long as you don’t mind having to wear a ratty old bathrobe. At least you wouldn’t have to go home.”

  He cocked an eyebrow and snorted. “I’m supposed to go to dinner in a ratty old bathrobe?”

  “Well, maybe that’s appropriate attire at the Fish n’ Grille.”

  The expression on his face could not hide his incredulity, and she burst into laughter again. It was rare that she was able to say something so spontaneous that it took him by surprise. Adopting a laissez-faire expression while crossing her arms over her chest, she tapped her foot. “Well?”

  Shaking his head, he said, “I want to take you to dinner tonight more than anything, Hannah, but I can’t see myself doing it in a bathrobe.” He looked over his shoulder toward his truck and sighed as he turned back to her. “I’ve got some shorts and a T-shirt in my truck. I can change into those. At least I’d be decent, but it won’t exactly fit for the dinner I had planned.”

  Her top teeth grabbed her bottom lip to keep from grinning. “We’re not getting off to a great start on our date, are we?” Her smile slipped out despite her best efforts, and she asked, “How about a change of plans?”

  “Wow, are you turning into Miss Spontaneous on me?”

  “Seems like I am. Look, you can shower here and change into your clothes, and then we can find something else to do.” Another cocked eyebrow had her rushing to explain. “I mean to do for dinner. You know, eat. Food. Eat food!” She reached out and slapped his shoulder as he continued to smirk and wiggle his eyebrows at her suggestions. “Oh, you’re impossible.” Plopping her fists onto her hips, she added, “Actually, right now, you’re just wet and stinky as well as impossible!”

  His smile softened as he held her gaze. “I don’t want this evening to end, so I’m up for whatever you want to do, Hannah. I’m just glad you’re not kicking my ass out.”

  “I’ve got some wine, beer, deli meat and cheese, even some fruit. Oh, and I bought a nice loaf of bread from the bakery in Easton. While you shower and change clothes, I’ll throw together a picnic. The weather is cool enough we can drive over to the beach.” As the words left her mouth, a snake of unease moved through her. What she had just suggested sounded wonderful to her, but to other people, it might seem lame. Forcing her gaze to not leave his face, she watched as his smile spread wider and his eyes lit.

  “God, that sounds perfect.”

  Trying not to let her sigh of relief sound so audible, she met his smile with one of her own. “Okay, go grab your stuff. I’ll see if I can find some soap that’s less girly scented.”

  “I don’t care what I smell like as long as I don’t stink like fish.”

  She watched as he turned and jogged to his truck, pulling out a small bag. As he walked back to her front porch, his footsteps slowed. Wondering if he’d changed his mind, she asked, “Anything wrong?”

  “Just having my clothes in your house is going to stink.”

  “Go around to the back door which leads straight to the laundry room. You can strip off your clothes and dump them into the washing machine, and I’ll stay in the kitchen until you get to the bathroom. As soon as I hear the shower go off, then I can start the washing machine so your clothes can get washed. That will keep the stink to a minimum.”

  Chuckling, he shook his head again. “You’re one seriously amazing woman. It’s like there’s no situation that you can’t figure out the perfect solution for.”

  Rolling her eyes, she waved dismissively. “Go. I’ll meet you around back.”

  He turned with his bag and started around the house. Closing the front door, she darted down the hall and met him at the back door. Throwing it open, she invited him in and lifted the lid to the washing machine. There was very little room for two people to move around, and the heightened awareness she had of his close body filled the space with electricity. Grabbing a towel that had just come out of the dryer, she handed it to him, trying to keep her voice from sounding breathy. “You can put all your clothes in the washer and then close the lid.” She pointed down the hall and said, “The kitchen is through here. The two bedrooms are just off this hall. There’s only one full bathroom.”

  “I can find it, thanks.” He lifted his hand as though to place it on her arm then hesitated, wrinkling his nose.

  She laughed and shook her head. “I’ll be in the kitchen getting things ready. Catch you on the clean side!” She walked out of the laundry room and into the kitchen, making sure to keep her back to where he would be stripping. She tried to keep her mind off what he would look like naked, but it was difficult. His clothes had been so wet it was easy to see the definition of his muscles. Not like it was the first time she had ever seen them. In the last three years, she’d seen him shirtless at ball games or a variety of other times they’d been with friends.

  Hurrying into the kitchen, she was grateful when the water of the shower began. Her shoulders slumped in relief only to be quickly replaced by the idea of him being completely naked in her house. Leaning forward, she banged her head on the refrigerator door, hoping to knock some sense into herself. Jesus, it’s not like I never had anyone before… even if it’s been a long time. The truth was, though, even if she’d never had sex with Dylan, he was still unforgettable.

  Determined to distract herself from the mental images of him in her shower, she threw open the refrigerator door and began pulling out the food items necessary. Making sandwiches, she wrapped them in plastic and placed them into her wicker picnic basket. The large basket was an impulse buy at one of the Auxiliary yard sales. Rarely going on picnics, it had seemed a ridiculous purchase, and she almost gifted it to someone but chose to keep it. She’d thought what a wonderful basket it would be to take on a picnic someday but was afraid that it might not ever get used. Now, a chance to use it with Dylan made her glad she’d kept it.

  Adding plastic containers of cheese and crackers, she also packed several cold beers and a bottle of Moscato wine with two plastic, stemless wine glasses. By then, she heard the water turn off and rushed into the laundry room to dump detergent into the washing machine. Pressing the start button, she was pleased that the smell of fish had not permeated her house.

  Back in the kitchen, she finished putting the basket together. Hearing a noise behind her, she turned around and saw Dylan, his wet hair having been swept to the side with his fingers, a tight blue Seaside PD T-shirt and cargo shorts completing his outfit. As her gaze continued downward, she noticed his feet in flip-flops, looking strangely sexy. How can a man’s feet covered in nothing but a few straps of leather look so amazingly sexy?

  He cleared his throat and her gaze jumped back to his face. A blush raged across her cheeks, and she spied the familiar smirk coming from him. Shrugging her shoulders, she grinned. “What can I say? You were always gorgeous, Dylan, and still are.”

  His eyes widened, and his cheeks heated. “Damn, Hannah. I was just thinking the same thing about you.”

  Laughing, she inclined her head toward the basket and said, “I think I’ve got everything in there. Are you ready to head to the beach for our date?”

  “You know, I feel like I should apologize for messing everything up, and yet I’m looking forward to just spending time with you however we do it.”

  Her reply was a smile, not sure any words were necessary. He grabbed the basket as she locked the back door and they walked out the front. She hesitated, looking at his old truck. “Um… is it going to smell like fish—”

  “Oh, shit!”

  A beleaguered hound dog expression crossed his face and she couldn’t help but reach out to place her hand on his arm. “Come on. I think your manhood won’t take a hit if you ride in my car.”

  “How about we use your car and I drive?”

  Narrowing her eyes in mock anger, she asked, “You don’t like being driven by a woman?”

  “I don’t mind at all, but I’d like to salvage some of my mas
culinity on this date.”

  Throwing her head back in laughter again, she tossed her keys toward him. “I’m all for saving your masculinity, but at least you’re not wearing my robe.”

  Ten minutes later, they drove to the end of a sandy lane and parked near a dune on the Bay.

  “This is one of the places I like to come to in the mornings for a run or a swim. Sometimes, I come at night and watch the sunset.”

  “And are you usually alone?” he asked.

  She heard his question but wasn’t ready to answer. “Actually, I like to run alone,” was her only reply, knowing he wasn’t asking about just running. Grateful he let the conversation drop, they walked over the dune and found a perfect spot to picnic.

  He had grabbed the basket and the blanket from her hands when they left the car and now spread it out over the sand. Sitting, she tucked her legs to the side and sucked in a deep breath of fresh air before letting it out slowly. When she’d suggested this be their date-night alternative plan, she’d simply thought in terms of not being able to go to the restaurant. But now, her mind was filled with the last time they’d been on a blanket on the beach together over three years ago.

  Needing something to do, she opened the basket and began pulling out items, placing them on paper plates. “I didn’t know what you might like. Sandwiches, grapes, and apples… oh, I forgot, here’s a beer.”

  Still looking into the basket, she handed the beer to the side, jolting when his fingers moved over hers. Whipping her head around, she found his eyes pinned on her. The same feelings that had always moved through her, the tingling that electrified her body and the pull of magnetism from his gaze, had her breath catching in her throat.

  “You can relax, Hannah,” he said in a soft voice. “It’s just us. No pressure. Just us.”