Chapter 12
The sound of Keel’s heartbeat soothed Frankie. She should step back, but he was so warm, so caring, that she couldn’t rip herself out of his hold. She wanted to climb in closer to his orbit, but knew she shouldn’t.
She had to be strong enough to step back, strong enough to stand on her own. But was she? Could she ever be strong enough to be on her own?
She had to try.
Frankie stepped back, laughing a little as awkwardness swirled around them. “Looks like the eggs are done,” Frankie whispered.
“Yeah.” Keel’s voice was rough like gravel.
Was he as affected by her as she was by him? She tried not to freak out as she took the plate and sat at his table, eating the eggs he’d cooked for her. She didn’t want to stare or make it more awkward, so she searched for something to talk about.
“So the boat thing. When are we headed out?”
“I booked it for ten. We’ll head out at nine thirty and meet the guy at the marina, then go out. I want to stop by the grocery store and pick up more bottled water before we leave.”
“Sure. I have enough money to buy some snacks.”
“No, save your money until we figure out your financial situation.”
She nodded. “Thank you. I’m excited. Do you think we’ll see any dolphins?”
He nodded. “I’m sure we will.”
“Oh, fun. What about whales?”
He shook his head. “We won’t be that far out. The dolphins we see will be near the inlets to the Intracoastal Waterway. We’re not getting a boat big enough to be in the open ocean.”
“I’ve got to say I know nothing about boating. I’ve been on a ferry, and some other boats, but I’ve never paid attention.”
“We have the boat for a few hours. I’ll give you the basics on how to operate it. It will be fun. I’m not saying you should take a boat out on your own, but you’ll at least have the basics down.”
She shook her head. “There’s no way I would take a boat on my own. I’m not brave like that.”
“You don’t know what you’re capable of until you push yourself.”
“Touché. I haven’t ever pushed myself. It’s true. So I guess that starts now with recovering and trying to get better.”
He nodded. “You’ll get there.”
She finished the eggs and began washing dishes. The first time she started washing, he’d told her she didn’t have to clean. She told him to let her help. That it was part of her recovery.
“Thank you for breakfast. I’m going to get ready.”
“Cool. I’ll see you in a few.”
She closed and locked the door to her grandmother’s condo, but didn’t move away from the hard, solid surface. She should figure out her money situation and leave. She shouldn’t lean on Keel so much. He would hate her for ruining his life, and she would ruin it.
One thing the book taught her was that she really was messed up, and she needed to get her shit straight. Today wasn’t the day to leave. She would have fun, and then she would figure out what to do with her life.
Keel had almost blown it. He’d wanted to kiss Frankie, to see what her lips would feel like on his, what she tasted like. Find out how her heart beat as they held each other in a lover’s embrace.
He was being ridiculous, so he grabbed for his phone to check in with Chase.
I’m having a hard time. I can keep strong, but the pull is intense.
It took Chase a moment to text back. In that time, he showered and cleaned up his beard, trying to look a little more presentable.
Brother, you’ve been through worse. You can do this. Question your motives. Is this a real attraction or just lust?
Chase’s question hit hard, and he had to really think about how he felt. Lust was there. No question he found her attractive. It wasn’t just her body, but her. The time they spent together had made the attraction stronger.
He wanted good things for her. That meant he should step away, because deep down, he knew he wasn’t any good in a relationship. Shana had shown him that time and time again. Just being Frankie’s friend was best for everyone.
He had some time so he ran to the store before going up to pick up Frankie. She looked cute in her capris and t-shirt. Her bruises had faded more, but not all the way. She still wore a wide-brimmed hat and was carrying her hoodie.
“You ready?”
She smiled as she nodded. “As I’ll ever be.”
“Cool. Let’s go.”
The drive over to the marina wasn’t long, and they were on the boat in less than thirty minutes. The air wasn’t hot, but it wasn’t too cold. He glanced over and saw Frankie pulling on her hoodie. She was thin, so maybe that made it harder for her to regulate her body temperature.
He glanced forward and spied something up ahead. “Hey, dolphin.”
Frankie sat up straighter. “Where?”
He slowed the boat and reached out a hand to pull her over, holding on to her. The boat owner had supplied life jackets. Thankfully, they were the thin ones and not the bulky ones that were uncomfortable.
Keel pointed toward where he’d seen the dolphin. “It’s there.”
He could tell by the expression on her face the moment she spied the dolphins. The delight on her face spread warmth through him. The two dolphins were feeding, moving slowly past them.
“Oh wow. That’s so cool.”
They passed the dolphins, and the waterway had opened up a little. “Want to learn how to drive?”
Her tips twisted up to one side. “I don’t know.”
“Come on. You listened to the instructions the guy gave at the marina.”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“So you understand where to go in the water.”
She shrugged. “Kind of.”
“Here, take the wheel, and you can see how easy it is. Don’t worry, I’m not going to step away.”
“Okay, sure. I guess.”
He showed her the basics again, reminding her how to slow down, how to speed up, and how to steer. She took the controls, doing a great job. When a larger ship came around the bend, she handed the controls back to him.
The day was perfect, her company amazing, and he was having a great time. It seemed like Frankie was having fun, too. The few hours they had on the boat passed way too quickly, and they were back on land.
Frankie was all smiles, and he was glad he could give her something to be happy about. On the way back to the condo, he stopped in at a burger joint.
“Let’s get some food.”
“I don’t want you to have to pay for everything. I do have some money.”
“Okay. You can pay, but only for yours. Soon, we’ll work on tracking down and finding out if you have any money left. We’ll figure out how you can get access to it if you do have some money.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that.”
It was good that she wanted to move forward and take back control of her life.
It would help her recover and get her life back.
He wanted that for her. The thought of her leaving and never seeing her again sat heavily on his chest. It would be wrong to get involved, but he didn’t want to lose connection with her.
Maybe she would want to keep in touch. The last thing he wanted was to pressure her into something she would regret later.
She had enough of those, and he didn’t want to add to her list of things she was sorry she’d done.