[Christmas Key 01.0] There's Always a Catch by Stephanie Taylor

Author:Stephanie Taylor [Taylor, Stephanie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: Stephanie Taylor
Published: 2016-03-29T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

The fishermen trudge back into the dining room at seven-thirty, wind-swept and boisterous once again, debating waves and marlin, ocean depths and mangrove snapper. Because they ate a late breakfast, Holly sent them out on the boat with brown bags full of snacks: granola bars, shiny apples, and bottles of water. Now their intended lunch is spread out in the B&B as an informal dinner, and the men grab plates at the head of the buffet-style offering, constructing sandwiches from the cold cuts and condiments as they go.

Through the north-facing windows of the dining room, the sky is blue behind a backdrop of mangroves and palms. But after spending the afternoon monitoring the maritime weather service and manning the phones in the office, Holly knows that they’re in for at least a minor storm.

With all of the men seated at the round tables, cans of soda or bottles of beer cracked open, and thick sandwiches piled high on their plates, Holly calls for their attention. She feels as anxious as she did calling the last village council meeting to order (though certainly less exposed, as her yellow and white striped bikini is well-hidden under black shorts and a hot pink Christmas Key B&B t-shirt.) Several strands of hair have fallen loose from her French braid, and her t-shirt sleeves are rolled up onto her shoulders so that it looks like a muscle shirt.

“Thank you again for being here with us.” Holly looks out at the crowd, steepling her hands in front of her chest as she speaks. “We’re so happy that you’re here on Christmas Key with us, and we love your adventurous spirit and your patience as we do our best to get you out on the water for as much fishing as possible.”

A few of the men raise sweaty bottles of beer at her in a toast before tipping them back to wash down their sandwiches.

“I’m hoping that the short boat trip you took today is just the beginning of a great week, and that the rocky start we’ve had isn’t an indication of how the whole trip will go. That said, I do have some interesting news to share.” This gets everyone’s full attention. “As you may have heard from Cap while you were out on the boat, we’ve got a tropical storm headed in our direction.”

The men lean back in their chairs, ready for more info.

“While you were fishing, I got us completely prepared for the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours. Our normal shipment of food and supplies was supposed to come in today, but with the threat of an imminent storm, that got pushed back.”

River sits at the table right in front of Holly. He catches her eye and then looks down at his sandwich with exaggerated sadness, his face contorted into a pitiful frown like it might be the last food he’ll see. Holly looks away from him so that she won’t laugh.

“Now, lucky for you all,” she goes on, “not only have

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