Return to Magnolia Harbor by Hope Ramsay

Author:Hope Ramsay [Ramsay, Hope]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781538701744
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 2020-06-23T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

Monday dawned cooler, with a brisk wind that whipped Jessica’s hair as she walked down the long pier to where Bachelor’s Delight was moored.

She’d logged a bunch of hours this weekend working on Topher’s house. This trip to the island would solidify a lot of things, but she wasn’t entirely sure that sailing out there was a good idea.

For one thing, the bay was choppy this morning, so she’d worn her foul-weather gear. It wasn’t going to be the same sunny pleasure cruise it had been the last time.

And for another, she still hadn’t forgotten the way Topher had touched her on Thursday night. She wanted him to touch her again, but she didn’t want to admit that to anyone, least of all him.

As she walked down the pier, it was fair to say that just the prospect of seeing him again had raised a tempest inside her.

The moment she saw him standing at the bow of his yacht making adjustments to the jib that unwanted awareness almost blew her over. He’d ditched the Hawaiian shirt and the holey jeans in favor of tactical sailing pants and a tight-fitting sailing shirt. His red, white, and blue Helly Hansen foul-weather jacket made him look like a member of the America’s Cup team.

He looked up, the wind whipping his much-shorter hair. “Ah, I see you dressed for a sail,” he said, his mouth tipping up in a smile that hit her like a gale-force wind.

“It’s a little breezy for cruising,” she said, stating the obvious.

He made a final adjustment to the jib halyard and swung around one of the shrouds, making his way aft. “The last time we sailed out to the island, I got the impression you were disappointed that I used the engine. So I thought we’d use wind power today.” He glanced up, studying the top of the mast, where a small vane marked the direction of the breeze. “We should make pretty good time.”

Her heart rate kicked up. It had been years since she’d sailed with PopPop. “I’m a little rusty when it comes to trimming sails.”

He chuckled, his eye catching the blue September sky and reflecting it back at her. “Bachelor’s Delight is fitted out with all the latest technology. It’s big, but it’s also designed for single-handed sailing.”

“Oh.”

“But if you’d please untie the mooring lines…” He gave her an utterly adorable look. The very fact that he could manage an angelic look out of a devilish face was disturbing. And he’d asked nicely this time.

She found herself smiling at him as a giddy weightless feeling overtook her. She handed him her big tote bag and hastened to do his bidding.

He didn’t unfurl the main sail until they were well into the channel. But once the sail billowed out, Bachelor’s Delight proved it was perfectly capable of riding through the chop. This boat wasn’t at all like her grandfather’s J-22. It was easily twice the size and had a big keel that kept it steady.

Topher also knew how to put the yacht through its paces.

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