Free Persuaded by Misty Dawn Pulsipher Page A

work my way up the coast.”
    “Sounds
like a good plan.”
     They
were at the marina now, and Eli turned to Hanna. “What was the name of the boat
you were looking for again?”
    “ Laconia ,”
she answered, relieved that her voice didn’t crack on the
name.     
    “Captain
Wentworth’s boat,” CJ put in helpfully.
    “Is
it?” Eli asked, feigning more interest than he probably felt for CJ’s sake.
    “Yup,”
CJ answered. “He’s gonna teach me to sail it too.”
    “Lucky
you,” Eli said, exchanging a look with Hanna. “Do you remember where the boat
was before?”
    CJ’s face
scrunched up as he tried to recall. “This way!” he declared, shooting off like
a rocket.
    Hanna
picked up Walter, who would only fall trying to keep pace with his brother, and
the adults trailed at a slower pace.
    After
snapping a few pictures of surrounding boats, Eli said, “So these energetic
little guys are your nephews, I take it?” There was something in his voice that
Hanna couldn’t name, but she sensed there was more to the question.
    “Yeah,
my sister’s kids.”
    “It
must be nice spending the summer with family . . .”
    “It’s
a good break from my job,” Hanna qualified. “What about your family?”
    “I
don’t see much of them,” Eli said, then continued when Hanna gave him a
questioning look. “I come from a long line of doctors and lawyers . . . let’s
just say they weren’t keen on my career choice.”
    “I
didn’t mean to pry,” Hanna began, but Eli waved her off.
    “It’s
okay, you didn’t. If anyone’s prying, it’s me.” He smiled over at her, then
added, “I just figured I should make sure these weren’t your kids before
we went any further.”
    So
Hanna had been right, and there was more to his questioning. The realization
didn’t make his curiosity intrusive, but flattering.
    “I’m
single and childless too, just in case you were wondering,” Eli added without
looking at her. “And if you weren’t wondering, then just forget I said that.”
    Hanna
laughed without restraint, and it felt amazing. Since Derick had made his
appearance on the beach that first day, Hanna hadn’t felt much in the way of
happiness.
    They
followed CJ down dock after dock, to no avail. When Walter’s head began
drooping on his aunt’s shoulder and CJ had lost his enthusiasm for the hunt,
Hanna suggested they see about the promised ice cream.
    “We’d
love you to join us, Eli,” she ventured. “My treat.”
    “Of
course I’ll come with, but you don’t need to pay.”
    “Please,
I want to. It’s the least I can do since you fixed the kite.”
    Eli
considered her through narrowed eyes. “Well, when you put it like that . . .”
    “I
do,” Hanna insisted, veering off toward the marina store.
    The marina’s
chocolate/vanilla twist cones were taller than any ice cream cone should be.
The boys got more ice cream on their faces and clothes than in their mouths.
Grateful that she had thought to put baby wipes in the beach bag she’d brought
along, Hanna cleaned the boys up and then turned to Eli.
    “We
should probably head back home,” she said regretfully. “You do not want
to be around when Walter’s nap is delayed.”
    “I’ll
take your word for it.” Eli chuckled. “Nice to meet you, Hanna. Maybe we’ll run
into each other again.”
    “Maybe,”
Hanna said, feeling more than a little hopeful. “Thanks again, Eli.  Good
luck with your photos.”
    He
nodded, gave her one last winning smile, and then went back outside and began
snapping pictures of the boats again.
    The
walk back to Uppercross wasn’t nearly as unpleasant as it should have been with
two exhausted kids—the sun seemed brighter, the water clearer, and the sky
bluer.
    Maybe
her fantasy summer—the one she’d given up on when Derick Wentworth entered the
picture—wasn’t so out of reach after all.
     
     
    ELEVEN
    MORTIFIED
and MUMMIFIED
     
    Anne hoped she
had outlived the age of blushing; but the age of