Free The Aristocrat and the Single Mom by Michelle Douglas Page A

that stretched out to the foredeck.
    He took a step forward and tried to take it all in, spun slowly on the spot. He couldn’t wait to see the view from here when they were out in the middle of the bay. He opened one of the windows. The water was so close he could stretch down and touch it, so clear he could see to the sand and rocks below. ‘Wow.’ He swung back to Kate. ‘Felice would’ve loved this.’
    Kate’s glimmer became a full-blown smile. ‘She did.’
    He knew the smile was for Felice, but it kicked him in the gut all the same. It kicked him harder when the smile faded and the wariness returned to her eyes.
    ‘Hiya, Kate.’
    Kate swung to the man who’d just jumped on board. ‘Hiya, Pete.’ She turned back to Simon. ‘Pete is our third crew member for the day. Pete, this is Simon, Felice’s brother.’
    ‘Hi.’ Pete nodded at Simon, his grin broad. ‘Is that Jesse upstairs?’
    ‘It is.’
    With another nod, Pete shot upstairs too.
    Simon swallowed, rolled his shoulders. ‘So you need three people to crew The Merry Dolphin ?’
    ‘Through the week we manage with two, but on school holidays and weekends I like to have a third person to help out with all the kids.’
    He had a feeling she’d said that deliberately. She’d certainly said it with relish.
    ‘We need someone to keep an eye on them in the boom nets.’
    He gazed at her blankly. ‘The boom what?’
    She gestured for him to follow her outside. She pointed to the nets stretched between metal frames attached to the boat—one at the back, one to the side. ‘We lower them in the water and take the kids for a ride.’
    Simon’s jaw dropped. ‘Isn’t that dangerous?’ He couldn’t keep the note of accusation out of his voice.
    She rolled her eyes. ‘You are such a killjoy.’
    He shoved his hands in his pockets. There were worse things to be.
    ‘The kids love it.’
    He just bet they did. He made a mental note to stay away from the back of the boat whenever the boom nets were down. He made a mental note to stay away from the kids.
    He pushed the images out of his mind. ‘I thought you said Danny worked with you.’
    ‘He does.’ She bustled back inside and refused to look at him again.
    ‘But he’s not here today?’ He didn’t know why he pressed the point—what was it to him if her brother had the day off? He just wanted her to keep talking to him.
    ‘Danny is on holiday.’
    She went back to stocking the refrigerator but, as far as Simon could tell, the refrigerator was already bursting at the seams. He leant on the bar to watch her.
    ‘He works full on during the school holidays on the understanding that he can take two weeks off as soon as they’re over,so he can go on surfing holidays up the coast with his mates.’ She rose and wiped her hands down the front of her trousers. ‘He left on Wednesday. He’ll probably be back before you leave.’
    She still wouldn’t look at him. Ice started circling his scalp. Felice was on holidays…
    ‘When did Felice leave?’
    Kate stuck her chin out. ‘Wednesday too.’
    Danny was on holiday…His heart started to thump. ‘Danny and Felice, are they…?’
    She folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. ‘Are they what…? Dating? Absolutely. They’re very close.’
    He wanted to reach out and shake her. ‘You didn’t see fit to tell me this yesterday?’
    ‘No more than you saw fit to tell me you weren’t into children,’ she shot back. ‘And why’s that? Because down at the beach yesterday it didn’t seem all that important, did it?’
    She was right. He shifted his weight. ‘How old is Danny?’
    ‘Twenty-three.’
    Relief poured into him. Twenty-two and twenty-three—it wouldn’t be more than some holiday fun.
    Jesse, Archie and Pete clambered back down the stairs.
    ‘Time,’ Archie intoned.
    ‘Oh!’ Kate glanced at her watch and grabbed a clipboard from beneath the bar. ‘Roll call,’ she explained to Simon. ‘You want to pilot first?’ she called