Free The Dare by Rachel van Dyken Page B
Authors: Rachel van Dyken
order to be able to control things.
Groaning, I decided to put my mind to
rest.
For tonight.
I was going to focus on getting through
dinner. It would be hard enough fielding Grandma's ministrations.
I'd need all my energy for that woman. I swear, God had done a
number when He'd made her.
"We're here!" Grandma shouted as if we were
at the World Cup.
"Yay." Beth pumped her fist into the air and
gave me a tired smile.
Poor girl. She was probably just as tired as
I was. It wasn't as if that flight had been something made out of
dreams. It had been hell, hell on earth. And it truly had made me
question my desire to procreate.
"I'm so hungry I almost ate the
three-week-old candy I found at the bottom of my purse," Beth
murmured so only I could hear her.
"What? No sharing?"
"It had fur on it." Beth sighed. "Fifty-fifty
chance I would have died from some sort of fungus poising."
"More science." I sighed. "Hot."
"Fungus. Always hot."
"Where's the damn boat?" Grandma put her
hands on her hips and stomped down the dock, while I closed my eyes
and pinched the bridge of my nose.
Grandma yelled obscenities into the night
sky, but I wasn't paying attention, because Beth had somehow
managed to lean against my shoulder, and my shoulder had decided in
those brief seconds that it liked being leaned on. So I stayed,
paralyzed by her touch, debating whether or not I should put my arm
around her or just stand there like a limp idiot.
"You kids stay here. This is just…" Grandma
didn't finish; instead she continued yelling and walked off down
the beach, cell phone in hand.
Beth didn't move. Instead, she leaned further
against me while I closed my eyes and let the smell of the islands
permeate my senses. The air was thick with the humidity of flowers.
For the first time in two years, I felt semi-relaxed.
That is until a horn sounded in the
distance.
I blinked a few times as a boat. Scratch
that, it was more like a freaking yacht. Of course, when dealing
with Grandma Nadine what else could I expect? The woman didn't do
small, in any capacity, so if the Titanic suddenly rose from it's
watery grave and made it's way across the ocean to our destination,
yeah, I wouldn't even blink. A the yacht got closer it was harder
and harder not to look away. I'd always had a thing for them and
this one was beautiful. Stark white with its lights reflecting off
the water. I could retire on it and live comfortably for the rest
of my life. The side said Titus Enterprises, maybe we were having
dinner on it? . A man in a blue Hawaiian shirt pulled up to the
dock and waved us over.
"I think that's our ride," I whispered in
Beth's hair, shamelessly allowing myself a few deep breaths.
"Hmm..." she answered and started walking
down the dock.
I blindly followed, Hypnotized by the sway of
her hips as she made her way down toward the water.
The captain helped her into the boat. She was
tired, but I was at least still functioning.
"Where are you going?" I asked.
"Are you Jace Brevik?"
"Yes?"
"And Beth Lynn?" He pointed to Beth who
looked absolutely dead on her feet.
"Yeah…"
"Great!" He clapped his hands together. "I'm
your captain. Your grandmother is going to follow in the next boat.
She said something about needing to use the restroom again, so I
was given the go-ahead to drop you kids off so you can eat."
"Food." I grunted. "Fine, how far away is
it?"
The captain gave me a funny look then
answered, "Things are only as far away as you allow them to be. Now
sit back and relax. There's rum punch in the back. Help
yourself."
"Alcohol." I nodded. "Score."
"Right, because that hasn't caused us any
problems in the last twenty-four hours," Beth joked sleepily.
Ignoring her, I grabbed two paper cups and
went to the little mini-bar at the back of the boat. Filling both
cups to the rim with the pink juice, I grabbed a bag of Maui Chips
to share with Beth and returned to where she was sitting.
"Eat." I handed her the chips.
"Food!" She snatched the
Groaning, I decided to put my mind to
rest.
For tonight.
I was going to focus on getting through
dinner. It would be hard enough fielding Grandma's ministrations.
I'd need all my energy for that woman. I swear, God had done a
number when He'd made her.
"We're here!" Grandma shouted as if we were
at the World Cup.
"Yay." Beth pumped her fist into the air and
gave me a tired smile.
Poor girl. She was probably just as tired as
I was. It wasn't as if that flight had been something made out of
dreams. It had been hell, hell on earth. And it truly had made me
question my desire to procreate.
"I'm so hungry I almost ate the
three-week-old candy I found at the bottom of my purse," Beth
murmured so only I could hear her.
"What? No sharing?"
"It had fur on it." Beth sighed. "Fifty-fifty
chance I would have died from some sort of fungus poising."
"More science." I sighed. "Hot."
"Fungus. Always hot."
"Where's the damn boat?" Grandma put her
hands on her hips and stomped down the dock, while I closed my eyes
and pinched the bridge of my nose.
Grandma yelled obscenities into the night
sky, but I wasn't paying attention, because Beth had somehow
managed to lean against my shoulder, and my shoulder had decided in
those brief seconds that it liked being leaned on. So I stayed,
paralyzed by her touch, debating whether or not I should put my arm
around her or just stand there like a limp idiot.
"You kids stay here. This is just…" Grandma
didn't finish; instead she continued yelling and walked off down
the beach, cell phone in hand.
Beth didn't move. Instead, she leaned further
against me while I closed my eyes and let the smell of the islands
permeate my senses. The air was thick with the humidity of flowers.
For the first time in two years, I felt semi-relaxed.
That is until a horn sounded in the
distance.
I blinked a few times as a boat. Scratch
that, it was more like a freaking yacht. Of course, when dealing
with Grandma Nadine what else could I expect? The woman didn't do
small, in any capacity, so if the Titanic suddenly rose from it's
watery grave and made it's way across the ocean to our destination,
yeah, I wouldn't even blink. A the yacht got closer it was harder
and harder not to look away. I'd always had a thing for them and
this one was beautiful. Stark white with its lights reflecting off
the water. I could retire on it and live comfortably for the rest
of my life. The side said Titus Enterprises, maybe we were having
dinner on it? . A man in a blue Hawaiian shirt pulled up to the
dock and waved us over.
"I think that's our ride," I whispered in
Beth's hair, shamelessly allowing myself a few deep breaths.
"Hmm..." she answered and started walking
down the dock.
I blindly followed, Hypnotized by the sway of
her hips as she made her way down toward the water.
The captain helped her into the boat. She was
tired, but I was at least still functioning.
"Where are you going?" I asked.
"Are you Jace Brevik?"
"Yes?"
"And Beth Lynn?" He pointed to Beth who
looked absolutely dead on her feet.
"Yeah…"
"Great!" He clapped his hands together. "I'm
your captain. Your grandmother is going to follow in the next boat.
She said something about needing to use the restroom again, so I
was given the go-ahead to drop you kids off so you can eat."
"Food." I grunted. "Fine, how far away is
it?"
The captain gave me a funny look then
answered, "Things are only as far away as you allow them to be. Now
sit back and relax. There's rum punch in the back. Help
yourself."
"Alcohol." I nodded. "Score."
"Right, because that hasn't caused us any
problems in the last twenty-four hours," Beth joked sleepily.
Ignoring her, I grabbed two paper cups and
went to the little mini-bar at the back of the boat. Filling both
cups to the rim with the pink juice, I grabbed a bag of Maui Chips
to share with Beth and returned to where she was sitting.
"Eat." I handed her the chips.
"Food!" She snatched the