A Dolphin's Gift Read Online Free Page B

It
had been a long time since she'd been so close to a man. Actually eye-to-eye
and no more than a couple feet apart. Kissing distance.
    She mopped her
hand across her forehead to shove her hair back, leaving a chain of soap
bubbles there. Will trailed a finger across her brow, catching the bubbles
before they rolled into her eyes, as he said, "I'm not interested in new
curtains."
    Nellie could
still feel the path of Will's finger on her skin, and with his gesture, she
realized how much she'd missed the touch of a man's hand. "But I am
interested in curtains since we’ll be living on it and...." her words
trailed off as she contemplated what incredibly haunting eyes Will had, intense
brown eyes that seemed to hold her captive, at least for the moment.
    Will smiled
then, a sort of crooked little twist that tipped up at one corner and laid flat
at the other. An appealing smile, really. One she'd like to see more often. "An
endless list of talents, it seems," he said, holding her gaze. "If
you did all that, I suppose I could cut off another half month's rent for
curtains and reupholstering."
    They at last
had a plan! Nellie felt like throwing her arms around Will's neck and kissing
him. And she'd be going to sea once again on the Isadora . She'd never expected to be able to do that so soon. She
knew she and Mike would eventually, but for the moment all she wanted was a
place to live. But now, she and Mike would have a kind of vacation cruise
before school started. And there would be little in the way of expenses while
they were gone. Then, as soon as they returned from Will's whale study, she'd
find a less expensive place to moor the Isadora so she could finish making payments on the balance of the rent...
    She extended
her dripping-wet hand. "Mr. Edenshaw, you have a deal."
    Will
contemplated Nellie’s animated face and eager eyes, surprised to find himself considering at least part of her proposal. It was,
in fact, a pretty resourceful idea. Besides, if she didn't do the work, he'd
have to hire someone else to do it in order to finish on time. At least it
would give her a means of paying off a good portion of the back rent while
providing a place for them to live until he was ready to leave on his whale
study. But then, she’d have to find temporary quarters, because there was no
chance in hell he’d set out to sea with a cat, a dog, a hostile kid and a
beautiful woman aboard. No chance at all...
    "It's
Will," he said, tempted to take her hand, stubborn enough to refuse it.
    "Okay.
Will then." She eyed him dubiously as she continued to hold out her hand.
    "I'll draw
up a contract," Will said. "I don't trust handshake agreements,
though I didn't always feel that way."
    "Fine, you
do that." Nellie withdrew her hand. Retrieving the brush from the soapy
water, she continued her attack on the carpet.
    Will watched
her agitated movements for a few moments before commenting, "Don't worry about the rug. It's scheduled to be replaced soon."
    "Thank
goodness for that." Nellie tossed the brush into the bucket. Grabbing a
rag, she swished it in the water and wrung it out, then began passing it over a
low table. Glancing with distaste at the dismal-looking upholstery on the
couch, she said, in a wistful voice, "How could this have happened? Uncle
Vern loved this boat. I can't imagine why he let it get so run down."
    Will felt a
need to apologize for the Isadora 's
sorry state, though he didn't know why. Vernon Sinclair had little concern for
the boat during the time Will knew him. "Apparently your uncle had other
priorities and serious financial problems. He'd even resorted to renting out
the boat for cruises and parties, until he let her get so rundown he
couldn't."
    Nellie looked
at him with a perplexed frown. "All the time I was growing up the Isadora was Uncle Vern's pride and
joy," she said. "He never would have let it get run down like it is
unless there was something drastically wrong. And he'd have to have been truly
desperate