Bidding on Brooks: The Winslow Brothers #1 Read Online Free Page B

her eyes, Brooks’ words about not seeing her as a girl running through her brain and stinging all over again. “Blonde or not, he doesn’t see me like that. I can guarantee it.”
    Her father hefted himself up from where he’d been sitting. “No way to guarantee that, Skye. Man can feel something out of nowhere and decide to make his move…and a boat’s got tight quarters.”
    She looked up at her father and gave him a reassuring smile as she stood beside him, hugging herself against a cool breeze that blew back her hair and made goosebumps rise up on her arms. “I promise you, there’s nothing to worry about. Brooks and I are just friends. I’m going to help him crew that gorgeous boat and fly home a week later. The only love affair on this cruise’ll be me and the Cutter,” she said confidently.
    “If you say so,” said her father, grimacing. “Would help matters if your boyfriend wasn’t gallivanting all over the world without you.”
    Her father adopted a tone when he said the word “boyfriend,” which chafed at Skye a little. She knew her father wasn’t Pat’s biggest fan, but she wished he could try a little harder to see what an organic, sensible match she and Pat were.
    “From the moment you met him, he was always upfront about circumnavigating,” she reminded her father.
    “Seems to me his original plan changed pretty abruptly,” her father reminded her in turn.
    Skye shrugged, determined not to let her father see that his words had hit a soft spot. She didn’t want to give him another reason not to like Pat.
    “I know. I know. It’s none of my business.” He turned and started back up the dock before pivoting to face her. “It’s just…you didn’t have a mama around. You know, to talk about things like this—boys and such. I raised you a lot like my Pop raised me, and sometimes I feel like you… well, like you missed out on things. Hope I didn’t raise you wrong. But even more, I hope you use your head, Skye Rose, especially where Brooks Winslow is concerned.”
    She wished he wouldn’t worry so much, but there didn’t seem to be any way to reassure him that Brooks Winslow wouldn’t make a move on her in a million years. She walked over to him, leaning up on her tiptoes to give his cheek a kiss. “You are the best father I could have asked for. And you raised me just right.”
    His white beard prickled her lips for an instant before she let him go, turning around just in time to note, with a little disappointment, that the sun was already gone.

 
     
     
Chapter 3
     
    Two hours later, Skye had showered off the marina stink, changed into comfortable pink terry cloth boxers and a scoop-neck gray T-shirt, and was sitting in front of her TV eating a grilled cheese sandwich as she waited for Patrick to call her on Skype.
    She and Pat had met years ago when they both sailed Lasers for the Northern Chesapeake Cruising Club. At the time, Patrick worked as an investment banker in Baltimore and was married to his now ex-wife, Dionne. When he and Dionne split three years ago, he was looking for a new crewmate, and a mutual friend had suggested Skye. Remembering one another at first sight—and the races in which they’d bested each other over the years—they’d clicked instantly.
    Though their relationship hadn’t moved quickly—it had taken two years for their first kiss, they still didn’t live together, and neither had ever broached the topic of engagement or marriage—that didn’t bother Skye because it felt so comfortable. Pat didn’t seem to care that she dressed like a tomboy and almost always had motor grease under her fingernails, and she didn’t mind that he spent more time praising the cut of his catamaran than coming up with romantic surprises for her.
    She convinced herself she didn’t need that stuff—she just needed someone who cared for her and shared her interests. They were compatible, spending every spring and summer weekend on the water, and winter