Better Not Love Me Read Online Free
Author: Dan Kolbet
going to show up. She called the marina, but got no answer. A recording said they were closed for the holiday weekend. She hoped that didn’t mean they weren't coming. She also needed to learn how to drive the thing. She was worried she wouldn't have enough time to receive the boating lesson she needed before the family had to leave to get a decent spot on the water.
Her fun surprise was turning into a dud.
"Where's your brother?" Amelia asked Susanna, who was laying on the floor staring at the exposed beams of the cabin's living room.
"The people in the green house moved in today and he was helping them unpack."
"Really?" Amelia said, surprised. Amelia and Susanna moved outside to the far corner of the deck to look up at the green cabin.
There standing on the deck that fronted the elevated cabin was Marcus talking with a girl in a bikini top and white shorts.
"No wonder he helped," Amelia said.
"It's some guy and his daughter," Susanna said.
Marcus noticed his mom and sister staring at them. He pointed down, obviously telling the girl who they were. Then he waved.
"Hi, Mom!" he yelled from the deck. "This is Chloe!"
Marcus and Chloe waved, while Amelia and Susanna waved back.
"She's pretty," Susanna said.
"Yes, I'm sure your brother is in heaven."
The girl was pretty. No doubt.
"Have you seen the dad, yet?" Amelia asked.
"Yeah, but he's not there now. Someone came and picked him up right after they pulled in. That's why Marcus was helping unload because Chloe was there alone."
"That seems odd."
Susanna shrugged her shoulders. Her interest in the conversation had run its course.
Just then Amelia heard the distinct rumble of an outboard motor. Pulling into the cove was a faded blue Bayliner piloted by a man in a red baseball cap.
Finally, Amelia thought, the boat had arrived.
"Who's that?" Susanna asked.
"I don't know, but he's driving the little surprise I got us for the weekend."
"You bought us a boat? Sweet!"
"Hold your horses, it's just a rental. It's going back on Tuesday."
"Oh, man! That would have been cool."
Amelia dashed into the cabin for her sunglasses and hat before walking down the lawn to the beach and dock. The man's back was to her as she traversed the dock. He was securing the boat to a post with a rope.
"It's about time you showed up," Amelia said, firmly, not altogether hiding her displeasure. "I thought you'd be here in the morning. Let's get the lesson started. I have plans for the afternoon."
"Lesson?" the man asked, turning around toward her, "I'm not sure what—"
He stopped talking mid-sentence as he turned, which would seem strange if Amelia hadn't nearly jumped backward into the water when she recognized him, just as he recognized her.
This wasn't her rental. This wasn't a guy from the marina here to give her a tutorial on the boat either.
From behind her on the dock, she heard pounding steps. Chloe was jogging down the dock toward them. She arrived at the man's side with a youthful bounce, quickly followed by Marcus.
"Daddy, I want you to meet my friend, Marcus," Chloe said.
The man reached out and shook Marcus' hand.
"And you must be Marcus' mom," Chloe said. "Nice to meet you. This is my father, Nate."
Nate Rosen, her former boss.
Amelia didn't say a word, which made the smile on Chloe's pleasant face fade quickly. Marcus looked puzzled too.
"That's my cabin," Nate said timidly, pointing toward the elevated green cabin.
Amelia absentmindedly rubbed her face with her hand and glanced around the dock wondering if she rocked it hard enough, could she flip him into the water?
"Of course it is . . . unbelievable," she said.
A flood of sour memories, ones she thought were locked away, suddenly washed over her. Her fight-or-flight instinct kicked in. All she could do was turn on her heel and storm off the dock.
Chapter 4
Mr. Z's Toys
Spokane, Washington
Four Years Earlier
Amelia was excited this morning. Today she would finally be able to meet with the
Her fun surprise was turning into a dud.
"Where's your brother?" Amelia asked Susanna, who was laying on the floor staring at the exposed beams of the cabin's living room.
"The people in the green house moved in today and he was helping them unpack."
"Really?" Amelia said, surprised. Amelia and Susanna moved outside to the far corner of the deck to look up at the green cabin.
There standing on the deck that fronted the elevated cabin was Marcus talking with a girl in a bikini top and white shorts.
"No wonder he helped," Amelia said.
"It's some guy and his daughter," Susanna said.
Marcus noticed his mom and sister staring at them. He pointed down, obviously telling the girl who they were. Then he waved.
"Hi, Mom!" he yelled from the deck. "This is Chloe!"
Marcus and Chloe waved, while Amelia and Susanna waved back.
"She's pretty," Susanna said.
"Yes, I'm sure your brother is in heaven."
The girl was pretty. No doubt.
"Have you seen the dad, yet?" Amelia asked.
"Yeah, but he's not there now. Someone came and picked him up right after they pulled in. That's why Marcus was helping unload because Chloe was there alone."
"That seems odd."
Susanna shrugged her shoulders. Her interest in the conversation had run its course.
Just then Amelia heard the distinct rumble of an outboard motor. Pulling into the cove was a faded blue Bayliner piloted by a man in a red baseball cap.
Finally, Amelia thought, the boat had arrived.
"Who's that?" Susanna asked.
"I don't know, but he's driving the little surprise I got us for the weekend."
"You bought us a boat? Sweet!"
"Hold your horses, it's just a rental. It's going back on Tuesday."
"Oh, man! That would have been cool."
Amelia dashed into the cabin for her sunglasses and hat before walking down the lawn to the beach and dock. The man's back was to her as she traversed the dock. He was securing the boat to a post with a rope.
"It's about time you showed up," Amelia said, firmly, not altogether hiding her displeasure. "I thought you'd be here in the morning. Let's get the lesson started. I have plans for the afternoon."
"Lesson?" the man asked, turning around toward her, "I'm not sure what—"
He stopped talking mid-sentence as he turned, which would seem strange if Amelia hadn't nearly jumped backward into the water when she recognized him, just as he recognized her.
This wasn't her rental. This wasn't a guy from the marina here to give her a tutorial on the boat either.
From behind her on the dock, she heard pounding steps. Chloe was jogging down the dock toward them. She arrived at the man's side with a youthful bounce, quickly followed by Marcus.
"Daddy, I want you to meet my friend, Marcus," Chloe said.
The man reached out and shook Marcus' hand.
"And you must be Marcus' mom," Chloe said. "Nice to meet you. This is my father, Nate."
Nate Rosen, her former boss.
Amelia didn't say a word, which made the smile on Chloe's pleasant face fade quickly. Marcus looked puzzled too.
"That's my cabin," Nate said timidly, pointing toward the elevated green cabin.
Amelia absentmindedly rubbed her face with her hand and glanced around the dock wondering if she rocked it hard enough, could she flip him into the water?
"Of course it is . . . unbelievable," she said.
A flood of sour memories, ones she thought were locked away, suddenly washed over her. Her fight-or-flight instinct kicked in. All she could do was turn on her heel and storm off the dock.
Chapter 4
Mr. Z's Toys
Spokane, Washington
Four Years Earlier
Amelia was excited this morning. Today she would finally be able to meet with the
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