Page 43 of Building Courage
“Every job I get is important, so I have to toe the line.”
Jess studied her for a moment. “I think you’d do that anyway, Brynn.”
Brynn was silent for a moment as she studied Jess’s expression. Jess was so much like her at twenty-one. She’d been working with her for over a year. They’d shared meals, shopped a little, and gone to movies and a concert or two, but it had been difficult to let the walls down. Guilt suddenly hit her. Jess was always so open about everything. But this was not the time or place for a heart-to-heart.
She changed the subject. “What are you planning to do after you graduate next semester, Jess?”
“Try and find a position here doing what I’ve trained to do. I have a double major in communications and marketing. I love my apartment and my neighbors, present company included.”
Brynn shot her a smile. “Ditto.”
“I don’t really want to move if I don’t have to.”
“Your degree makes you qualified to take on so many different roles. You’ll find something here. You’ll be an asset to any business you land at.”
“I’ll put you down as a reference.” Jess laughed.
“I’ll give you a good one.” Brynn looked out over the bay. “Tucker asked me if I had an assistant to accompany me on these shoots. He was concerned about someone taking my equipment while I was busy.”
“Tucker?”
“My scuba instructor. We’ve shared a few meals. I’m sort of easing my way into seeing him. I’ve invited him to my apartment for dinner tomorrow night.”
Jess’s brows rose, and she grinned. “What’s he like?”
She gave the question some thought. “He’s an excellent scuba instructor, very thorough and patient.” It made her wonder if he was as patient and thorough in bed. Her body heated at the thought. “He’s from Mississippi and has a southern drawl. He’s clever. He built a pergola over his backyard patio and put in an outdoor kitchen. He did his own landscaping around the pool. He’s six-foot, with sun-streaked, light brown hair, sea-green eyes, and a sculpted jaw.”
“He sounds…delicious,” Jess said with a grin.
“He is. And he can cook.”
Jess laughed. “Sounds like you’ve hit the jackpot.”
It had been so long since she’d taken a friend into her confidence, she felt a little embarrassed by it. “I hope so.”
The vibration of the engines changed, slowing, and she glanced behind her as the yacht entered the harbor. The same dark aqua cabin cruiser that had chugged through her shot followed them. Instead of continuing into the docking terminal, it veered off into deeper water.
Brynn wondered why the cabin cruiser seemed to be following the yacht.
“What are you going to fix for dinner?” Jess asked.
“I’m going to try Martin’s pasta dish and hope I don’t poison him.”
Jess laughed again. “You’ll do fine. You could practice tonight and see how it goes.”
“I might do that. Want to be my guinea pig and my sous chef?”
“Sure.”
“We’ll stop on the way home for the ingredients, and if it’s any good, you can take some home and share it with Oliver.”
“Good. It’s my night to cook. The more hands in the kitchen, the easier it is.”
Her mother hadn’t felt that way. She’d watched every move and had found something to criticize about everything she’d done and, in the process, had taken all the joy out of the experience. “I’ll be glad for your help.”
As she and Jess were packing up the lights, two of the crew members came into the dining room. One was Tim, who was tall, tan, dark-haired, and good-looking like all the crew. The other man had darker skin, dark hair, and was only an inch taller than her, but he had a sweet smile. Brynn had shot pictures of them at work. It seemed Bryant had a thing about matching the beauty of the yacht with the help.
“Mr. Bryant said you might need some help packing up your gear,” Tim said. He wore a white uniform, much like a cruise ship employee. His name tag read Tim Garner.