Page 5 of Vanished in the Mist (A Mystic Lake Mystery #2)
Shanna stood at the edge of her sister’s dock watching Kaden’s impressive blue-and-white boat, or maybe it was a yacht, bobbing up and down in the water as he reached his hand out to help her board.
“That’s—that’s a really big boat,” she said, stalling. “What kind is it?”
She ignored his outstretched hand. “Do you have another life jacket? For me?”
“Of course. I’d never allow someone to go out on one of my boats without one.”
“ One of your boats? How many do you have?”
“Enough so that my company can work several contracts at a time. Otherwise, I’d never earn enough to cover expenses, let alone turn a profit.” He motioned toward her. “Now, if you’ll just—”
“Is it like the one you’re wearing? The life jacket you have for me? That one looks awfully thin.”
He glanced down at his jacket. “The thinner ones are more comfortable than the bulky ones and don’t hamper movement the way those do. But they’re just as buoyant. If you’ll step over the side, we can—”
“Are you positive it will keep someone afloat if they fall overboard? Mystic Lake is well-known for people going under and never coming back up. There’s something…odd about this lake. Something—”
“Mystical?” He smiled.
Her face warmed. “That’s not what I’m saying. I just—”
“Want to be sure you’re safe?”
“Right. Yes.” She cleared her throat, desperately trying to calm her racing pulse. Breathe. In, out, in, out.
He dropped his hand. “Shanna?”
“Yes?”
“What are you afraid of? The boat? Or me?”
She blinked. “What makes you think I’m afraid?”
“It’s a balmy spring day and you’re shivering like it’s ten below zero. You’re also extremely reluctant to board even though you said you wanted to come along.”
“I do. I want to help, to tell my sister I did everything I could to find Tanya. I mean, she tricked me, tricked both of us. But she must be truly desperate to have done that. There’s no way I can ignore her request now and go back to my original plan.
Especially when a total stranger is willing to help. I have to do this.”
“Your original plan?”
“Do nothing. Sleep late. Ignore the world for a week.”
“Got it. No shame in that. I’m sure you work hard and could use the break. Go on up to the cabin. Relax. Leave the search to me and I’ll update you when I get back. I’ve got this.” He turned away.
“Wait!”
He sighed heavily and glanced over his shoulder. “Yes?”
Her stomach knotted as she tried to ignore the sound of the dark water lapping against the dock. “It’s not the boat. And it’s definitely not you.”
He frowned in confusion.
“That I’m…afraid of.” Her face flamed with embarrassment. “It’s the water.”
He blinked, understanding dawning in his expression. “You’re afraid of the water, and you still want to come with me?”
The wake from a passing boat had the dock bobbing slightly.
She stiffened, the traumatized teenager deep inside her desperate to turn away, to run to her sister’s house and hide beneath a mountain of blankets.
But the memory of the missing poster and the sound of her sister’s voice pleading for help over the phone was battering her with guilt.
Please, Shanna. Tanya’s parents need to bring her home. They’ve accepted that she’s no longer with us. But they can’t rest until they’ve given her a decent burial. Help them.
She swore beneath her breath, then stretched out her hand. “I’m ready.”
He stared at her a long moment, as if weighing her resolve.
Then, instead of taking her hand, he straddled the side of the boat, one foot on the dock, the other on the deck, and clasped his hands around her waist. He lifted her up and over the side so quickly that she didn’t have time to be afraid or protest. He steered her into the interior behind the glass windows and had a life jacket on her almost as fast as he’d lifted her onto the boat.
She marveled at his strength, considering she was in no way tiny at five-eleven.
He was probably six foot two, maybe taller, his broad shoulders and impressive biceps speaking to the strength she’d felt in those arms. That strength was reassuring, since he was the one who would be guiding the boat.
Unfortunately, logic was doing nothing to stop her roiling nausea.
Deep breaths. Deep breaths. Don’t look at the water.
As he adjusted the straps on her vest, she finally found her voice again.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“No worries.” His deep voice resonated with empathy and understanding, sending a pleasurable tingle up her spine that had nothing to do with nausea and everything to do with how appealing he was.
“You’re safe. The boat’s high-powered, with several engines.
More than enough horsepower to get us back if an engine fails.
It’s sturdy, easy to maneuver. Everything you might need is down those steps in the cabin. A galley, bedroom, head.”
“Head?”
He chuckled. “I’m guessing you don’t speak boat . The head is the bathroom. The galley’s the kitchen. And you can remember the overall areas of a boat by thinking of it like a compass, with north being the front. North, south, east and west are bow, stern, starboard and port.”
“Got it. I think. Wait. There’s a bedroom? Earlier you were arguing that we’d have to share my sister’s house, implying that we’d have to share the only bedroom, too.”
“Don’t get me wrong. This is a hell of a boat, with all the luxuries I could possibly want.
But staying on it a whole week? I prefer the freedom of movement of an actual house, at least when I’m not out on the water searching.
I can certainly sleep here at night. But I’d prefer to share your sister’s place during the daylight hours, if you’re open to it, especially since she promised the kitchen would be stocked.
I have drinks and snacks on board, but little else. ”
“So you were teasing earlier?”
His deep brown eyes sparkled with amusement.
“I certainly wouldn’t mind sharing your bedroom, and your bed, if you ever want to.
” He winked, making her face heat again, and her belly tighten for an entirely new reason.
How could she want him when she barely knew him and felt so awful right now?
“But, no,” he continued. “I wasn’t serious when I teased you about sleeping in your sister’s cabin. ”
She couldn’t help smiling in response and shaking her head. But even that small movement made her nausea worse. She drew several quick breaths, desperately fighting the urge to throw up.
His expression turned serious as his brow furrowed with concern. “You can lie down on the bed if you’d like. But I recommend you sit outside. There’s built-in seating. It’s secure. And the fresh air should help ease your nausea.”
“That obvious, huh?”
“You’ve gone from Casper the Friendly Ghost white to Shrek green.”
She laughed, then pressed a hand against her protesting stomach and desperately tried to ignore the gentle rocking motion of the boat and the sparkling of the sun off the water surrounding them.
“Sit. Once I drive us to the desired location, I’ll launch off the stern to conduct my search. You won’t have to do anything but relax and work on your tan.”
“In jeans?”
“I didn’t bring any bikinis for you. But I’m fine with you just wearing your birthday suit.”
She laughed again, then groaned, her stomach protesting her every movement. “What did you mean by launch?”
Another small boat passed with two fishermen on board. They waved as they went by and Kaden waved back, then motioned toward the rear of the boat as he turned his attention back to Shanna. “The deck at the stern. That’s where I’ll go into the water, scuba dive.”
She felt the blood drain from her face. “Oh. Okay.”
“That’s the underwater part of search and recovery.”
She gave him a weak smile. “Earlier you mentioned sonar. I guess I figured it was built into the boat and you wouldn’t need to dive.”
“You’re partly right. The main equipment maps out images below the water to help with navigation so I don’t run aground.
It also helps me locate large objects, like a submerged car.
But it’s not that effective with smaller objects, such as human remains.
Detail work requires a diver. So does recovery, for anything we’re looking for. ”
She winced. “Makes sense. I’m not thinking things through very well. Usually I’m better than this.”
He lightly squeezed her arm. “You’re facing your fears to help your sister and Tanya’s family. You can’t get much better than that.”
She stared up at him, marveling at his patience and kindness.
And how had she not realized how good-looking he was until now?
He was clean-cut, with short brown hair and whiskey-brown eyes.
Ruggedly handsome was the cliché that came to mind.
He wasn’t one of those pretty boys, the ones with a perfect tan and long lashes that graced the cover of a magazine—like her ex, Troy.
Instead, Kaden seemed like an incredibly capable man, the kind who could build a fire by rubbing two twigs together in a rainstorm, build a shelter without any tools that could withstand the worst that nature could throw at him.
That was far sexier than any cover model could ever be.
He didn’t seem much older than her, maybe thirty-two or-three.
And yet, he wore the confidence of a man with far more years of experience. Kaden Rafferty was hot.
She shook her head in wonder. “How are you not married? Or escorting some beauty-queen girlfriend around on your arm?”
He laughed. “Beauty queen? Is that the kind of woman you think I’d be attracted to?”
“Well, yes, actually. Like attracts like, or so they say. And you’re not exactly plain-looking.”
A sexy smile curved his lips. “Neither are you.”
She blinked, her mouth falling open and her entire body flushing with heat.
His smile widened, revealing straight white teeth and an adorable dimple in his left cheek. “Are you flirting with me, Ms. Hudson?”
If she didn’t feel so bad, she’d be jumping him right now. She cleared her throat instead. “Unfortunately, Mr. Rafferty, I feel too bad to flirt right now.”
He gave her a sympathetic look. “You’ll feel better once you see how smooth she rides.”
“She?”
“ Discovery . The boat.”
“Right.” She cleared her throat. “It’s a good name. For what you do, discovering lost things beneath the water. Just, ah, one more question.” She pressed a hand to her throat. “If I need to throw up, where should I—”
He grabbed her hand and rushed her down the steps.