and further embarrassment? Instead sheâd take it out of her personal budgetâcut back on her trips to Starbucks this month.
Her smug rescuer ran his fingers through his wet dark hair and stood. âHate to tell you this,â he warned, following her off the boat. âBut you arenât going to find an open motel room between here and the Woodlands, not during the Texas Bass Championship.â
Drat! She hadnât thought of the mob of people in town for the event. Faith looked to Chuck as if expecting him to come up with another plan. He remained quiet, obviously not having one.
The guy from the boat jumped onto the dock and extended his hand. âMy name is GearyâGeary Marin. Look, I live just over there.â He pointed to a condominium complex on the point across the inlet. âYouâre welcome to use my place.â
She dared a closer look, noticed his ratty cowboy boots, wet and crisscrossed with scratches. He wore faded jeans, a belt with some type of fish on it, and a light blue shirt. He bent and retrieved a Bassmaster baseball cap from off the dock, where he must have dropped it before making his water rescue. His rolled shirtsleeves revealed forearms deeply tanned and muscled.
Cute, but definitely redneck.
She wondered what he did for a livingâwhen he wasnât playing volunteer.
She squared her shoulders and shook her head. âNoâIâm not sure thatâs a good idea.â
He shrugged. âSuit yourself.â He turned and headed for his red boat tethered to the dock. âTake care,â he said as he moved on.
She realized then that she didnât have a better choice. Or any other choice, for that matter. Where else would she be able to clean up?
In a moment of panic, she reached in his direction. âWait!â
Geary turned.
âLook, I guess my options are fairly slim here.â Faith glanced at Chuck. âYouâre coming with, right?â
Chuck nodded, clearly amused at the situation. âWeâd better get a move on if you still want to try for interviews with some of the wives.â
She nodded. âWeâll have to stop at a drugstore for a hair dryer.â
Geary Marin slipped his cap in place. âNot a good idea if youâre in a hurry.â He cocked his head in the direction of the highway, now clogged with traffic. âWhy donât you let me take you over to my place in the boat?â He raised an eyebrow. âThat is, if you are up for taking some advice.â
She ignored his loaded remark and simply repeated herself. âI need a hair dryer.â
âYou can use mine,â he offered.
Okay, she was already uneasy going to this strangerâs house. Using the guyâs personal toiletry items was going well beyond her comfort level.
âWe donât really have a choice, Faith.â Chuck was already heaving his black bag into Gearyâs boat. He turned and tossed his keys to her. âWhat are you waiting for? Get your other suit out of the news van and letâs go.â
4
F rom inside Geary Marinâs boat, Faith watched the marina fade from sight as wind whipped her hair. She turned and nestled deeper in the seat, her hand clutching the handle on the side as they raced across the water at a speed that made her a bit nervous.
As if reading her mind, he shouted over top of the engine, âYou okay?â
She nodded and held on tighter as the boat hit rough water, hating that her only choice had been to accept his invitation. He was nice to offer and all, but she didnât really have time for this little detour. The sooner she could get showered and back to business, the better.
In what seemed like no time, they neared the shoreline and he slowed, easing the boat to the dock. The condominium complex was not so unlike her own, except for the expansive lawn between the buildings and the lake, and all the pretty landscaped beds filled with sego palms and hibiscus.
James Dobson, Kurt Bruner