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remain silent.
    She smiled and continued to steer them away from the crowded beaches.
    “ Well?” he said a few minutes later when he couldn’t stand her silence.  
    She looked over at him and smiled. He could tell she believed she’d won a little war. “Alan is a good friend. I’ve known him since I took my first job back in high school.”
    “ And?”  
    She shrugged his shoulders. “I was happy when he came back from his tour in the Marines in one piece. He’s the reason I tend bar. He taught me everything I know.”
    “ And now you’re his boss.”  
    She smiled. “ It’s not that he think of me as his boss so much as he just doesn’t want to be a boss, so it doesn’t matter to him that I’m higher than him. ”  
    “ Oh?” He crossed his ankle over his knee and watched her closely.  
    She shook her head. “He had a rough time shortly after he came back. He likes the low commitment. Being a supervisor doesn’t fit well with what he wants in life right now.”
    “ What do you want?”  
    The question seemed to surprise her. She blinked a few times and looked off to where a school of dolphins played off the port side of the boat.
    He watched sadness flood her eyes, then she sighed. “I’m still working on that.”
    He stood up and walked over to her, resting his hands over hers on the large wheel. “There’s plenty of time.”
    She glanced over her shoulder at him. “Easy for you to say. You’ve always known what you wanted.”
    “ Yeah, but getting it is a different story.” His eyes bore into hers. He loved the way her eyes heated when she understood his meaning.  
    He didn’t know what had caused him to say it, but it was the truth. He did know what he wanted, at least for now. Her. But convincing her that he was a good idea was turning out to be more difficult than he’d expected.
    They sailed south along the coastline for almost an hour before he finally threw anchor at one of his favorite fishing spots.
    “ What do you say we catch some fish?” She smiled and nodded.  
    They sat on the back of the small boat for over an hour. When his stomach growled, he pulled some sandwiches his aunt had made for them from the cooler.
    They caught and released over a dozen small fish before, finally, a larger one took the bait.
    “ You’re going to let him get away,” she warned, trying to take hold of his line with her gloved hand.  
    “ No, I’m not.” He chuckled and grabbed the belt on her shorts since she was leaning over the side of the boat a little too far for his comfort.  
    “ Reel him in,” she commanded, trying to get the net under the massive fish. It was big enough that he actually had to grip the side of the railing to haul it up.  
    “ Oh, isn’t he beautiful,” she exclaimed as the bright red fish flopped around in the net. He’d caught plenty of snapper in his life and they all looked the same to him.  
    “ You think he’s good looking now, wait until he’s grilled up for dinner.” He plopped the fish into the live hold. “Guess we’d better find him some friends if we plan on having enough for everyone.”  
    “ Everyone?” She glanced at him in question as she checked her fishing pole, which was sitting in its holder.  
    He chuckled as he baited his line and tossed it in the water again. “Sure. Dad, Aunt Julie, Marcus, and Shelly. Cassey and Luke had plans with his folks tonight.”
    She shook her head. “I just assumed…”
    “ What?” He slid his fishing pole into the holder and glanced over at her. He liked that fact that he could read her thoughts, which were clearly written in her eyes. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me.” He sat next to her on the bench and watched her.  
    Sighing, she glanced out at the water. “It must have been wonderful growing up with your family.”
    He chuckled at how easily she could change a subject. “It did have its moments.”
    “ You’re all adopted, correct?” She glanced at him.  
    He