Reluctant Partners

ties in the area. You could-”

“No close ties?” She couldn’t let that one pass. “I’ve lived in this town my whole life. I have dozens of close friends. Oh, but I guess friendship doesn’t hold any weight in your world. Only blood ties.” Blood ties who hadn’t shown Johnny a speck of consideration when he was alive.

“Let’s walk.” Without waiting for her consent, he descended the porch steps to the brick walkway, giving her a nice view of his backside in those perfectly tailored khakis. What a waste, putting buns like that on a stiff-necked lawyer.

She followed, then took up beside him, matching his long strides. The way he strode along the street, oblivious to his surroundings, didn’t surprise her. Like he wanted to clock in a few miles before lunch. Health-club mentality, typical of people whose jobs didn’t require any physical exertion.

“Even if I could trust you,” he said with arrogant confidence she would keep up with him, “there’s always the chance something could happen to the boat while you’re out-a storm, a wreck.”

“That’s hardly likely,” she countered. “I’m an excellent sailor and I know the currents and the hazards as well as I know every splinter on the Dragonfly’s decks. The boat is fully insured. And I’ve never tried to cheat anyone in my life.”

But Cooper didn’t know her, so of course he would be suspicious that she would try to rip him off somehow. Lawyers believed everyone was trying to rip them off because they were trying to rip off everyone else.

“I am fully confident justice will prevail,” she continued, “and I will keep my boat. You’ve checked by now and discovered that Johnny’s will was properly filed and probated just as I said.”

“It was a handwritten will.”

“Which is called a holographic will,” she retorted, “and you know as well as I do it’s perfectly legal. But in case I’m wrong…what are you planning to do with Johnny’s boat, if you get it?”

He answered without hesitation. “My cousins and I are going to continue to run the fishing charter service.”

“Excuse me?” She laughed. She laughed until tears streamed from her eyes. Maybe her tears bordered on hysteria, but she honestly couldn’t help it. The idea of these button-down Remington cousins running a fishing boat was ludicrous.

She had to stop and lean against a fence until she had herself under control. Cooper paused, arms folded, feet planted. Obviously he wasn’t amused.

“Just what do you know about fishing?” she asked, wiping away her tears.

“You might be surprised. I worked on the Dragonfly when I was a teenager. I’m sure we have a lot to learn, but-”

“The first thing you ought to learn is that Remington Charters’ most valuable asset is its reputation. Seventy percent of my business is repeat customers. You shut down the boat, force me to cancel cruises and send customers elsewhere, it could take years to undo the damage.”

“I didn’t think-”

“No, you didn’t.” She was on a roll now. “The business has bills to pay. You think docking a boat at the Port Clara Marina is cheap? You think my creditors will ever do business with you if your actions force me to stiff them?”

“Look, I have to protect my assets. But I’ve been thinking about things. In fact, I was working on a little proposition before you arrived.”

Her hackles rose. What new trick had he come up with? “The boat is my asset, and what kind of proposition?”

“My cousins and I have discussed it, and we’re prepared to offer you a generous cash settlement to quit your claim to the boat.”

Oh, brother. “No.”

He blinked a couple of times. “You haven’t even heard how much.”

“Doesn’t matter. I would never willingly give up my boat. Johnny trusted me to take over for him and I’m not letting him down. I love fishing, I’ve been doing it since I was born and I’m good at it.”

He stared at her until the eye contact became uncomfortable, but she refused to look away first. If he was seeking some outward sign of duplicity on her part, he wasn’t going to get it.

“Then I’m sorry. The injunction stands.”

“What could I do to change your mind?” She could hear the desperation creeping into her voice. “What if I brought a neutral party on board to keep tabs on me? Or…or…” The gears in her brain turned. She had an even better idea. Why hadn’t she thought of this before?

He looked at her like she was crazy, but she knew she was on to something. “No, listen,” she said excitedly. “This will work. You get that injunction lifted, let me continue with the charters, and any time the boat leaves port, you or one of your cousins can be on board. You said yourself that you’ll need training-and I won’t charge you for that. We can even split the proceeds.” Half the income would be better than none. At least she could pay something to the most immediate of her creditors.

To her surprise, he actually seemed to think it over. Probably trying to work the angles, figure out how he could turn her idea to his benefit.

“A fifty-fifty split?”

“After expenses, of course. You can draw up the contract if you like.” Of course he would want a contract. But if she could avoid canceling any trips, she would do it.

“I could reacquaint myself with the business that way,” he said, thinking out loud.

“Exactly. See, a win-win situation. I know you lawyers generally prefer a win-lose option, but even you can see this is a sensible choice for us both.” Especially if she could find a way to convince Cooper he didn’t really want to run a fishing charter, that it wasn’t the glamorous margarita party he thought it was.

Suddenly he smiled, and his face transformed. Her heart gave a little lurch. Oh, Lord, he was ten times more good-looking when he smiled.

“I guess that would make us partners,” he said with an unexpected twinkle in his eye that made Allie’s stomach swoop.

Maybe she should have thought this over first.

Chapter Three

Cooper was surprised at how swiftly he’d agreed to Allie’s counter-proposal. At Remington Industries he was known for taking a hard line, showing no mercy. No one would ever have accused him of being soft.

But before he could even think through all the ramifications or at least discuss matters with Reece and Max, he’d said okay. Maybe it was because he was itching to get back on board the Dragonfly; maybe it was the way Allie’s chin had wobbled. But somehow he’d quickly convinced himself her idea had merit.

Partners? Where had that come from?

“I have to get back to the boat,” Allie said. “I’ve got customers arriving in about thirty minutes. You call off the judge and draw up whatever papers you feel are necessary, but we depart at ten-thirty sharp. And, Cooper, you might want to change into shorts and deck shoes and…I don’t know, maybe a shirt with some color in it? The clients expect Jimmy Buffet, not Warren Buffet.”

Without giving him a chance to sputter any reply, she turned and jogged down the sidewalk to where she’d parked her old car. If she hadn’t departed so abruptly, he’d have told her the wheels of justice don’t turn that quickly. He couldn’t simply undo the injunction and produce a contract out of thin air.

But surely no one would try to stop her from sailing, particularly if he, the complainant, were there to reassure any trigger-happy law-enforcement types that it was okay. As for the contract, he could draw it up tonight, provided Reece and Max agreed. Allie had actually made some good points about protecting the Remington Charters reputation by not canceling any excursions or turning away loyal customers, and Reece would approve of employing their asset to produce income, rather than letting it lie idle.