Sailor Proof by Annabeth Albert

Chapter Six

Arthur

Alone with my mom was a dicey proposition. I loved her more than all my instruments combined and I’d swim across the Sound for her, but somehow the last few years I never had good answers for all her questions. No matter how much I achieved, I still felt like something of a disappointment.

“I’ve always liked him.” Mom glanced at the door to the restaurant, as if that might make Calder and Derrick hurry up. Ha. I had a feeling Calder was getting chewed out for not giving Derrick a suitable excuse for the prospect of being saddled with me in the middle of nowhere for a week.

“Me too.” My sigh was genuine because he truly was a very nice and likeable guy, but that didn’t mean I was okay with my mom acting like he was the best decision I’d ever made. “You know I’ve dated before.”

She made a dismissive gesture. “Musicians. You need someone stable. Solid.”

“Musicians are great people. And stability is overrated.” My voice was even firmer than usual thanks to that moment I’d shared with Derrick earlier when he’d seemed to understand why someone might choose music. I was so tired of being the odd one out in this family of do-gooders and public servants.

“All I’m saying is that I’m happy for you.” She patted my hand. “Very happy. And I want you to both come to the reunion. It will be fun.”

“Your tenacity and inability to take no is why opposing counsel fears you.” It was also why she’d managed to graduate at the top of her law school class while being over forty with four kids, and why she’d never given up on her dream of being an environmental attorney even with move after move thanks to the navy.

“Come on, Arthur.” She laughed but there was a weariness there too. “You’re not literally allergic to the outdoors.”

“Not literally. But we’ve never been friends either.” I kept it light, trying to ignore the heaviness in my chest from knowing I was testing her nerves yet again.

“Bring Derrick, and I’ll make sure you get one of the more private cabins.”

“Oh?” I sat up straighter. This was an unprecedented offer, one I needed to hear more about. “No sharing with the nephews?”

“Nope.” Her grin was easier now because she knew she had me. “A couple of the private cabins have renovated bathrooms too.”

“Awesome.” Great. Now I had a serious incentive to talk Derrick into going, and judging by his face when he and Calder had left, that wasn’t going to be easy. Sure enough, he came back into the restaurant with his muscles all tense like he was trying to outrace a rainstorm and failing.

“Find your phone?” I asked after Mom had been called away to deal with something involving the kids. I knew perfectly well that his phone had been in his pocket because I’d felt it when we’d been squashed together in the back seat.

“What?” Derrick blinked before his eyes went wider. A flush spread across his cheeks. “Oh. Yeah. We did.”

“Did you find out about leave?” I kept my voice down, letting the other conversations swirl around us. Calder was back talking with his friends, and I had Derrick all to myself.

“I’ll have to look into it.” He was surprisingly cagey, not the outright refusal I’d been expecting at all.

“That’s not a no.” I bumped his shoulder.

“Do you actually want me to come?” He peered at me intently.

His intense gaze was freaking me out, making it hard to be anything other than honest. I shifted in my chair. “If you come, I get a private cabin and don’t have to bunk with the older nephews.”

“Don’t like being a built-in babysitter?” Derrick laughed. God, I could listen to that sound all night. As it was, I was going to drive myself nuts trying to capture its essence in a future composition.

“Nope. Don’t get me wrong, I love kids.” I glanced down the table where Ollie’s younger two appeared to be having some sort of heated conflict, with my mom and their mother functioning as intermediaries for peace. “And I always help out with the kid activities. But I’m almost twenty-five. I’m ready to be done with the kids’ table, so to speak.”

“So I’m your ticket to cushier accommodations?” Stretching, Derrick sat back in his chair.

“And better sleep.” I grinned at him because he still hadn’t said no. “None of the kids seem capable of actually staying in their beds. Someone else can get up with them at dawn.”

“Not sure anyone’s ever wanted to spend the night with me to improve their sleep.” Derrick grinned back. Was he flirting? Was that why my pulse was speeding up and my brain was full of sexy thoughts? I couldn’t tell, which made my back tighten even as my body hummed.

“Well, I know how to proposition a fellow. Come and you can have my share of the s’mores.” I held his gaze, testing. He blushed but didn’t look away. Interesting. Very interesting.I was woefully short on practice for flirting, despite Sabrina’s and others’ tireless lessons. However, Derrick didn’t seem entirely disinterested, even to my novice eyes.

Derrick’s mouth twisted, making his grin a little crooked and a lot more endearing. Damn. I wanted to kiss him again. Right there. No way could we survive rooming together on the island. But on the upside, maybe I’d get my wish for more kissing, bad idea and all.

“Calder says if I come, we can swap bunks.” Ah. There it was. His reluctance to say no to the invite had nothing to do with me or even with wanting to help me out.

My posture stiffened but I kept my voice free and easy. Whatever motivated Derrick to come, I was good with, even if part of me wished that I was incentive enough. “Whoa. Calder never gives up the top bunk for anyone. Ask Oliver. What’s his deal?”

Derrick shrugged. “Says he likes not being the focus.”

“Ha. My mom needs to learn to be happy with fifty percent of her offspring happily coupled.”

“She just wants what she thinks is best for you guys.” Frowning, Derrick took a gulp of water. “She’s a good mom.”

“She is, yeah.” It was nice that Derrick was such a fan, but he wasn’t the one who had had to grow up as quirky youngest Euler brother. However, I was more curious about Derrick’s own family situation than trying to educate him on the realities of mine. “Is your mom going to be mad if you spend your leave with us?”

“No. No mom. I was raised mainly by my grandmother and she died when I was in basic training. So it’s been just me for years now.”

Aw. I could practically hear Sabrina’s sympathetic noise. And I too was not immune from wishing I could hug Derrick. Wait. I could. Everyone here thought we were a couple. Fantastic. I threw an arm around his shoulders.

“Well, then you definitely need to come. Euler Family Camp is an experience like no other.” My family might drive me up a wall, but they were mine, and I knew damn well we were pretty lucky compared to some.

“Maybe,” Derrick whispered. He didn’t move away from my embrace either. “We could fess up first—”

“And miss our shot at better accommodations?” Enjoying his nearness, I gave his broad shoulders a little squeeze. “I think not.”

“Okay.” Derrick huffed out a huge breath, but I just grinned at the novelty of having gotten my way.

“Was that a yes?”

He gave me another crooked grin. “It’s an ‘I’ll talk to the senior chief tomorrow, find out my leave situation for real’ very strong maybe.”

“I’ll take it.”

“Good.” Our gazes locked again, moment stretching out, a new bargain having been struck, but also something else. An easiness that hadn’t been there before. I wondered what he’d do if I went in for a fast kiss right then. Just a—

“Are we ready?” Calder seemed to finally remember we existed, as people started getting ready to leave. “Arthur, we’re dropping you at the ferry?”

“Yup.” Sighing, I dropped my arm before standing up. Playtime over. Back to the real world, where Derrick wasn’t remotely mine and no further kissing was happening.

Once all the goodbyes were said and the bill settled, we ended up back in Calder’s car, squashed together in the back seat again. Derrick still smelled amazing, and my urge to kiss him was still there, but I was good, didn’t even sniff him or lean into his solid body.

“Are you going to be okay doing the ferry and bus?” Derrick whispered to me as Calder and his friend debated where they might go for a drink after dropping me off.

“Of course. I’ve done it tons of times.” Which he probably knew, so I wasn’t sure why he’d be concerned. Unless... I pitched my voice even lower. “If that’s you wanting an excuse to not go back to the barracks or out for drinks with Calder’s crowd, you could come with me. Keep me out of trouble.”

“Come with you?” Derrick sounded more confused than intrigued. “Why?”

“No reason.” I kept my tone light. No sense being disappointed. It was my own fault for even making the offer. “It was just an idea. I’ve got a shared place, but it’s larger than the barracks’ rooms and we’ve got a big TV.”

“Thanks, but I should probably get back.” If he was tempted, Derrick sure wasn’t showing it. Who knew, maybe he was looking to go out with Calder and his friends, maybe pick up an actual hookup, not a fake arrangement.

“I figured.” I narrowly avoided sighing. “Guess you’ll let me know about the reunion?”

“You’ll hear from me.” He chuckled, a warm sound that washed over any lingering wistfulness I felt over him turning my offer down. And now I wasn’t sure what to hope for. I liked the idea of him coming, but not if it meant setting myself up for a hopeless crush on the last guy I should be longing for.