Making a Splash. Joanne Rock

played into her agreeing to go with him to Bar Harbor. No matter how much she told herself she’d gotten over him, feeling her heart race at his presence, experiencing the sharp hunger for him that she’d never had for another man, had urged her to find out what the heck had gone so wrong between them. How did they end up so hurt and angry with each other? And why had the universe dropped this irresistible man in her path—for a second time—when they were too stubborn to get along?

      Maybe relationships were like swimming. Practice enough, and eventually you improved your times. Not that she planned to practice with Jack Murphy. He’d crushed her heart enough for one lifetime, thank you very much. But perhaps she could discover what had really sent him running four years ago. Because all that BS about her being too young? Total smoke screen. She hadn’t bought it then and she didn’t buy it now.

      She peered over one shoulder to where he manned the wheel, looking like a modern-day pirate with a blue-and-white bandanna tied around his head and a day’s growth of beard on his jaw. He wore khaki cargoes and a white linen shirt that he’d neglected to button much higher than his navel. The fabric flapped in the breeze as they cut through the waves.

      He’d slept off and on after sunrise, giving the wheel to her and showing her the most basic navigation skills so he could catch up on some rest. After they’d made their pact the night before, she’d fallen into a hard sleep until dawn, while Jack had taken the night shift at the helm. Now, well past noon, he was back in charge of the boat and she was faced with the consequences of her late-night agreement with him.

      Noticing her looking his way, he grinned.

      “Regretting the no-kissing rule already, aren’t you?” he called over the noise of the engine.

      “Hardly.” She was actually patting herself on the back for that one. No sense giving him any advantages when the man had too much to work with already. “I was just wondering when I should let you in on my real reason for agreeing to this trip with you.”

      She wouldn’t, of course. Jack was probably at the top of the list of men in his family who wouldn’t appreciate soul-searching in the name of self-improvement—or in the name of enlightening an old girlfriend. Although possibly he’d share that top slot with his brother Daniel—the family rebel. At least the other brothers had learned how to put a socially acceptable facade atop all the he-man aggressiveness that ran in the family.

      “What do you mean?” Jack’s frown was so pronounced it would probably leave wrinkles.

      Well, now she’d have to tell him something… .

      Pushing to her feet, she scooted along the wooden walkway that circled the bow, and stepped down into the saloon area behind the helm. There was a built-in settee and table under a hardtop cover that provided protection from the sun in hot weather or kept the captain out of the wind on a cooler voyage.

      “I figured it would be a good idea to pick your brain about opening a bed-and-breakfast in a new town. I would have quizzed Keith about it if he’d taken me on this trip, but since I’ve got you…”

      “You can pick all you want, but I’m no expert anymore.” He settled in the captain’s chair, sitting sideways to talk to her. The boat easily handled the small swells of the warm September afternoon in the Atlantic, and didn’t need too much attention. “I quit my job at Murphy Resorts when I went into the service.”

      “But rumor has it you’ve started investing in bars all over the Cape. Sounds to me like you’ve still got a hand in the hospitality industry.”

      “I figured I’d keep my money in the local economy while I chart my next move. It’s been an adjustment since coming out of the service.”

      Surprised at the admission from a man who rarely admitted anything in life had ever been difficult for him, Alicia left the comment alone for now. Had he liked navy life? Maybe he’d been drawn to it for more reasons than just an escape.

      And damn, but didn’t it paint her as self-centered for never having considered that before? Curiosity niggled.

      “Active in your dad’s business or not, you know a lot about the hospitality scene.” She tapped a fingernail on the plastic tabletop, inhaling the clean scent of the ocean. “What things would you look for in a bed-and-breakfast at a new location?”

      She’d take advice wherever she could get it, since she was determined to make a go of this business on her own, away from her father’s continued insistence that he knew what was best for her.

      “B and Bs are a whole different ball game than the resorts my family have specialized in,” Jack cautioned, signaling to a sleek superyacht that cruised past, dwarfing them.

      “I’m very aware of that. Go out on a limb for me, okay?” As their boat bobbed in the wake of the bigger craft, she was vaguely surprised at his need to downplay his expertise, so at odds with the arrogance she had come to associate with him. What other changes might she uncover during the course of their journey together?

      “I’d make sure this market supported other bed-and-breakfast establishments and that they’re more than half-full eight months of the year. Then I’d want to know what would make my inn stand out among the competing properties.” When he had their boat steadied again, he returned his full attention to her. “B and Bs aren’t cash cows. They’re labors of love for most people. Are you going to have the income to stay well ahead of the mortgage?”

      “I’ve got a subsidiary income opportunity in mind.” She wasn’t ready to give up her water-sports business completely. Besides, she needed something to make her property distinctive. She needed this project to succeed. “What else? Any time of year that’s better for openings? And it’s an older place with some smaller rooms. Would you combine some of them to make more spacious quarters when finances allow, or pitch the place as ‘cozy’ and try to make it work with the smaller rooms?”

      “Whoa.” He left the captain’s chair and slid into the seat across from her at the built-in table. The steering controls were still within reach if he stretched. “You’re really serious about this? About opening a business on your own in Maine, of all places?”

      “Of course I’m serious.” She tugged down the brim of the camouflage canvas fishing hat she’d worn to protect her from the sun. She didn’t think she had much space left for more freckles. “I’ve researched this property every way possible without actually seeing it. And what have you got against Maine?”

      “It’s far away and I’ve never heard you say anything about wanting to live in Maine.”

      And since when had they discussed her future? Even when they’d been dating, that had been a topic Jack avoided like the plague.

      “Sometimes it’s good to put space between yourself and where you grew up, right?” She didn’t think he could argue that, considering the choice he’d made.

      “Sure. But you love it on the Cape.”

      As opposed to Jack, who’d spent half the time they were dating on another continent.

      “In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a lot of competition for tourist dollars there. And your family runs a tight ship. I don’t think I’m ready to battle with the Murphy clan in the business world.” She’d considered that kind of venture. But it would mean living in Jack’s backyard. Circulating in his family’s world. “Bad enough I could kick your butt at sports. I couldn’t demean you in business as well.”

      “Ally, I’m serious.” He wasn’t letting her off the hook about this. “It’s going to be tough enough starting a business alone. Why travel so far from your roots to make it happen? Why not give yourself the support system of your friends and family?”

      She felt herself stiffen, her pride bristling at the thought of her father or brother coming near her project. But she had asked Jack for his input. Damn it, she’d wanted advice about how to handle the inn in Bar Harbor, not all the reasons she shouldn’t buy it. She tipped her face into the ocean breeze and took a deep