Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, plot, names, and nicknames are all the property of the author of this fanfic. Unauthorized use of such material is plagiarism. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. And of course just in case that doesn't cover it, Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. No copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter 4 – Confuse Me, Mister
"Ugh! Lizzy!" Masen groaned while pushing her little face away from his. "You're getting two breath-mint biscuits this morning."
His puppy was undeterred and continued licking the corner of his ear.
"I'm up okay," he said, reaching behind him to lift her from the bed and into his arms. "World's wettest alarm clock," he joked as he pressed his head to hers. She put up with the cuddling for a few seconds before beginning to wriggle in his arms.
"Let's go get you a biscuit." He set her on the floor and then used the corner of the bed to pull himself up. After dropping the throw blanket that had been covering him into his chair, he shuffled toward the kitchen yawning and stretching his arms over his head. Lizzy ran past him and when she tried to stop to make the turn into the kitchen she ended up skidding on her behind right past the doorway; Masen laughed under his breath and wondered if she would ever get the hang of turning corners.
"Morning, Lizzy," Esme called from the kitchen through her laughter.
"Those look like pancake ingredients," Masen said after kissing his mother's cheek.
She laughed as she ruffled his wild hair. "Morning to you too, Kid."
"Morning," he said, giving her a sheepish grin. "I would have said that first but you distracted me with bowls."
Esme snorted. "Liar, liar, pants on fire."
"Mom, I'm hurt." He even pouted and fluttered his eyes at her but she didn't buy it; she just laughed harder. He bumped her hip with his and then grabbed the box of dog biscuits from the top of the refrigerator to shake a couple out for his puppy.
"Eat them both," he said as he set them down in front of Lizzy.
"Are those the mint ones?"
"Yeah, her breath's pretty rank this morning. What did you give her last night?"
"Me?" Esme questioned with a laugh. "I'm not the one giving her treats for every little thing she does."
"I can't help it that she does stuff to earn them. Well, I could but I won't." He leaned over and scratched behind his puppy's ear while cooing to her. "Lizzy's my best girl."
"You're in an awfully good mood. Does this mean your apology went well last night?"
Masen lifted himself up and dropped down on the counter beside Esme before answering. He had planned to tell her how Bella had already been asleep but that wasn't what came out of his mouth. "So thanks for covering me up. What were you doing down here so late? Or early I guess."
"What are you talking about? I went to bed after you left my room last night."
He narrowed his eyes at her, not in the mood for one of her jokes this early in the day.
"Honest, Kid," she said as she held up her hands, one containing a spatula with butter dripping from the end. "I went to bed. It wasn't me who covered you."
Now his eyes were wide with shock—they were also turned up toward the ceiling.
"She's not up there," Esme informed him. "She wanted to see the beach."
His eyes dropped to his bare feet resting against the cabinet beneath him and he watched his heels thump against the door for a bit while trying to decide how he felt about Bella being the one to cover him. "You think she came in my room?"
"Well your door was wide open and covering a sleeping person is the polite thing to do. Lizzy's an amazing dog but I don't think it was her. And I'm certain we are ghost free here. So that just leaves Bella. Guess you really do know how to apologize, Kid."
Masen had two choices: he could confess he hadn't apologized last night or he could go out and do it right now. He chose the latter. "I'm gonna take Lizzy out. She hasn't been out yet."
He grabbed the leash from the wall and hooked it to her collar; she was so excited to be going outside that she forgot all about finishing the last half of her second biscuit. She gave a happy bark as she pranced ahead of him, leading the way to the backdoor.
Just as his hand curled around the doorknob, Esme called out to him. "Say 'hi' to Bella for me."
He grumbled under his breath about the comment as he opened the door and waited for Lizzy to get down the steps. As soon as her feet hit the sand, she was running and barking happily. He looked up expecting to find her going after one of his friends but the person petting his dog was Bella.
She was smiling with her brown hair swirling all around her in the early morning breeze coming off the water. The way the sunlight hit her hair made it shimmer and look red and even blond in some spots. She wore an aqua colored bikini top with faded denim cutoff shorts and he was again struck by how long her legs seemed, especially with her bending over to pet Lizzy. He almost smiled at the sight but then he realized some idiot guy was there with her and smiling became the last thing he was interested in doing.
Masen walked over and intentionally stood between Lizzy and the guy, pretty much blocking Bella from view. Glaring at the guys he said, "You should keep your hands to yourself. She's been known to bite random guys who touch her."
"She seems friendly enough to me," the guy replied with a shrug.
"Looks like it was your lucky day then. Better move on before your luck runs out."
"Edward, this is Jack," Bella said as she put her hand on his forearm. He couldn't decide if he wanted her hand to stay there or if he wanted to shake it off so he just left it there until he could choose.
"He was just telling me how those rocks in the distance are where people cliff dive," she explained. "We were going to walk over and look at them. I'm sure you've seen them plenty times before but you're welcome to come along if you want."
Masen snorted while keeping his eyes fixed on the guy in front of him. "Well then I don't need to ask your last name, Jack. You really should study up on the island before using it as a way to hit on women."
Jack glanced between Bella and Masen. "She didn't say she was taken."
Up to this point, Masen had merely been annoyed with the guy but now he was downright pissed. He was just looking out for someone new to the island and that didn't mean anything—he was just keeping the intern safe.
He shrugged off Bella's arm and stepped closer to Jack while standing at his full height, which was a good three inches taller than the guy. "Whether she's taken or not doesn't mean I'll let a Jack Ass like you run game on her. Turn around and go back to whatever hotel you're staying in."
The guy rolled his eyes and leaned to the side to see Bella. "It was nice to meet you, Bella. Maybe we'll run into each other again without your big brother showing up."
"Leave. Now." There was no question those words were a threat Masen was ready to back up. After taking enough steps backward to feel safe turning his back to Masen, Jack turned and jogged away from them.
Once the guy was far enough away to satisfy Masen, he turned around to face Bella. And found her looking as pissed as he felt, with her arms crossed in front of her and her bare foot angrily tapping against the sand.
He found her anger cute and couldn't help the smirk that curled his lips. After all, she really had nothing to be angry about. He'd only kept her from making yet another mistake and if anything she should be thanking him.
"What?" he asked when she continued to stand there glaring at him.
Bella's lips parted and although Masen was prepared for yelling and girly drama, he wasn't sure what to do with her calm and sensible words.
"I understand you may feel some confusion and maybe some lingering resentment over last night's unplanned and odd circumstances but that gives you no right to behave as you just did. I am going to assume you were out to embarrass me as some sort of revenge because the only other reason for your behavior is jealously and you made it very clear last night you want nothing to do with me. If it were solely up to you, I'm sure I would be on a plane heading back to my home. But since you aren't and we are going to work together for the next few months, you will have to find a way to accept last night was a complete accident and that I am—"
Masen silenced her rant by putting one hand over her mouth and the other at the back of her head, keeping her from pulling away. He locked his blue eyes with her brown ones and said, "If you'd shut up for a minute I could tell you I know you didn't pull anything last night. Esme sent an old picture and I didn't know about your flight change so I hadn't had time to look at yours. We got off on the wrong foot but that's over." He moved closer to her as he took his hand away from her mouth. "And just so we're clear, if I really wanted you gone, you would be."
"Mase, what are you doing man-handling the intern?" Whit asked.
Masen laughed at him as he completely let go of Bella. "She wouldn't shut up on her own. She's as bad as Lee."
Whit snorted as he stood beside Bella and slung an arm around her shoulders. "Don't let him get away with that crap. Do what Lee does and kick him in the shin."
"Lee and Gopher here yet?" Masen questioned, trying to change the subject.
Whit nodded his head while his eyes switched between Bella's face and Masen's. "Helping Esme set the table now. So I'll just let you two finish up whatever you were doing so you can come inside." He let go of Bella and then took Lizzy's leash from Masen, walking backward toward the house while smiling at them. "And I'm hungry, Mase, so hurry the hell up with your apology."
Masen sighed and ran his hands through his hair before turning his attention back to Bella. "I apologize your first night with us wasn't what you expected, Bella. Masen Marine means a lot to all of us and I can't help being protective of it. But today's a new day and a new chance for you to get to know all of us."
He put his hand out to her, offering her a shake, and after standing there switching her weight from one foot to the other long enough to get him annoyed all over again, she took his hand and firmly shook it. "No harm, no foul, right?" he asked as they continued to hold each other's hands. He had meant to let go but now that her skin was touching his he had no interest in ending their contact—not until he figured out why her touch felt so damn good. It's just a handshake for fuck's sake, he thought as he looked at their locked hands.
"I can forget last night if you can," she replied.
His eyes slowly rose until they were once again looking straight into hers. He had serious doubts that he could ever forget last night and part of him was suddenly angry with her for making it sound as if she could. He knew it was stupid since they had to forget it to be able to work together and yet it was still there and causing his head to throb. There was nothing remarkable about this girl on the outside, nothing that should make her unforgettable to him. And since they'd only exchanged a few dozen words between each other he had no way to know what she was like on the inside. This thing with her … this want of her, it had to be just one of those "I want it because it's forbidden" things, right?
Bella was the first to pull away from the handshake and she shoved both of her hands into the pockets of her denim shorts while dropping her eyes to the sand at her feet.
Masen shuffled his own feet through the sand for a long silent moment before saying, "We better get inside for breakfast before Whit convinces them to start without us."
"If you don't mind, I'd like just a minute to myself before going in."
"Sure. I'll get Esme to save you some breakfast if Whit revolts."
"Thank you, Edward."
Another awkward silence settled over them and Masen decided he'd had enough of it; he left her standing on the beach and headed up the slight slope to the steps of the house.
He was barely through the backdoor before Whit was pushing him into his bedroom and closing the door behind them. "Mase, what the fuck man?"
"That's my question," he replied as he grabbed the edge of his dresser to stop his stumbling. "What's with pushing me in here like that?"
"What's with pissing on Bella's leg like some territorial dog?"
Masen ignored the look Whit was giving him and pled innocence. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Yeah, you do. Just like you know we've been friends long enough for me to tell when you're really stupid and just playing stupid. Look, Mase, I get that you might not realize that's what you were doing since being territorial is completely foreign to you, but you were. There was no reason for you to stop Bella from talking to that guy."
"He was an asshole," Masen defended. "He was trying to convince her the rocks at the edge of the beach were for cliff diving. What if he'd taken her over there and she'd jumped off and gotten hurt? We leave in a couple days and we don't have time for injuries."
"Are you sure you want to stick with that story? Are you sure that's why you really got involved, Mase? 'Cause it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if you liked her. She is a beautiful girl. And smart too."
"She's the intern."
Whit gripped Masen's shoulder and looked his friend right in the eyes. "That's just a title, Mase. Listen, I'm saying this as someone who knows you and has never seen you have this strong of a reaction to a person before. Hell, man, you barely even blinked when Gopher came along and swept Lee up, and you were supposed to be dating her.
"So with that in mind, I suggest you figure out what you're going to do and fast. Do you give it a shot now or wait until she's no longer our intern? Personally, I wouldn't wait and risk missing out. Just know that either way, you do need to decide. A girl—a woman—capable of catching your interest this way, that's not something to be ignored." Whit left without another word.
Masen sighed and went over to his bed, tossing himself down on it heavily. He replayed everything that had happened since he's walked out the backdoor this morning, trying to find a way to prove Whit was wrong. He certainly hadn't felt like he was being territorial. Protective, maybe, but that was his job. He had to look out for the intern just the way he looked out for everyone else in his crew. Right?
"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"
As soon as Edward went into the house, Bella let out a heavy sigh and sat down hard in the sand. Her mind was spinning and her head was throbbing from the confusion she felt over him and everything he'd said. And so much more for what he hadn't said. She gripped her head in her hands to see if that helped with the throbbing; it didn't and she ended up staring at the hand that had been locked in his.
I apologize your first night with us wasn't what you expected, Bella. What kind of apology was that? What was it supposed to mean? Did it mean anything? It sounded to Bella like nothing more than a PR statement a company would make. She wondered if she should just be thankful he hadn't asked her to apologize. Actually, she wondered why he hadn't instead of going so far out of his way to not apologize.
And then there was that whole thing with Jack. Why run him off? So what if he was lying about what the rocks were for? It wasn't like she'd had any plans to do any cliff diving. She was just glad to have someone wanting to show her the island and not treating her like she was a disease.
But worst of all … Worst of all was her inability to deny or understand how the best part of her morning so far had been when Edward was holding on to her hand. It had started out as just a somewhat strained, somewhat friendly shake but had turned into two hands pressed together for no foreseeable reason. And the way he had looked at her, really looked at her—her body warmed all over again just from thinking about it. No one had ever looked at her that way, as if they were memorizing every detail about her. It was the same way he'd looked at her last night when he'd offered her his hand. It was such an intoxicating feeling, to have someone focus that intently on her and make her feel like he was trying to never forget her; it was why she had put her hand in his and followed him across that bar.
But feeling that intensity from him just made her confused all over again because if he wanted nothing to do with her beyond work, why would he look at her that way? Maybe he looks at every woman that way. Her thought had her frowning and feeling upset, not wanting that to be true for reasons she couldn't explain to herself.
What did she want to be true, though? Did she want him to have feelings for her? Did she want his whole display this morning to be from jealousy? I want him to not be able to forget the same way I can't, she admitted to herself. Alone in her room last night it had been so easy to believe she could forget about the time they'd shared together in the bar. But standing here on the beach with his skin touching hers … She shivered and closed her eyes against the rush of warmth flooding through her. Even though it had been half a day since then and she'd showered and changed clothes, she could smell the sweat and sun from his skin and taste the hint of beer on his tongue.
Bella jumped to her feet, no longer wanting to be alone with her thoughts. She brushed the sand from her shorts and feet the best she could and then went inside the house to find Esme and see if she could help with breakfast. Having a task was just what she needed to get her mind refocused and off of Edward Masen.
As she entered the house, she caught the scent of freshly made pancakes and could hear music playing and people laughing. She came into the kitchen just in time to see Esme twirl around Gopher's large frame with a plate full of pancakes and continue on to the large table where Whit and Lee were sitting across from each other and laughing. They looked like a big, happy family—like the one she'd had when she was younger.
"Esme, come on. Just one bite," Gopher pleaded.
She laughed as she set the plate on the table and then looked up at him. "If I didn't let Whit or Edward sneak a bite, what makes you think I'll let you?"
"'Cause us cooks have to stick together," he replied, giving her a wide, toothy smile.
"Try again," Whit told him with a laugh. "I offered to do all the dishes on my own and she still wouldn't budge."
"That's because neither of you know how to stop at just one bite," Esme told them. "Now! Whit, you go drag Edward out of his room. Gopher, you can get Bella since you're just standing around."
"I'm here," Bella said as she stepped forward into the dining room. "Breakfast smells and looks amazing."
"Gonna taste even better," Whit said as he passed her in a hurry. "Masen, get out here. Time to eat." She watched as he stopped in front of Edward's bedroom and tapped out a rhythm against the wood with both fists. "Time to eat. Let's go."
"Whit, don't break my door down," Esme warned.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" Bella asked, following Esme into the kitchen.
"You can tell me if you prefer juice or milk."
"Are you sure? I don't mind helping."
"You're very sweet but I've got it all under control. Just go take a seat."
Bella gave Esme a smile and then did as she was told, heading into the dining room. Whit was back in his seat and Edward was sitting on the other side of the table next to Lee. Gopher had taken the seat on the other side of Lee and Bella was pretty sure the seat at the head of the table was Esme's. That left the chair between Esme and Whit open—the seat directly across from Edward.
She was seriously considering backing out of the room and skipping breakfast but Gopher ruined her chance at a quiet escape. "Guppy! How'd you sleep last night?"
"Guppy?" Lee questioned, looking between Gopher and Bella.
"Gopher's bright idea," Whit said with a laugh. "I kind of like it myself."
"We're not calling the intern 'Guppy'," Edward stated matter-of-factly.
"Why not?" Esme asked, setting down cartons of juice and milk on the table. "A guppy's known as a learner fish and Bella is here to learn."
"It's a ridiculous name," he said, keeping his eyes on his mother.
"Why don't we vote on it?"
He shook his head while reaching for the milk carton. "I'll give her a nickname when she does something to earn one."
"I didn't hear you call dibs on giving the intern a nickname, Kid. You snooze, you lose."
"Guppy's a great name," Gopher defended. "And if you ask me, she definitely earned it last night."
With the look Edward gave Gopher, Bella wouldn't have been surprised at all to see the man suddenly burst into flames.
Whit laughed next to her and then put his arm around Bella's shoulders. "Mase, if you're so against Guppy, how about Flame?" he offered.
Edward's eyes turned their way and Bella was pretty certain she'd seem them widen in shock just before narrowing into a glare. "What the hell are you talking about, Whit?"
"Don't you remember those fish we saw last summer when we were snorkeling? Those Flame Angelfish. Small and spunky and beautiful. Remember they did that cool thing where their coloring looked different depending on how the light hit them?" Whit's 'nothing' shrug didn't match his wide smile at all as he added, "I just thought it would be appropriate since Bella's hair was like that outside earlier."
"No way," Gopher yelled out. "No way in hell does she get a cooler name than me. If she gets a cool name, then I get a new name."
"Let's vote. Those in favor of Guppy?" Whit questioned, lifting the arm that wasn't around Bella high into the air.
Gopher's hand shot up and waved in the air.
Lee stared at Gopher as if she were waiting for him to put his arm down but when it quickly became clear that he wasn't going to do that, she crossed her arms in front of her chest and leaned back in her chair.
"Hell no," Edward stated, still holding Whit's gaze.
Whit's lips twitched and then he turned his head toward the head of the table. "Esme, I do believe this makes you the tie-breaker."
All eyes turned to her; she sat in her seat smiling and taking in each of the faces looking back at her. Bella would swear they all leaned in when they saw Esme's lips part—all except for Bella. There was something about the way Esme was looking at them all that made her feel like she had a plan and it didn't involve the vote.
"Pancakes lose their flavor once they get cold. I'll give an answer after we all eat."
Esme's decree was met with loud groans from both sides of the table and one low laugh from Bella. No one attempted to argue, though, not even Edward. They all started scooping pancakes onto their plates and pouring drinks into glasses while filling the air with conversation. Bella was waiting for a chance to jump in, both in the talking and the gathering of food.
"You'll starve like that," Whit said as he plopped a couple of pancakes onto her plate. "Waiting for your turn around here leads to Esme's favorite phrase … You snooze, you lose."
"Is it always like this? Always so busy?" she questioned, watching Edward pass the juice to Lee and answer a question from Esme at the same time.
"Some days more than others. We're all excited right now because we know we're leaving Saturday. As much as we like our down time, we also enjoy our time on the boat." He grabbed her empty glass and asked, "Milk or juice?"
"Milk, please." Once he'd set the filled glass down in front of her, she added, "Thank you."
"No problem. Anything you need, let me know."
She smiled and lifted her hand, pointing to the syrup jar at his end of the table. "Could you pass the syrup?"
Instead of reaching for the jar, he reached for her hand, closing his fingers around her wrist in a light grip. He let out a whistle and said, "Nice. Omega makes the best waterproof watches. But isn't this a little big for you?"
Her face flushed and her heart sped up as she searched for a way to answer him without lying or telling the truth. Of all the many ways she had imagined having to talk about her past, her watch giving her away had never been one of them. The fact that she could also feel more than just Whit's eyes on her wasn't helping matters.
She forced a laugh and a smile as she turned her arm and pulled her wrist from Whit's fingers. "You can't get them too small or it makes it hard to read the numbers underwater and that defeats the whole purpose of having a waterproof watch."
The jar of syrup was plunked down next to her and Bella's head swiveled at the sound, her eyes immediately lining up with Edward's. "They make women's watches."
"This one had more features." The words had come out sounding confident enough and yet she was gripped with the certainty that he didn't believe her.
"Edward, give her the guava syrup too. Let's introduce her to our favorite local flavors," Esme suggested.
If not for Esme speaking up, Bella had no idea how long she would have been locked in that intense stare with Edward. He had obviously been listening to her conversation with Whit if he knew to comment on the watch and give her the syrup. Once again, he had her mind reeling with confusion.
"So how did you like your walk on the beach?" Esme asked as Bella finally recovered herself and reached for the maple syrup jar.
Now this was a question she was happy to answer and a true smile filled her face as she recalled the feel of the sand between her toes and the wind in her hair. "It's so beautiful. I can't imagine how amazing it is to wake up and walk out onto your own beach every morning. Back home I can only get to the beach one or two days a month."
"Why so little?" Gopher asked. "Florida's all about the beaches. Just look at how Miami is setup."
"Sure, if you live in one of the coastal cities like Miami," Bella answered. "But I live in Orlando so I'm in the middle of a busy city. When I want sand and sun, I have to drive to it. The closest I get most days is the fake beach in our turtle exhibit at Sea World."
"You won't have that problem this summer," Esme promised. "We'll make sure you see plenty of beaches. And after we're done with our research and make it home, we'll show you our beautiful beaches here in Hawaii before you leave us."
Bella's smile was so wide it made her cheeks throb. "Thank you. I'd really like that."
"So," Esme called out, getting everyone to look her way. "What's on the agenda for today? Oh and in case I didn't mention it before, we are all going to dinner at Side Street Inn tonight so figure that into your timelines."
"Shouldn't be an issue," Lee said as she looked to Gopher for confirmation. "Our only plans were lunch with my parents. Right?"
Gopher had his mouth full of pancake so he could only nod.
"I've gotta go help my old man put up some new shelves and stock at the surf shop," Whit announced. "Depending on how much my mom tries to manage the project, I should be done in time for dinner," he added with a laugh.
Edward's initial response was cryptic. "I'll be home in time for dinner."
"That doesn't tell me where you'll be before then," Esme told him.
He lifted his head from his plate and smirked at her. "Where do you think I'll be, Mom?"
Esme leaned toward him and mirrored his smirk. "I know you aren't sassing me, Kid."
"Are you fishing for an invite?"
"Nope. You're taking Bella with you and I don't want to get in the way of the grand tour."
Bella expected Edward to balk but it was actually Lee who didn't like the idea. "We can save the tour for Saturday. Masen's got his hands full with prepping the boat and Bella would just be in the way since she doesn't know our routines. Why doesn't she go with Whit instead?"
"No." That time it was Edward who spoke and Bella couldn't help staring at him. She was sure she had heard him wrong.
"Whit doesn't need the help," he added. "Besides, she should pick her room so we can move her stuff aboard tomorrow."
"That's settled then," Esme said as she patted her son's hand. And then she turned her smile toward Bella. "You'll have a great time checking out the boat and then you can tell me all about it over dinner tonight. Oh, and make sure you put a strong sunscreen on. The docks are murderous this time of year without protection."
Bella nodded while peeking at Edward from the corner of her eye, trying to gauge his reaction to basically being ordered to spend the day with her. His face gave nothing away and his eyes … She couldn't be certain but she was pretty sure his eyes were focused on the watch on her wrist.
"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"
Even after every plate on the table was emptied, Esme still refused to render her vote on the nickname. Instead, she assigned Masen, Whit, and Gopher to clear the table and load the dishwasher.
Gopher struggled to keep his voice and his laughter low. "Your Mom is insane, Dude. She totally knows she's dragging this whole nickname thing out way more than it needs to be."
"Mase's fault for being such an easy target," Whit joked, elbowing Masen in the side.
"You think you're so witty, Whit."
"To whit I say, suck it, Mase."
It was nearly impossible to hear Masen's response over Gopher's laughter. "To whit? That doesn't even make sense."
"Burns don't have to make sense, bro. They just have to burn," Whit informed him. "And judging from your glare and Gopher's laugh, I succeeded."
Lizzy picked that moment to come into the kitchen and bark at them, letting them know she wanted to go out. Gopher grabbed for her leash and said, "I'll take her out while you two finish your lovers' quarrel."
For the second time this morning, Masen glared at Gopher with hopes of setting him on fire with his eyes alone. "You're an ass."
Gopher shrugged his large shoulders. "You say ass, I say genius. To-ma-toe, Tomato."
Whit's snickering was only increasing Masen's annoyance. It certainly didn't help matters when he opened his mouth after Gopher had finally left the kitchen. "So that's a nice watch Bella has, huh? I noticed you staring at it. Thinking of getting one for yourself, Mase?"
"I wasn't staring at anything." Even to his own ears, Masen's reply sounded overly gruff.
"You know, she really can come to the shop with me. It wouldn't be any trouble at all."
Masen forced himself to breathe out slowly and not throw his mother's plate into the dishwasher. Whit's teasing was really starting to get on his nerves, especially since it had been a long time since he'd kept going like this. "Whit, relax. Everything is fine, man. I'll show her the boat, she'll pick her room, I'll get a couple things done, and we'll leave. I can do the final prep tomorrow since I don't need to go to the airport now."
"Alright. Just thought I'd offer and give you some time to figure yourself out."
"I don't need to figure anything out. I'm the team leader, she's the intern. That's pretty damn clear to me."
"So you're going to wait then?"
"I'm going to load the dishwasher and then I'm going to change and head to the marina."
"Okay, cool. We're avoiding the topic for now. I can dig it." Whit ignored the glare Masen gave him in response and continued on. "So listen, when we get in tonight after dinner, I've gotta tell you about this dream I had last night. Most realistic one I've ever had and this girl … Masen, you would not believe how awesome this girl was."
"Whit, I really don't need to hear about your wet dreams, man," Masen joked, grinning at his friend.
Whit wasn't fazed by the teasing at all. "For this girl, I'll happily wash my sheets every morning."
The commotion of Lizzy and Gopher coming back into the house ended the conversation and Masen left Whit to finish loading the dishwasher while he filled a bowl with water for Lizzy.
He had just set the bowl down when Esme called out. "Are you three done in my kitchen?"
They grinned at each other and then dashed for the dining area, taking up the seats they'd occupied earlier. Esme laughed at how eager they all seemed. "I haven't gotten a reaction out of you guys like this since that time I dated that pro football player from the states."
"It's not every day we catch you locking lips with a celebrity, Esme." Gopher smiled and then puckered his lips.
"Not now," Lee scolded. "We want to hear her vote, not your teasing."
Esme's eyes scanned the room while her smile widened as she spoke. "Until such time as we deem it necessary to hold another vote … from this day forward … as set forth by my vote—"
Masen couldn't take her teasing a second longer. "Mom. Please."
She laughed as she leaned over and ruffled his hair. "Sorry, Kid. Her nickname's Guppy."
"Yes," Gopher cried triumphantly—he also added a fist pump in for good measure.
"I knew you'd come through for me, Esme," Whit said as he made a heart with his fingers for her.
Lee's response was a "great" that sounded anything but genuine and went perfectly with her obviously fake smile. Masen made a mental note to talk to her later and calm down her annoyance with Bella.
For his part, he didn't say anything about the name. He gave his mom a kiss on her cheek, thanked her for breakfast, and then headed to his room to change clothes. With the vote done, he was ready to focus on the next thing and that was his boat.
A half hour later, he shoved his wallet and phone into his khaki cargo shorts and straightened his gray v-neck shirt on his shoulders. He slipped his feet into a pair of black water shoes, turned out the lights, and went in search of the intern.
He found her sitting in the living room talking with Whit and playing tug-of-war with Lizzy. "She's so strong for being so little," Bella said as she laughed and gave the rope another tug.
"She's always latching onto Gopher's shoe strings and trying to pull him around," Whit told her.
"Guppy, are you ready?" Masen asked, getting a scowl from Bella and a smile from Whit.
"Do I really have to be called that?"
"You can petition Esme for a new name but I doubt she'll give it to you as long as she knows you hate your current one," he replied.
She sighed as she got up from the floor. "Gopher just had to go and open his big mouth."
Masen and Whit stared at each other for a moment, completely shocked that it had barely taken a full day before Bella was uttering one of the most common phrases spoken in their group. And then both men were laughing loudly while Lizzy barked and Bella stood there looking confused.
"Come on," Masen said, still laughing as he turned around and headed for the front door. "I'll explain it to you in the car." He grabbed the keys to Lee's car, put his favorite pair of sunglasses on, and opened the door wide for Bella to go out first.
"Play nice," Whit yelled after them. His laugh was silenced by Masen closing the door with a little more force than was necessary.
They were almost to the marina before Bella broke the silence between them. "Why did you and Whit laugh?"
Masen couldn't help letting out a few more chuckles before answering her. "Because we've lost count of how many times those words have been said about Gopher. The man is always saying or doing something stupid."
"It can't really be always if he's part of MMR."
He nodded in agreement. "That's true. He does have his moments and he knows to be serious on deck when we're working."
"What exactly does he do? Esme said in her email that he wore a lot of hats but she didn't get specific."
"He spends most of his time cooking or cleaning. The rest of us rotate as his helper but until you're comfortable with helping out with the research, we'll let you be his helper. He also drives the skiff and lays out the decoys. Sometimes he helps me on deck by handing me different tools when I call for them."
"A little of everything then. And Whit is your captain, medic, and navigator?"
Masen nodded. "Lee helps with the navigating and I take over as captain when Whit wants a break."
"She's the mechanic too, right?"
"Yeah, she really knows her stuff."
"Seems like you're all really skilled and talented."
Masen grinned, pretty sure she meant more than what she'd said. "Go on and ask."
Bella waited until they were parked at the marina and out of the car before taking him up on the offer. "With the combined talents you have, you guys could be successful at anything. So why them?"
"Sharks are the animals that need our help most right now. Did you know that sharks are one of the most endangered species in the water? It's estimated that close to seventy-three million sharks are killed each year so people can eat shark fin soup, and that's actually an underestimate because most of the finning goes unreported."
"Million? That doesn't even sound possible. There shouldn't be any left if that's a real number."
"You have to consider that sharks have been around for four hundred million years and that there are over three-hundred-and-fifty identified species."
Bella's eyes widened in shock. "Really?"
"Yep." He hauled himself aboard Galeos and then held his hand out for Bella. Once he had her safely aboard, he asked, "Does that change your opinion on what we do at all?"
She didn't answer right away and when she finally did she didn't seem very sure of her reply. "Conservation is important. We don't want any species totally wiped out. Atlanta having such a large exhibit is probably a really good thing."
He couldn't stop himself from smirking; then again, he didn't try. "Don't worry, Guppy. You'll see them in a different light soon enough."
She gave a fake smile that made him laugh and then he led her on a tour of Galeos' interior decks. He started at the top where there was a small, covered outdoor seating area. It was used as a place to have lunch outdoors in the daytime and a quiet place to be alone at night.
Next, he showed her the living area, dining area, and kitchen since each flowed into the other. At the very front of the boat was the captain's area where Whit controlled the boat and laid out all of his maps. Bella seemed surprised to see paper maps and real charting tools with all of the tech gear filling the room so Masen explained how they were a backup in case they ever lost power in the middle of the ocean.
After assuring her that had never happened and that they had numerous fail-safes in case it did happen, he brought Bella below deck to their offices and sleeping quarters. The first two rooms on either side were a small bathroom and a linen closet; he explained how everyone had a set time they were allowed to get ready in the morning since they all had to get up at the same time. The next two rooms across from each other were singles that had been turned into offices. The one on the left was shared by everyone and had a desk, a couple laptops, a printer, and other normal office paraphernalia. The room on the right was the medic's station, holding all of the medical supplies and a bed in case someone had to be quarantined. The following two rooms were doubles and Masen let Bella know the one to the right had already been claimed by Whit.
"You can have the double across from it or the single that's one door up from his room," he explained. "The other single is Lee and Gopher's room and Whit doesn't like sharing a wall with them. The room at the very end of the hall is usually my room but Esme will be in there until we reach Africa. She prefers staying on land so once we get there she'll be in a rental house. We'll stay on land with her a day or two each week, depending on weather conditions and resupply needs.
"Look around and pick whatever room feels comfortable," he told her as they looked into the empty double room together.
Bella turned so that she was leaning against the doorway and looking up at him. "If there's another single, why didn't you have Esme take that one so you could keep your room?"
"Moms get first dibs." He was smiling as he said it and it caused Bella to smile in return. She had one of those good smiles; the kind that reaches the eyes and makes the person seem like they've never known a sad day. His mom—both of his moms—smiled that way.
He left Bella in the hall to explore and pick out her room while he went upstairs and into the captain's area. He hadn't bothered taking her down to the final deck, figuring she'd never have any reason to go down there. The only things on that deck were the engine room, the supply room, the laundry room, and his project room.
After tuning the radio to the local news station, he started going over the charts Whit had laid out on the plan table. He had complete faith in his friend but always triple-checked everything just to be safe. Lee liked to say he was obsessive compulsive but Masen saw it as protecting his family.
It was as Bella entered the room and started to tell him which room she'd picked that the radio deejay's voice caught Masen's ear.
"Hang on," he said to her as he turned up the volume on the radio.
"That's right! You heard it here first. Right off the coast of Kauai. Drop everything and go get a glimpse because as we all know, this hardly ever happens and should not be missed."
The deejay's words had Masen smiling and rearing to go. "We gotta go now," he said as he turned off the radio. He reached for one of the smaller camera bags from the shelf on the wall and he could feel the excitement and anticipation building up inside of him as his hand closed around the strap. He was so excited that he nearly ran right over Bella—then again, he hadn't been expecting her to still be standing in the doorway.
"We've gotta go," he said, twirling his finger to get her to turn around and start moving.
"Why? Where?"
He couldn't help looking impatient with her so he made up for it by not physically moving her out of the room. "Just trust me, you're going to love this. But we have to go right now."
A/N: Happy Friday! We hope you all had a great holiday time with family and friends. Now it's time for a new year and plenty more Masen! What do you think he heard on the radio that has him in such a rush to leave?