Break the Rules (The Flanagan Sisters Book 1)

by Claire Boston

  He slid across the shower curtain, already naked. “I was hoping you’d ask.”

  His smile and his naked body sent a thrill through her. She kissed him quickly, and then slid past, out of the shower. “I’ll make breakfast. We don’t want to be late.”

  She grabbed her towel and ducked out of the room before he could convince her to stay.

  * * *

  It was fresh and sunny on the docks where the dive boat was moored. Half a dozen people lingered on the jetty and Bridget introduced Jack to the dive master.

  He checked Jack’s qualifications carefully before admitting them on to the boat. “When was your last dive?” he asked after the boat had set off.

  “A couple of months ago on Ningaloo Reef,” Jack told him.

  “I’ve heard that’s a great spot. I’ve not been there myself.”

  “It’s worth the trip.”

  “I’ve got it on my bucket list.”

  While the two men chatted about dives they’d done, Bridget spoke with one of the other divers. The boat ride lasted just over an hour before they dropped anchor and began to suit up.

  Nerves played around Bridget’s stomach as she put on her wetsuit, checked her equipment and ran through the checklist in her mind.

  “How’re you feeling?” Jack asked her.

  “Excited. Nervous.” But she felt better to be buddied with Jack. He was far more experienced than she was, and while she was sure she remembered everything she’d been taught, if something did go wrong, he’d be able to fix it.

  “Those nerves will settle once you hit the water,” he promised as they ran through the buddy checklist. The dive master had already taken them through the safety briefing before they arrived at the spot, and he now pointed out the areas he’d referred to. They were diving on an old wreck.

  “You ready?” Jack asked.

  Bridget nodded. They lined up behind the other divers and at their turn, Bridget put the mouthpiece in her mouth and jumped in.

  Immediately on entering the water, the weight of her tank lightened. The water was cold for a moment before her body grew used to it and it settled into a pleasant temperature. She followed Jack a few yards from the boat, out of the way of the other divers, and gave him the OK signal. Then, facing each other, they descended.

  The first breath after submerging always gave her a thrill. The idea of breathing underwater was truly foreign, but exhilarating. The ambient noise disappeared, replaced by the bubble of the water and the rasp of her breathing.

  Bridget slowed her inhalations and exhalations, allowing herself to relax. About ten yards away on her right, two other divers were making their way down, and she saw her first fish. Then the wreck came into view and there were fish everywhere. They swam lazily back and forth, darting into the shelter of the wreck when they got too close. The metal wreck of the ship was now alive, covered in seaweed, in sponges and in coral.

  Jack tapped her hand and pointed. To the left and below them was an eel, sticking its head out of its home, having a look around. Bridget wished she had an underwater camera to capture the moment but she wouldn’t truly be able to do the scene any justice. Something like this had to be experienced. A photo couldn’t record the cool of the water surrounding her, the rasp and bubble as she breathed in and out, the gentle pull of the current.

  She followed Jack around the wreck, stopping to explore further when something caught her eye. It truly was another world.

  After about half an hour, Bridget motioned to Jack. Her oxygen was getting low. It was time for them to head back to the surface. Slowly they swam up, pausing for their safety stop before resurfacing not far from the boat.

  Bridget took her mouthpiece out. “That was incredible.”

  Jack nodded. “That eel has made itself a comfortable home.”

  They swam the remaining few yards to the boat and were helped on board. Bridget breathed out a sigh of relief as she took off the tank and felt about a million times lighter.

  “Lunch is ready,” the dive master said. “Before you eat, you might want to swap out your tank ready for your next dive.”

  “You’re really comfortable under there,” Jack said over lunch. “I’ve dived with people who have been diving for years who weren’t so relaxed.”

  She smiled. “It’s easy. I was told the more relaxed I am the less oxygen I’ll use, and I want to stay down for as long as possible.”

  “That’s great. Some people never truly relax. They’re too busy checking gauges, or looking for sharks.”

  Sharks. Why had that never crossed her mind?

  “I shouldn’t have mentioned the S word, should I?”

  She shook her head. “What’s the likelihood of seeing a shark?”

  The dive master heard her. “We see one every two or three outings,” he said. “Haven’t had any attack though. They generally mind their own business.”

  OK. So the likelihood was pretty low. The consequences might be high though. She’d do a bit of research about shark attacks when she returned home, but right now Bridget wasn’t going to let it bother her. She wasn’t worried enough to stay on the boat and miss her next dive.

  * * *

  They had one more dive before returning to shore. On the ride home, Jack pulled Bridget into his arms and she sat with her back to his chest, secure and warm. She sighed.

  “What do you want to do tomorrow?” he asked quietly.

  “Carly’s picking me up. We go to Mama’s for lunch every other week.”

  She was almost tempted to invite him, see her Mama’s reaction to her bringing a boy home. But she needed the space from him, the time to think more.

  “What about tonight?”

  She hadn’t thought that far ahead. She had no desire to go out – her body had that lovely fatigue from spending a day swimming. But she did want to spend it with Jack.

  She yawned. “Maybe there’s a game on. We could order pizza.”

  “Sounds good to me.” His breath was warm against her ear and sent shivery loveliness through her.

  This was only supposed to be a casual relationship, a bit of fun, but she was drawn to him. She wanted to spend more time with him.

  But she had to keep reminding herself – it would never work.

  Chapter 12

  Jack woke Sunday morning and stretched luxuriously. Last night had been really great. On their way back from the harbor, they’d picked up pizza and then watched the football game. It was casual and fun. Then they’d gone to bed and there’d been steamy fun. He turned and gathered Bridget into his arms. She snuggled into him.

  “What time is it?”

  He reached over and grabbed his phone. “Nine.”

  “Ugh. We’d better get up. Carly will be here in an hour.” She brushed a kiss against his cheek and then rolled out of bed. She slipped on her robe and his disappointment was swift as the fabric covered her naked body.

  He got to his feet, grabbing some shorts. “Shower?” There still might be time for a little bit of action before Carly arrived.

  “Yeah, let me put the coffee on first.”

  Jack headed for the shower and turned on the spray. His muscles were a little sore from their day of diving yesterday. It had been a couple of months since his last dive and there were certain parts of his body that didn’t get much work normally.

  Bridget entered the bathroom. “Coffee’s on.”

  He opened the curtain as she stripped off her robe and his body immediately reacted.

  Her grin was slow and wicked. “No time for that now, big boy. My sister is always on time and I need to tidy the house before she arrives.”

  He gathered her into his arms. “I can help. That should give us plenty of time.” He kissed her, slightly smug when she responded with a moan.

  “Maybe if we’re quick.”

  * * *

  They were quick, coming together in an explosion of passion and lust. When they were finished, they were definitely running a little late. They both threw
on some clothes and Bridget towel-dried her hair while Jack made them both coffee.

  Bridget grabbed her drink and checked the time. “She’ll be here in fifteen minutes.”

  Jack was looking forward to meeting Bridget’s older sister. She’d seemed nice when he’d spoken to her on the phone in Brenham, but now Bridget was a little agitated.

  “What else needs to be tidied?”

  “It’s fine.” She checked her watch. “You almost finished your coffee?”

  The realization hit him hard. She didn’t want him to meet Carly. She wanted him gone. It was why she was checking the time yet again in a three-minute period. He tried to keep his voice casual. “Yeah.” He drained his cup and went to wash it.

  “I’ll do that. You’ve got a lot of houses to visit today.”

  Confused, he grabbed his bag from her bedroom and gave her a kiss at the door. Was she embarrassed of him? Did she want to keep their relationship a secret from her family as well? Jack didn’t know what to make of it. Yesterday their relationship seemed perfect and Bridget was relaxed and normal, and now suddenly she was uptight and closed off.

  Was she worried what her sister would say about her dating her boss? Did Carly know about Lionel? That could explain why Bridget was in such a rush to get him out of her house. But it didn’t stop the hurt.

  He backed out of her driveway and gave a wave. Maybe the weekend thing suited her fine, and anything more – like him meeting her family – was too much of a commitment. He pushed aside his disappointment. He wasn’t going to worry. He’d ask her about it if it happened again.

  Jack made a quick stop at Hal’s place to grab the list of houses he’d shortlisted. If Bridget was acting so weird about him meeting Carly, there was no way she’d agree with his idea to move in with her. He needed to find somewhere else to stay. The situation at Hal’s was getting uncomfortable, but luckily Tanya and Hal had gone away for the weekend to celebrate their engagement.

  Hopefully he’d find somewhere else to live today.

  * * *

  By the end of the day Jack had had enough. The house hunting had been a complete waste of time. Nothing grabbed him and he couldn’t block out the voice in his head that kept asking, would Bridget like it as well?

  He did not want to explore why he was thinking those things. He’d known her less than a month, why would she care about the house he bought?

  But if they did make it work, he wanted something she would like as well.

  Jack was sitting on the back deck, sipping a beer when Hal and Tanya arrived home from their weekend away.

  “Jack?” Hal called.

  “Out back.” He stood and wandered inside to make sure his brother had heard. He’d made the mistake of not checking once before and had gone into the kitchen ten minutes later to catch Hal and Tanya in a compromising position.

  Both Hal and Tanya had huge grins on their faces and they were holding hands. What now?

  “We’re married,” they said in unison.

  Jack’s mouth dropped open. They had to be kidding. Tanya flashed her hand at him and there were two rings now on her left hand.

  “We were staying in this cute little bed and breakfast and the owner was a wedding officiant. I said to Hal, why wait? We could get married right away and avoid all the fuss and expense of a wedding. I got the license last week after we got engaged and the owner had nothing else booked.”

  “Congratulations.” Jack forced himself forward and hugged Tanya, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Welcome to the family.” He had no idea why they were in such a rush, why they couldn’t wait. He turned to his brother and slapped him on the back. “Have you told Mom and Dad?”

  “Not yet. We’re going to do that now.”

  Jack knew his father wouldn’t care, but he wasn’t sure how his mother was going to react. Her youngest son getting married without her knowing was likely to upset her. But neither Hal nor Tanya would have considered that.

  “I’ll talk to her when you do and ask to move in with her.” Jack wasn’t sticking around now they were married.

  Tanya grabbed his hand. “Don’t feel like you have to move out because of this.”

  He smiled. “It’s no problem. You two deserve to have the house to yourself.” Besides he was pretty sure her concern was only a token.

  She beamed at him.

  “Have you told Bridget you’re moving out?” Jack asked. “Is she going to be able to afford to live on her own?”

  The surprise and then guilt that crossed her face told him Tanya hadn’t even considered her best friend. He managed to stop himself from frowning. Tanya was a genuinely nice person, but she didn’t think much further past what she wanted.

  “I’ll keep paying the rent until the lease agreement is up,” she said.

  “What about water and other utilities?”

  She hesitated. “But I won’t be living there.”

  And yet the consumption would stay about the same, and Tanya knew it.

  “I’ll go start packing.” Jack was annoyed and he didn’t want to ruin their good mood by saying something he shouldn’t.

  Moving in with Bridget would be the perfect solution now Tanya had left her in a lurch, but he hated the thought she might feel forced into accepting it.

  He wanted her to want to spend time with him as much as he wanted to spend time with her.

  * * *

  Bridget’s cell rang as she was saying goodbye to Carly. She answered the phone as she waved her sister off.

  “Bridge, it’s me. I’ve got amazing news.”

  She smiled at Tanya’s excited tone and unlocked the front door to the house. What was it this time? “Well tell me.”

  “Hal and I got married.”

  Her steps faltered and she sunk down on her bed. “You got married?” she repeated, hoping her ears were playing tricks on her.

  “Yeah.” She giggled. “There wasn’t any point in waiting, or having a big fancy wedding. We’ll have a party and invite everyone in a couple of weeks, but weddings are so hard to organize and we didn’t want to wait.”

  Bridget shook her head. She knew Tanya was impulsive. This should not surprise her in the least.

  But it did.

  And it also worried her. How was she going to afford this place on her own? They were already living in a house that was more expensive than Bridget would have liked because Tanya had fallen in love with it and had insisted on taking this one. Her budget wouldn’t stretch to paying all of the rent and all of the bills.

  “Don’t you need a marriage license?”

  “I got one last week.” She grinned. “I’ll still pay my share of the rent,” Tanya said. “I don’t want to leave you out of pocket. But you’ll be fine. You always manage.”

  Bridget tamped down her anger. This was her best friend’s day – a time for celebration not accusations. Tanya had always been like this – spontaneous and short-sighted. “I’d better advertise for a roommate tomorrow,” she said. “Congratulations, Mrs. Gibbs.”

  Tanya squealed and Bridget winced, holding the phone away from her ear. “Thanks so much! I knew you’d understand.”

  Bridget shook her head. “When are you going to move in?”

  “I don’t know. Probably not until next weekend. I need to pack my things.”

  Jack was going to love living with the love birds. Unless he had somewhere else to go. “What’s Jack going to do?”

  “He’s going to move in with his mom.”

  Of course. That made sense.

  Tanya gasped. “He could move in with you instead,” she said. “He could have my room and you could split the bills.”

  “No.” Bridget’s response was instantaneous. She didn’t need the complication.

  “Why not? It makes perfect sense,” Tanya said. “You’re seeing each other and you need someone to help pay the bills.”

  Bridget frowned. Tanya was never this practical. Not unless it suited her own needs. And this did, perfectly. She shook
her head. “No, Tanya. Don’t even mention it to him. We’ve only just started dating.”

  “Come on, Bridge. It’s a great solution.”

  She didn’t care. “Promise me, Tanya. Promise you won’t say anything to him.”

  Her friend gave a deep sigh. “All right. I’d better go, we need to tell our parents. I’ll talk to you later.”

  Bridget hung up and then wandered into the kitchen. She needed to crunch some numbers. When she was finished she sat back with a sigh. Even with Tanya paying half the rent, the rest of the bills were too much for her on her own. She was still paying off the loan on her truck and doing the diving lessons had wiped out most of her savings.

  There was no way around it, she was going to have to find another roommate. She couldn’t remember anyone at work mentioning they needed a place to stay. Opening up an internet browser, she searched for a forum where people were looking for a roommate. Though she didn’t want to invite a stranger to live with her.

  Carly would always give her a loan but Bridget wasn’t going to ask her. Too many people took advantage of Carly that way. Just because she had money, didn’t mean she should have to bail everyone out when they had problems. Bridget would solve this on her own.

  Tanya’s suggestion flicked through her thoughts. She sighed. Jack moving in made the most sense. And even worse, the idea appealed to her.

  She enjoyed being with Jack, whether it was talking about safety at work, or chatting about the Texans’ chance this year. She could picture sharing the house with him. But Bridget was far more practical than Tanya. She didn’t leap into adventures without thinking them through. She considered everything.

  But it was practical. Tanya was moving in with Hal, Jack was moving out, and Bridget needed a new roommate. It was win-win any way she looked at it.

  But what would people at work say when they found out? And they would find out, she was sure of it. If she and Jack were sharing a house, it wouldn’t be a weekend-only affair any more.

  That made the whole deal too complicated.

  * * *

  Jack looked up at the knock on his bedroom door.