Freshwater Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story

by Lakes, Krista

  Freshwater Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story

  by Krista Lakes

  Published by Zirconia Publishing, Inc., 2013.

  This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  FRESHWATER KISSES: A BILLIONAIRE LOVE STORY

  First edition. November 13, 2013.

  Copyright © 2013 Krista Lakes.

  Written by Krista Lakes.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Epilogue

  A special thanks to Marina Maddix

  About the Editor

  Check out my other works!

  For my son's Grammy:

  I am lucky to have someone so wonderful in my life who also reads my books.

  Chapter 1

  Eleven Years Ago...

  The bright sunshine sparkled on the blue water, turning the sea into a giant twinkling gemstone; the waves shushed against our small boat in loving caresses, begging us to stay out on the ocean just a little longer. I wanted to stay out on the water with Robbie forever. Today was my last day with my best friend.

  I played with the end of a rope, hoping that the day would just freeze and that I wouldn't have to leave. My dad had quit his job with DS Oil and Gas to start out on his own and now we were having to move. I didn't understand why he wanted to quit; things were good the way they were. I was happy. I liked my middle school, I liked this neighborhood, but mostly, I liked being with my best friend. Moving was going to take all of it away.

  The other boats from our sailing class were already tied at the docks and the students and instructors were getting ready to go home. Robbie and I sat out in our sailboat, sails down and bobbing gently on the waves, pretending that the class wasn't over yet. Our instructor, Mr. Henderson, was still out on the water in the boat next to us, but he understood why Robbie and I didn't want to go back to shore. This was the last time we were going to sail together. Mr. Henderson just sat in his small dinghy, pretending not to see us dawdling. There was a reason he was my favorite teacher.

  "Hey, Robbie, come here! You have got to see this fish!" I cried out, peering down at the water. There was no fish, but I knew Robbie couldn't resist. He fell for this every time.

  "Really? Coming!" Robbie hurried over, his skinny frame brushing against mine as he came to see what I was looking at. As soon as he leaned over the edge, I gave his shoulders a strong push, and he toppled into the blue water with a yell.

  "Yup, it's a Robbie-fish!" I yelled, laughing as he surfaced. He sputtered and wiped the water out of his green eyes. He made a face at me and started swimming to the rear of the boat where he could climb back up. Our boat was a simple two-person sailboat. It didn't have a motor and was just the right size to teach two kids how to sail.

  "Hey, help me up," he called from the side of the boat. I knew what was coming, but I reached my hand out toward his. This was tradition with us. Our hands met, his hand cold and wet as he wrapped his fingers around my wrist. His small arms yanked down hard; Robbie was much stronger than he looked, and he easily toppled me off the boat and into the water.

  The cold water made me gasp; my mouth filling with cold, salty brine. I surfaced and wiped my eyes, spitting out a mouthful of ocean at Robbie's face. The two of us looked at one another and giggled. As we tread water, he splashed me and I splashed him back. I loved this; I didn't want it to end.

  "Come on, you two, it's time to head back in," Mr. Henderson called. I sighed. Robbie lifted himself out of the water and into the boat. I followed, wringing the water out of my blonde ponytail, and leaving a trail of water across the deck.

  Robbie raised the mainsail, keeping the smaller jib sails down. It was easier to manage the tricky maneuver into the dock with only one sail to worry about. I took the tiller and began steering the boat back to shore.

  The wind was just right to sail smoothly into the wooden dock. Robbie had the dock lines ready and he jumped easily to the dock and tied up the boat. I started bringing down the sail and tying everything up to prepare the boat for the night. Our instructor sailed in easily behind us, Robbie catching his ropes and trying him to the dock as well.

  "Good job, you two," Mr. Henderson praised as he watched us carefully. "Pop quiz: Sam, what are the names of the sails and what do they do?"

  "The sails are the mainsail and the jib. The mainsail is the big sail that gives most of the power and the jib is the smaller sail in front that increases speed and improves handling," I answered.

  "Very good. Now, Robbie, tell me about rigging and sheets."

  Robbie finished tying off one of the ropes that held the instructor's dinghy to the dock before standing and answering.

  "The rigging is the cables and ropes that support the mast and sails. The lines that control the sails are called sheets, and they are held in place by cleats and winches. You use a winch to tighten the sheet to trim, or adjust and position the sails to go faster." It would have been the perfect answer, if his voice hadn't cracked, dropping him from boyish soprano to a manly bass mid-sentence. I managed to keep the smile off my face since I knew he hated when that happened. Robbie ran his hand through his hair, sending little water droplets flying through the air as he tried to look nonchalant about it.

  The instructor gave us both a big smile, completely ignoring Robbie's puberty crisis. "Very good, you two. Everything looks all tied up here. Good job today." He paused and put his hands on my shoulders. "Sam, I'm sorry that this is our last class together. You are an amazing sailor and I'm so glad I got to have you as a student. Keep at it, and I'll be cheering for you at the Olympics in a few years."

  I leaned forward and gave him a hug, feeling my wet clothes soaking his dry ones. He hugged me back before letting go.

  "I'll see you next week, Robbie. Sam, good luck with everything," he said as he pulled away. He gave us both smiles and turned and walked away. I watched him go down the dock like I had after every sailing lesson, but today I felt my heart sink because it was my last lesson. As soon as my dad arrived to take me away, this would all be over. Now that I was off the boat, the fact that I was leaving was suddenly very real.

  Robbie must have sensed my sadness, so he grabbed my hand and pulled me down the dock. "Come on, let's go rinse off," he said. His hand was warm in mine, and I hoped he wouldn't let go. He was my best friend. We had been paired up as sailing partners when we first started sailing, and now, I didn't want to sail with anyone else. I didn't want to leave and have to start over. I wished again that Dad wasn't quitting his job. This sucked.

  At the end of the dock was a small spigot with a banged-up white bucket next to it. Robbie let go of my hand and turned it on, filling the bucket with freshwater. I watched the clear liquid sparkle in the afternoon sun as it filled the pail. It seemed to take forever, but I was glad. I wanted to stay here forever. I wanted to stay with Robbie.

  "Do you have a house in Texas yet?" Robbie asked. His eyes stayed on the bucket, watching it fill up slowly. Our hands had found their way back together again.

  "No. He's not even sure if we'll actually end u
p there. I don't know why he can't just keep working for your dad. He says he's wanted to start his own company for a long time and this is the best opportunity, but... I don't care. I don't want to move," I said. Robbie squeezed my hand.

  "My dad doesn't want yours to go, but there isn't anything he can do about it. You promise you'll keep in touch? Maybe you can come back to New York for Christmas or something?" Hope raised Robbie's voice an octave.

  "I hope so. That would be great." It was my turn to squeeze Robbie's hand. "I'm going to miss you."

  "Me too," he said softly. There was a note of hurt in his voice that made me feel even more awful. Despite being a billionaire's son, Robbie didn't have a lot of friends. It was usually just him and me. Sometimes Gavin would join us, and we'd be the Three Musketeers, but Gavin didn't like to sail. Robbie and I lived for sailing. I wasn't sure what I was going to do without him.

  Robbie turned off the water, and then dipped a finger into the bucket to test the temperature.

  "It's warm today," he said, turning to me with a grin. Some days it was ice cold, but the sun had been shining all day. Warm was always better.

  A car's brakes squeaked in the parking lot, and I saw my father's black Mercedes pulling into a parking space. We didn't have much time. Robbie saw it too, and so he lifted the bucket over our heads. We would just have to share the bucket this time, pouring it over both of us to rinse off the salt.

  I stepped in close to him, feeling my heart start to beat faster. I didn't know why, but being around Robbie recently made my heart start to pound. He was my best friend, but I could feel my body starting to ask for more. I wondered if he felt the same way.

  Robbie steadied the bucket and then slowly tipped it over to cascade the water down over the two of us. I moved without thinking, leaning forward and kissing him on the lips. The water sparkled around us in the sunshine as I pressed my mouth against his.

  Robbie froze. The bucket fell from his hands with a clatter. My father's voice called my name, and I gave Robbie a hug, squeezing my eyes shut tight. I didn't want to let him go, but I knew I had to. He wrapped his arms around me and squeezed back, holding me like he was never going to let go.

  "Samantha? It's time to leave," my father called from the car. I had to go. Robbie's arms slowly released me, and I stepped back. There were tears in his green eyes.

  "Bye, Robbie," I whispered and darted away as fast as I could. I didn't want him to see me cry.

  I ran to the car, leaving a trail of wet footprints behind me. My dad was standing in the open door of his car, resting his arms on the frame as he waited for me. I knew there would be dry towels in the back seat for me to sit on.

  I slammed the door shut, wrapping a towel around me like a blanket. I wiped at my nose, feeling the tears trickle down my face. Dad's door closed, and he backed out of the parking lot. He stayed quiet, letting me have a moment alone. Through the window I could still see Robbie standing there, the bucket rolling gently at his feet.

  The car backed out, and I pressed a hand to the glass to wave goodbye. Robbie mirrored my gesture, raising his hand toward me. The car turned down the street, and Robbie was gone.

  Chapter 2

  I pulled into the driveway and turned off the engine. It was a cute little house, quaint with a big white door. It looked like something a grandmother would live in, which was appropriate because Betty lived here, my niece’s grandmother. Or rather, she had lived here.

  Sighing as I leaned back in the truck's seat, I still couldn't believe I was here, but family has to stick together. My sister, Grace, needed me. When she called to tell me Betty had died, I packed my truck the next day. Grace wouldn’t officially ask me to move in, but Grace was going to have a rough time without Betty’s help watching her daughter.

  Five years old and one of the smartest little kids I had ever met, Avery was incredibly independent and a total handful. It wasn't that she misbehaved; but just like her dad, she was too smart for her own good and she had an impulsive spirit, just like her father. Often, she didn't think before she acted.

  I wondered how well Grace was holding up. She was strong, but I was sure Betty's death was taking its toll on her. She had already lost so much; the death of one more person close to her seemed cruel. Our parents died when I was fifteen and Grace was nineteen. She had petitioned the courts and taken legal guardianship of me. It was just us; two teenage girls taking on the world. But, together, we survived.

  The truck groaned slightly as it settled. I closed my eyes, thinking back on how things had been and how we got to this point.

  Grace and her boyfriend, Evan, finished raising me after Mom and Dad died. I had been excited when Grace told Evan she was pregnant a year after the three of us had moved in together. I was sixteen at the time and thought having a baby around the house would be fun. Evan joined the Army so that he could support his growing family, and he married Grace in a simple ceremony in front of an Army chaplain before Avery was born. Money was tight, but we were happy. We were a family.

  Evan worked so hard to keep Grace, Avery, and me comfortable. We were "his girls," and we traveled from base to base across the country wherever the Army sent him. Things were good, the future looked bright. Then I came home one day to find a man in uniform with a flag tucked under his arm and an apologetic look on his face. Evan's impulsive spirit had cost him dearly. The Army chaplain said he didn't even hesitate to run into the fire and had saved three lives because of it. Avery was only three.

  After Evan died, his mother, Betty, asked Grace and Avery to come live with her. I had a sailing scholarship waiting for me in California, so I went off to school while Grace and Avery moved back to the East Coast. I visited as often as I could, but even with my sailing competitions occasionally sending me back East, I only saw them at Christmas and spring break. I missed them, but my sailing career was taking off. Well, I thought, it had been.

  Without air conditioning, the truck’s cabin started to heat up. It was still early summer, but the late afternoon sun beat through the windshield. It felt almost good in a drowsy sort of way, but I knew before long it would become unbearable. I was rather excited, looking forward to a shower and a night in a real bed. Traveling cross-country in an old beat-up pickup with barely enough money to pay for gas, let alone a decent hotel, made for some uncomfortable nights stretched out across the passenger seat.

  A little face framed with dark blonde hair appeared in the front window of the house, as I turned into the driveway and shut off the car. Blue eyes peered out at me and a huge grin spread across her face when I waved. My time in the driveway was over. Even from the car, I could hear her little voice shouting, "AUNT SAM'S HERE! MOM! AUNT SAM'S HERE!"

  The old truck’s door gave a metallic sigh when I opened it, and I stretched as soon as I could stand. My butt was numb from sitting for so long. The slight breeze was cool after being in the car, and it felt amazing. Even though we were at least a mile inland, I could almost smell the ocean. One upside to moving here was a fantastic little marina just a mile away. Not that I had a boat or anyone to sail it with, but at least it was there.

  The front door of the house made a thud against the wall after Avery threw it open and ran screaming joyfully into the driveway. Kneeling just in time to have her little arms slam around my neck, she giggled with delight as I squeezed her back. I held her at arm's length and looked her up and down.

  "Hmm, maybe you know where I can find my niece,” I said with a fake frown. “She looks a lot like you, but she isn't nearly as tall. And my niece is definitely cleaner." Spaghetti sauce streaked Avery’s face, and I was fairly sure that was glitter glue in her hair. Her shirt, and now mine, was covered in flour. I could just bet that her mom was eager for the little monster to start school in a couple months.

  "It's me, Aunt Sam! Mom and I made cookies!" Avery grinned proudly. "And I lost a tooth yesterday and the Tooth Fairy gave me a whole dollar! And Mom said that we can go to the store later and I can buy something, and..
."

  "Let your aunt breathe, Avery. You can tell her your life story once we get her inside," Grace said, interrupting the stream of bubbly words coming from the excited five year old. "I thought you weren't going to be here until tomorrow?"

  I stood up and gave my sister a hug. Her blue eyes were tired with dark circles underneath, but she still grinned and firmly returned my hug. I wondered just how much sleep she had, or hadn’t, been getting.

  "I got woken up at the rest stop by some guy's car alarm going off at two in the morning, so I just got on the road early,” I said. “Avery mentioned something about cookies?"

  Grace’s laugh brightened her features.

  Avery grabbed my hand. "We made chocolate chip, and sugar, and Mom let me decorate them, and..."

  "And I'm guessing she let you eat a couple of them too," I butted in. Avery gave me a toothy grin as she pulled me into the door. The house was cool and comfortable. It was just the way I remembered it from my last visit.

  I sat down at the worn, wooden kitchen table while Avery chattered on about how she had decorated this cookie and that cookie. Grace poured me a tall glass of lemonade that I slowly sipped. She frowned slightly at a knock on the door, but before she could move, Avery sprinted to answer it.

  "Avery, remember to look out the window before..." Grace called out as the door pinged against the wall again. "Before you answer it." Grace sighed, I set down my drink, and together we followed the chatter to the front door.

  A big man in a sheriff's uniform was in the doorway, already down on one knee and listening to Avery's barrage of words. He was at least twenty years older than Grace and me, but he had a kind face. Rising as soon as he saw us, he flashed Grace and me a big smile.

  "So this is your Aunt Sam," he said in a deep voice as he extended a hand toward me. "It's nice to finally meet you. I can see the family resemblance."

  "Really?" I asked, taking his hand. Most people were surprised Grace and I were sisters. We both had dark blonde hair, but where she was tall and petite, I was shorter and stockier. "Most people don't."