The Bosun: A Military Romance (Love is Blind Book 3) by Harlow Layne (ebook reader play store txt) 📕

hot day. For the first time in this charter, I wasn’t looking forward to seeing Stella. I let Scout and Owen go back to the boat to pick them up while I helped with the last-minute details of the setup. The atmosphere was charged with hostility coming from O. She was snapping orders at her girls left and right and sending daggers my way. I wasn’t sure what she thought was going to happen. Did she really think I was going to let her spout her lies about me and do nothing?

Once done and waiting for the guys to be back with the guests, I pulled O to the side so the other two girls wouldn’t overhear.

“What do you want?” She wouldn’t look at me as she stood with her hands on her hips.

“You gave me no choice but to tell them the truth. I wasn’t going to say anything to Jolene and Kylie.” I was, but she didn’t need to know the timetable.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” O turned to me with her narrowed gaze all but drilling into me. “All I’ve said was the truth from day one.”

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath so I wouldn’t yell at her. My fists opened and closed as I tried to rein myself in. “While I don’t know everything you’ve said, I’ve heard some, and what I’ve heard has no founding. You blatantly lied.”

O got in my face, poking my chest with her fingernail with each word she spoke. “Don’t believe all the precious words coming out of her mouth. It’s her who’s lying to you.”

Throwing my head back, I laughed. O had no idea that I had overheard her talking to Stella. “She didn’t tell me anything.” Her lips parted, probably ready to spew more lies, but I was done. “No one said a word to me. It was my own two ears that caught your lies, and I’m here to tell you that it needs to stop. I don’t want my name on your lips ever again, do you hear me? I will make your life a living hell if I even catch wind that you’ve said my name in any manner that isn’t involved directly with work.”

An ugly smirk spread across her face. “And I can go to the Captain and get you fired.”

“Do it. Unlike you, I have other skill sets besides what lies on that boat. I’ve got bigger aspirations than being a Bosun for the rest of my life.”

Ophelia let out a frustrated noise and stomped off.

On the horizon, I could see Owen and Scout bringing our guests and braced for impact. I wasn’t sure if I’d made things worse with O or if she’d keep her big mouth shut. At this point, I couldn’t say. It was like she was living in an alternate timeline where we’d been together ever since our one-time hookup.

Turning back to the girls, they quickly went back to work as if they hadn’t likely heard every word O and I had spoken. I didn’t care. All I had was my pride, and there wasn’t much of that since my time in the military, and I wasn’t going to let anyone take what I had away.

None of the women looked my way as Scout and Owen helped them off the boat and onto the shore. As the guests were served drinks, Scout came over to me, his lips set in a fine line.

“What the hell happened while we were away?”

Keeping my eyes on Stella, who was avoiding me at all costs, I gave Scout the shortened version. “I had to set O straight. She’d been telling lies about me to the girls and the guests. I called her out on it and told her under no circumstance did I want to hear my name come out of her mouth to anyone or I’d go to the Captain.”

When I was done, I looked to my side where Scout stood. “Is it that far of a stretch that O’s gone mental?”

We both laughed at that, causing everyone’s eyes to drift over to us and then away as quickly as they came.

“Maybe you should go back, and we’ll radio you when we’re ready to leave. Write Stella a note explaining the circumstances and leave it in her room. Because if the Captain sees how they’re all trying to avoid you, he’s going to start asking questions.”

Scout was right. It would be bad if the Captain thought I was making the guests uncomfortable. I think in his eyes that would be worse than sleeping with a guest.

“I think I’m going to take you up on that. It’s not like I’m needed here. I did what I came to do.” I stepped away and started in the direction of the water.

“Remy,” Scout called after me. When I turned around, he was right there. His voice was only a whisper on the breeze. “Are you going to try and make it better?”

Nodding, I backed away. “I’m going to do my best.”

As I walked to the boat, I could feel eyes on me, but I didn’t turn back. I didn’t want to see them look away again. Especially Stella.

Once I was back on Seas the Day, I went to my room, trying to find a piece of paper and pen with no luck. I knew Dean would have something since he was always making lists for food orders and menus.

Dean was cleaning up his kitchen when I stepped inside. He always kept it clean enough you could eat off the floors if you had to.

He must have heard me walk in because he didn’t turn around to greet me. “Hey, what are you doing back?”

“First of all, how did you know it was me?”

He shrugged as he kept cleaning. “Who else would it be? Plus, you walk like a ten-ton elephant when you’re distracted.”

“A ten-ton elephant, huh?” I came to stand on the other side of the counter from him. “Can I borrow