Island Treasures, Book 1 excerpt

Another excerpt from Island Treasures, Book 1.
Enjoy!

As he stood, Skip placed his hands on his lean hips. “Listen,Abby, I need to ask you something. You know I have toask this, and why I’m asking it, don’t you?”

“No beating around the bush, eh? You’re just goingstraight to the center of this old mess, aren’t you? Well, let’sjust get it out of the way then.”

“I can’t afford to beat around the bush. Well? Do youknow what I’m asking you here?”

“You want to know if I’ll have a problem working on thisproject. Working with Jon, that is. That’s why you came forme yourself, instead of sending some of the crew to fetch me,isn’t it?” Now it made sense to her. At first she’d been surprisedto see the head man meet the ferry but now she saw the reason behind his actions.

“I won’t deny it,” he said quietly. Without taking his eyesfrom hers, he asked, “So? Are you able to work with Jon? Iknow it’s been a few years—”

“Six.”

“That’s right, six years since the two of you—”

“Parted ways.”

Skip couldn’t resist—a tiny flicker of a smile passedacross his face. “That’s one way to put it, I guess. But you stillhaven’t answered my question, Abigail. Jon Perez is on theCilla Three and I need to know if you can handle it. Right now,before we leave for Hvar. Because if you can’t there’s noplace for you on this sail. You know that, don’t you?”His voice was steady and left no room to wonder abouthow strongly he felt about harmony on his ship. Business wasbusiness, and there was no room for drama in business, not asfar as Skip was concerned. There never had been. Anyonewho worked for him learned that straight off.

“I know it. You’ve always made it clear that personal issueswere to be left on land. On your boats there’s no…whatdo you usually call it, Skip? Wishy-washy-namby-pamby bullshit?Isn’t that the term you use?” When Abby grinned shelooked less like an award-winning photojournalist and morelike a teenager who’d skipped finals in favor of snorkeling.Her golden cap shone in the sun’s rays, her eyes, bluer thannearly any of the world’s oceans, sparkled and when shesmiled her whole face glowed.

“That’s the term. So?”

“I can handle it, Skip. Don’t worry about me, I’m so overJon Perez that I can barely remember what the guy looks like.What happened happened a long time ago, in another lifetimealmost. I won’t have any problem being on board with Jon, Ipromise you. Trust me.”