Shane Gibson looked at his bank account and pressed Send on another payment towards the loan he never seemed to make any progress against. The nurse practitioner had taken to the high seas, serving with a ship’s doctor, to cut away some of the debt his parents had saddled him with.
Over a year at sea and the balance still ate away at him.
The credit cards they’d opened in Shane's name were all shut, but the payments were technically his responsibility, according to the authorities. Unless he wanted to charge his parents with fraud.
He’d thought about it, but couldn’t bring himself to follow through. They’d not been grateful for that sacrifice. So, he'd cut off all contact before he set sail.
The dreams he’d had vanished when the reality of their crime had set in. He’d probably never own a home or get married—no way he was bogging anyone else down with this. His parents had stolen his future and then called him selfish when all he’d asked for was an apology.
“You stare any harder at that screen and your eyes might bore holes in it. It’s not the best machine, but it is technically the only thing we have to reach back to the mainland.” Dr. Nicole Sapson leaned against the counter on the opposite side of their small clinic, her fingers playing with the end of her loose braid. Her luxurious dark hair, with streaks of gold, and the light freckles dotting along her long nose, played a role in far too many of Shane's dreams.
Her amber gaze always made his heart race. The woman was accomplished, intelligent, gorgeous, witty. In short, perfection. And completely out of his league.
“We won’t get a new one at port if this is technically still working. Maybe I'm doing us a favor.” Shane winked, feeling his spirit rise as he smiled at Nicole. She had that effect on everyone.
The woman was calm when the boat was rocking back and forth. Steel when handling emergencies. And always kind.
She tilted her head and he swallowed. “You were frowning. Hard.” She waited for a moment then pressed on, “Are you alright?”
“Yeah, of course.” The answer came too swiftly. It bounced off the clinic’s walls—at least in Shane’s ears.
Nicole raised a brow, but she didn’t push. That was one of the things he enjoyed about their friendship. They knew their present. He knew she liked ice cream. Was far too worried that karma might catch up to everyone. Would head to a spa for a massage and manicure when they got to port. And afterward meet him for dinner at a dive place he’d scouted out.
But their past? He knew Nicole had lived on the east coast of the US. He was pretty sure he’d told her he was from Texas. Honestly, though, he wasn’t sure.
She had no judgment for what his parents did. And no pity.
Because she doesn’t know.
Nicole walked over to the computer and frowned down at the machine. “I don’t want you taking on bad karma for a computer but, if you can think of a way to break this thing that won’t make them take it out of my paycheck, so we get a new one, you would be my hero.”
She smelled like cinnamon. He wasn’t sure how that was possible on a research vessel where the food was filling but hardly tasty, but Nicole always had a hint of the spice on her.
He gave a silly salute. “Your wish is my command.”
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