Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 79190 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79190 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Sunday was two days away.
Dune held Caroline and she let her tears flow. She was extremely torn about what she should do. Deep down, she wanted to stay in Seaport, but there wasn't anything there for her in terms of a job or a place to live. It was too soon for her and Dune to live with each other. Playing house during the summer was one thing, but actually living together, day in and day out, she wasn't ready for anything like that.
And she wasn't sure Dune was ready for a roommate in his tiny home. He had taken her there, and it was smaller than her closet at her parent’s house. Of course, she didn't tell him that because making him feel like less of a man was something she would never do. There was just no way they could live together there, which brought her back to the issue at hand. Caroline had an apartment and a job to start, in a place Dune wouldn't fit in. There was water and he could easily get a job working on the docks. He wouldn't be happy, and she didn't want to be the reason.
They parted. Dune went to take a shower and Caroline went into the bedroom and got dressed for the day. Today would be her last day at Blue Lobster Adventures and tonight, her friends would throw a goodbye party. Tomorrow, she'd pack, clean, and cry her eyes outs.
dune
Dune turned the heat dial to high and pointed the vents to Caroline. He rarely drove this early in the morning, and this was why—the cool morning air was a friend to no one. He should've thought ahead and put the top back on his Bronco or at least borrowed his mom's car, but his head was everywhere other than where it needed to be.
In five hours, he'd be in New York City, a place he had never visited and hadn't ever planned to, until now. Dune didn't like to fail at anything he put his mind to, and that included loving the city the love of his life lived in. They'd make the distance work. He was sure of it.
Thankfully, the cold drive lasted only a few minutes. An uncertain amount of dread filled him when he pulled into the parking lot and shut his truck off. They were quiet. Both staring out over the harbor, watching as fishing boats headed toward the sea. The sound of a train whistle caught Dune's attention.
“You know, I've never paid attention to that whistle until now.”
“I'm used to it,” Caroline mumbled.
They were as different as night and day. No one would ever suspect they were together. Not with her designer clothing and his clearance rack shorts. Where she was perfection, he was a project. Caroline was so out of his league. The fact that she even gave him the time of day made him question her sanity.
“This is going to work.”
“Are you saying that to tell yourself, or for my benefit?” Caroline asked.
“I'm saying it to the universe, so it knows not to fuck things up for us. Once the season winds down, I'll be in the city, drinking espresso and reading the Times while my honey brings home the bacon.”
Caroline laughed. “Maybe you can get a job working on the ferry or something.”
Dune shrugged. He didn't need the money. Not that she knew that. Talking about finances and bank accounts wasn’t something you did in a new relationship. Blue Lobster Adventures was very profitable, and the company made enough money during the summer that he, Speed, Wilson, and Ana didn’t have to work in the off season unless they wanted to. Depending on how soon the weather shifted, they would shut down full-time operations in mid-November, continue with the mimosa tours, private tours, and a few other excursions. Then in March, slowly move to full-time again. Dune intended to take most of this time off and spend it with Caroline.
Another whistle jolted them into action. Dune hopped out and gathered their luggage. Caroline moved slower and clutched the bag she had slung over her shoulder with a death grip.
The train station was quiet. There were a couple of people Dune recognized from the weekend, but that was it. When the PA system announced their trains arrival, Dune and Caroline went to the platform and waited.
“Hopefully, we can sit next to each other.”
“If not, I'll pay them to move,” Dune told her. He had every intention of holding her for the duration of their trip.
They boarded and found seats right away. Caroline sat, taking the window seat, while Dune put their luggage overhead. He sat down and looked for a seatbelt.
“Have you never been on a train before?”
He shook his head. “Not like this,” he told her. “I've done the sightseeing one on the island.”