Shattered: A Salvation Society Novel Bella Emy (best ebook reader for laptop .TXT) 📖

a moment before turning serious. “Years ago, I was out on my ship one day, sailing, just like we’ve been doing, and I saw the sign to this place once I got close enough to land. I was planning on stopping for lunch and figured what the hell. When I saw that it was a pancake house, I immediately thought of you.”

I swallow hard. His confession hits me hard when I didn’t even expect it. How do I tell him that every time I’d thought about him before this past week, I used to be so mad, thinking of our past and what he put me through? How do I tell him that I had the hardest time moving on, that saying good-bye to him when he wasn’t even decent enough to tell me to my face that he no longer wanted to be with me was one of the worst things I’d ever had to go through in my life. Or would it even matter for me to tell him any of this? Would he even care? I mean, the past is the past, right, and up until a few days ago, I didn’t even want to be around him.

But now?

“Lexi, you okay?” he asks, interrupting my thoughts.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine.”

He smiles. “Good because our day hasn’t even really gotten started yet. Finish up and then we can go onto our next adventure.”

“Next adventure?”

He winks and then nods again. He wipes his mouth with a napkin and takes a sip from his cup.  Then he says, “That’s right. I think you’re really going to love this one.

I’ve already loved everything he’s done for me so far. I can’t wait to see what he’s got planned next for me.

Half an hour later, we find ourselves back on Kalen’s ship out on the sea. Although he did say we are going to be sticking around here for the rest of the day, this is where he’s brought me to prepare for the next surprise.

Yeah, prepare. That was the word he used. My mind can’t help but wonder what in the world he’s up to right about now.

“Okay, Lexi. Are you ready?” he asks me after a few more moments.

“It depends,” I respond.

“Depends?”

I shrug. “You wanted me to prepare myself for something. I’m not sure I’m ready for whatever that may be.”

He laughs lightly and the sound of it sends my heart flying. “Oh, silly, beautiful girl.”

The words momentarily bring me back to the past when he used to call me by that exact phrase. Thankfully, he continues talking, and I don’t get to dwell on it much.

“Don’t worry. It’s going to be fine. But we needed to come back here to change.”

“Change?” I have to change out of these comfortable clothes? But it’s not even nighttime yet to wear the evening outfit he had picked out for me.

He places one of his hands at his side. “Let me explain. Remember how when you found the box with the clothing in the bathroom, there was only a morning and evening ensemble?”

I nod. Yeah, and that note…

“Remember how there was a message in between those outfits saying an afternoon outfit wouldn’t be necessary?

Again, I nod. Because I’m too stupid to say anything right now. I just picture myself slowly peeling off my clothing in front of Kalen downstairs in the lower level of his ship.

“Well, that’s because I need you to change into your swimsuit. I didn’t pick one out for you because it would have given away my next plan… you would have known it had to do with water. You did pack one, right? If not, we can pick something up at one of the stores offshore.”

His words pull me out of my thoughts faster than the speed of light. “Uh-huh, I’ve got one.”

He smiles. “Good, so go on and change, beautiful, and then we can get to the next thing on our list.”

I turn on my heels and head downstairs to change. Guess this is going to be an interesting afternoon.

I adjust the top portion of my black bikini, and in my mind, I curse myself. I could have really used a one-piece right about now. But no. I had to go ahead and pack the bikini. Because I’m not self-conscious or anything right now.

Facepalm. Facepalm. Facepalm.

As I’m about to climb up the stairs to meet Kalen on the top deck, he starts coming down them. He stops dead in his tracks once he’s low enough to lock his eyes with mine.

His jaw practically drops to the ground, but nevertheless, he manages to speak. Sort of. “Le-Lexi… wow.”

I let out a soft laugh, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “Is this too much?”

“It’s too little… I mean, it’s perfect. I mean, damn, you look great. Wow. Jesus. Hi, I’m Kalen.”

I laugh again. Guess he likes it after all.

“I was just about to come upstairs. Are we ready to get going?” I ask him, but he’s still got that stupefied look on his face. Oh, if only Erin could see him now, looking at me the way he is. She’d have a field day with this for sure.

He shakes his head, blinks twice, and then says, “Great, yeah. We’ll get off now.” He turns on his heels and starts back up the stairs.

I follow him up, and once we reach the deck, he walks over to one of the benches near the helm and picks up a white shirt. He turns to face me and says, “I hate to do this, but you’ll want to throw this on top.”

He tosses me the shirt and I grab it in the air. I frown. “You really don’t like my bikini.”

His eyes practically bulge out of his head, and he swallows hard. “Quite the contrary. I like it a little too much, but my fear is that so will every John, and Richie, and Tony where we are about to go. I can’t have them all ogling over