Romance on the Edge 01 - Hooked

trouble.” He wrapped his hand over hers where it rested on his arm. “You’ve had too many ‘accidents.’ Peter could have died today. You need to watch out for Aidan.”
    “I have no delusions where Aidan is concerned. He helped us today, and I’m grateful, but that doesn’t mean all is forgotten.”
    His eyes bored into hers. “What do you mean by that?”
    “Nothing. Now, is there anything else I can do for you, officer?” His hand tightened over hers as she tried to yank it free.
    “I’m not the kind of man who falls for the brush off. What’s between you and Aidan?”
    “Nothing,” she repeated. “We’ve already been over this.”
    “Fine.” His expression hardened. “What was between you?”
    The man wasn’t going to let it go and in order to end this conversation and send him on his way, she would have to give a little. “Aidan’s always been sweet on me. Last summer we fell together.”
    “Fell together?”
    “I thought I could love him, okay.”
    He flexed his jaw. “Thought you could?”
    She yanked her hand free and he let her go. She paced away from him, bent to pick a yellow flower, and raised it to her nose. “We fit, at least initially. We enjoy the same things. Value the same things. But…”
    “But?”
    She turned back to him. “Will you stop that?”
    “Stop what?”
    “That. Repeating what I say, making it a question.” She slapped a mosquito, and then flicked the bug off her arm.
    “Sonya, I’m a cop, which means I’m a detail kind of man. You’re damn good at giving half-truths. You want me to stop. Better start giving me full answers.”
    She stared at him and then gritted out, “Aidan and I just didn’t fit.”
    “What happened, Sonya?”
    She huffed out a breath. “We fought over me wanting to drift. Among other things.”
    “Why?”
    She tossed the flower aside. “That’s just it. I don’t know why. I don’t understand why a fisherman wouldn’t want to catch as much fish as he can. Believe me, I know getting into drifting isn’t for everyone. First, it’s a hell of an investment. I’ve been fishing out here all my life and I wanted more. To me, investing in drifting made good sense.”
    “Aidan didn’t see it that way?”
    “No, he refused to understand that I believe the risk is worth the return. Or will be. He wouldn’t see my side of it. He wasn’t willing to compromise.”
    “Neither were you,” he pointed out.
    “Why should I be the one to compromise? Because I’m a woman?” She threw her hands in the air. “I’ve dreamed of doing this all my life. So did my dad. He’d been geared up to drift when…”
    “When?” he prompted.
    Waves of sorrow swirled in the air around her. Was the past repeating itself?
    “When he was killed.” Sonya shook her head trying to clear it. “My dad’s death has nothing to do with Peter going for an unscheduled swim.”
    “Sonya.” His voice changed, became softer and had the effect of her fearing what he had to say next. “Wes was found unconscious and the Double Dippin’ adrift.”
    “ What ? Is he—” She couldn’t voice the question, didn’t know if she could handle the answer.
    “He’s going to be fine. Wanda checked him over and released him. He’ll have a hell of a headache, but he’ll be okay.”
    Sonya released a breath, but her hands shook. “What happened?”
    “The details are sketchy. From witness accounts we’ve been able to put together the following scenario. Someone boarded the Double Dippin’ when she was tied at the cannery’s dock, hit Wes over the head and then cut the boat loose. The boat drifted free until it ran into the Miss Julie II . Treat jumped aboard the Double Dippin’ and found Wes. That’s when we were notified.”
    “Where are Wes and the Double Dippin’ now?”
    “She’s beached about a half mile from the cannery. Wes is back onboard waiting for the incoming tide. I’ve already checked the boat over, but you’ll want to have a double look.” He took a step closer to her. “Kendrick’s slipped from our radar. We’re looking for him right now. In the meantime, who else might have it out for you, Sonya?”
    Her eyes slid to the side and then back to his. “I don’t know who would do something like this.”
    “Yes, you do. Who were you thinking of just now? Harte?”
    “No, absolutely not. Aidan wouldn’t be behind anything like this.”
    “As much as I’d like to question Harte regarding this, he happens to have a damn