Expertly, Seth looped the bow line over the post. “Playing errand boy again.” There was a hint of disgust in the tone, but Seth had to work to put it there. “They sent me down from the boatyard. Donuts.”

“Yeah?” Phillip stepped nimbly onto the dock. “Artery cloggers.”

“Real people don’t eat tree bark for breakfast,” Seth sneered. “Just you.”

“And I’ll still be strong and good-looking when you’re a wheezing old man.”

“Maybe, but I’ll have more fun.”

Phillip tugged Seth’s ball cap off, batted him lightly with it. “Depends, pal, on your definition of fun.”

“I guess yours is poking at city girls.”

“That’s one of them. Another is hounding you over your homework. You finish Johnny Tremaine for your book report?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Seth rolled his eyes. “Man, don’t you ever take a day off?”

“What, when my life is devoted to you?” He grinned at Seth’s snort. “So, what’d you think of it?”

“It was okay.” Then he jerked a shoulder, a purely Quinn movement. “It was pretty good.”

“We’ll put together some notes for your oral report later tonight.”

“Sunday night’s my favorite night of the week,” Seth said. “It means you’ll be gone for four days.”

“Come on, you know you miss me.”

“Shit.”

“You count the hours until I come home.”

Seth barely suppressed a giggle. “Like hell.” Then he did giggle as Phillip snagged him around the waist for a tussle.

Sybill heard the bright, happy sound as she walked toward them. She saw the wide grin on Seth’s face. Her heart did a long, slow roll in her chest. What was she doing here? she asked herself. What did she hope to accomplish?

And how could she walk away until she found out?

“Good morning.”

Distracted by her voice, Phillip glanced over, dropping his guard just long enough for Seth’s elbow to slip through and into his gut. He grunted, wrapped an arm around Seth’s neck, and leaned down. “I’ll have to beat you up later,” he said in a stage whisper. “When there aren’t any witnesses.”

“You wish.” Flushed with pleasure, Seth settled his cap securely on his head and feigned disinterest. “Some of us gotta work today.”

“And some of us don’t.”

“I thought you were going with us,” Sybill said to Seth. “Would you like to?”

“I’m just a slave around here.” Seth looked longingly at the boat, then shrugged. “We got a hull to build. Besides, Pretty Boy here will probably capsize her.”

“Smart-ass.” Phillip made a grab, but Seth danced laughingly out of reach.

“Hope she can swim!” he called out, then raced away.

When Phillip looked back at Sybill, she was gnawing her bottom lip. “I’m not going to capsize her.”

“Well . . .” Sybill glanced toward the boat. It seemed awfully small and fragile. “I can swim, so I suppose it’s all right.”

“Christ, kid comes along and completely smears my rep. I’ve been sailing longer than the brat’s been alive.”

“Don’t be angry with him.”