Page 173 of Broken
When they pulled to a stop in front of them, Prescott’s dad lifted Ethan into his arms, then his mom kissed his pudgy cheek.
“Loki, sit,” Jacqueline said, but he was too excited to pay attention to her. She repeated the command, yanking the slack on his leash. This time, Loki obeyed. “Good boy, Loki.”
“Mom, Dad, this is Jacqueline,” Prescott said.
“She’s Uncle Prescott’s friend,” Ethan volunteered, “and Loki is her dog, but he’s my best friend in the whole world.”
“That’s great, Ethan,” Prescott’s dad said.
“Hi Jacqueline, I’m Renée.”
“I’m Mason,” his dad said.
His dad was an older version of Hawk, with short, dark hair, graying temples, and bright blue eyes. Prescott definitely looked like his mom. She was a little shorter than Jacqueline with brown hair and a warm smile.
“This is Loki,” Jacqueline said.
Mason set Ethan down before petting the pup. “He’s a handsome guy.” Then, he addressed his son. “Scotty, I readied her, so we’re good to go.”
“Everybody aboard,” Prescott directed.
She spied the name of the yacht painted on the stern.
ARMSTRONG
That says it all.
As Prescott helped Jacqueline on, she said, “This is beautiful.”
“It’s a fifty-foot fly bridge Azimut,” his dad offered. “Sleeps ten.”
Jacqueline stepped into ultimate luxury. First class all the way with a large state room and generous-sized kitchen. On the bridge, were two large captain’s chairs, and beyond that, an exterior sundeck for lounging. The décor was white with dark gray accents. Large windows on both sides of the vessel provided a great view from the interior of the craft.
“Wow, just wow,” she said.
“It’s a lot,” his mom said.
She nodded. “It’s… it’s impressive.” But that’s how she felt about Prescott, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that his boat would be a reflection of him.
Despite his massive estate, she’d never given much thought to his wealth, but there was no denying that being an Armstrong had its perks.
Knowing she’d be on the water, she’d worn a white shirt and white gauze pants. With her hair pulled into a ponytail, she slipped on her visor.
Prescott went below, returning with lifejackets. After pulling one on, he handed them out.
“What’s this for?” his dad asked.
Prescott tossed a nod at Ethan. “Safety, so weallhave to wear one.”
As everyone pulled on a vest, Prescott helped Ethan into his.
“Since it’s calm, I can handle the lines by myself.” Mason began removing one of the ropes from a cleat on the stern.
“Thanks, Dad. Ethan, you want to sit up there on the flybridge with me?”
“Okay. Can we go fast?”
“Absolutely. Jack, you with us?”
