Inner Harbor by Nora Roberts

soul.
    It was Ethan who patiently instructed her on smooth-lap planking, about waterlines and bow shapes. She thought he would have made an excellent teacher, with his clear, simple phrasing and willingness to answer what must have been very basic questions.
    She watched, genuinely fascinated, as the men held timber in a box and pumped out steam until the plank bowed into theshape they desired. Cam demonstrated how the ends were rabbeted together to form the smooth joints.
    Watching Cam with Seth, she was forced to admit there was a definite bond between them. If she had come across them knowing nothing, she would have assumed they were brothers, or perhaps father and son. It was all in the attitude, she decided.
    Then again, they had an audience, she mused, and were likely on their best behavior.
    She would see how they acted once they became used to her.
    C AM LET OUT a long, low whistle when Sybill left the building. He wiggled his eyebrows meaningfully at Phillip. “Very nice, bro. Very nice, indeed.”
    Phillip flashed a grin, then lifted his bottle of water to his lips. “Can’t complain.”
    â€œShe going to be around long enough to, ah . . .”
    â€œIf there’s a God.”
    Seth laid a plank down by the saw, let out a huff. “Shit, you mean you’re going to start poking at her? Is that all you guys think about?”
    â€œOther than pounding on you?” Phillip whipped off Seth’s hat and bopped the boy over the head with it. “Sure, what else?”
    â€œYou guys are always getting married,” Seth said in disgust and tried to grab his hat.
    â€œI don’t want to marry her, I just want to have a nice, civilized dinner with her.”
    â€œThen bounce on her,” Seth finished.
    â€œChrist. He gets that from you,” Phillip accused Cam.
    â€œHe came that way.” Cam wrapped an arm around Seth’s neck. “Didn’t you, brat?”
    The panic didn’t come now, as it used to whenever Seth was touched or held. Instead he wriggled and grinned. “At least I think of something besides girls all the time. You guys are really lame.”
    â€œLame?” Phillip put Seth’s hat on his own head to free his hands, then rubbed them together. “Let’s toss this runt fish off the dock.”
    â€œCan you do that later?” Ethan asked while Seth shouted in wild and delighted objection. “Or do I have to build this damn boat by myself?”
    â€œLater, then.” Phillip leaned down until he and Seth were nose to nose. “And you won’t know when, you won’t know where, you won’t know why.”
    â€œMan, I’m shaking now.”
    I SAW SETH TODAY.
    At her laptop, Sybill gnawed her bottom lip, then deleted the first sentence she’d typed.
    I made contact with the subject this afternoon.
    Better, she decided. More objective. To approach this situation properly, it would be best if she thought of Seth as the subject.
    There was no recognition on either side. This is, of course, as expected. He appears to be healthy. He’s attractive, slimly built yet sturdy. Gloria was always thin, so I suspect he’s inherited her basic body type. He’s blond, as she is—or was when I last saw her.
    He seemed to be comfortable with me. I’m aware that some children are shy around strangers. That doesn’t appear to be the case here.
    Though he was not at the boatyard when I arrived, he came in shortly after. He’d been sent to the store for lunch. From the ensuing complaints and conversation, I can assume he is often expected to run errands. This could be construed two ways. One that the Quinns take advantage of having a young boy available and use him accordingly. Or two, that they are instilling a sense of responsibility.
    The truth likely resides in the middle.
    He has a dog. I believe this to be a usual, even traditional occurrence for a child living in suburban or rural