“We’ll be under way soon,” Cooper said. Soon as he found Allie and let her know he was on board and they could get started.

He went below, getting a first impression. The decor hadn’t changed much in fifteen years. Still those same nautical-themed curtains at the windows; still the same blue carpeting. Everything was just more faded now. It did look as if someone had given the place a fresh coat of paint in recent history, and the seating area in the salon had new upholstery.

“Allie?”

“Down here.”

That was when he spotted the open hatch. She was in the bowels of the boat. Cooper remembered that Johnny had spent a lot of time messing with the temperamental engines, which hadn’t been new even back then.

Cooper moved closer, until he could see Allie, a wrench in her hand, a smear of grease across her face.

“Engine two won’t start. You know anything about diesel engines?”

“Um, no.” This wasn’t good. His first time on a Remington Charters cruise as the owner, and the boat can’t leave the dock? Made him look like an idiot. “I can call a mechanic.”

“Only if you can pay for it out of your pocket. I can’t use the operating account.”

“We have to call-”

“Just give me a few more minutes,” she said crossly. “I think I know what the problem is. Are the troops growing restless?”

“They seemed happy enough when I greeted them. And why is there no money in the operating account?” He couldn’t help the sharp note of suspicion in his question. Just because Allie had big green eyes and a really cute turned-up nose was no reason to believe she was too innocent to wipe out the company coffers. She could have done it Friday, after kicking Cooper and his cousins off the boat.

She looked at him as if he were the stupidest person in the world. “You froze the account.”

“Right.” He’d forgotten about that.