Authors: Marie Force
“Nothing to do with the company. I’m afraid ’tis a personal matter that’s made it impossible for me to remain on the island.”
“Oh.” Joe had no idea what to say to that, but rising desperation had him searching for something, anything he could say to convince his right-hand man to stay awhile longer. “We’ll switch things around so you don’t have to be over here. You can stay in the office in Point Judith.”
“We’d have to hire another captain to make that work.”
“Then do it. I can’t lose you, Seamus. You’ve done such a terrific job. I was just telling my mom and Janey last night that I’d be lost without you.”
“Aw, Joe, you know how to break a fella’s heart, but I’m afraid my mind is made up. I’m giving you my notice now so you’ll have the summer to find my replacement.” Seamus looked down at the desk and then back at Joe. “And I’m awfully sorry to do this to you right before your young one arrives.”
“Do you, ah… Do you want to talk about whatever happened?”
“No, but thanks for asking. Just one of those things, you know?”
After spending most of his adult life in love with a woman he couldn’t have, Joe certainly understood “one of those things.” He slouched in the chair, absorbing the shock of unexpected news.
“Sorry to take you by surprise. You’ve been a wonderful boss, and I’ve truly loved the job.”
“There isn’t anything I can do to convince you to stay?”
Seamus shook his head. “I’ve done a lot of thinking about it, and I’ve come to the conclusion this is the only thing I can do.”
“I sure am sorry to lose you.”
“Thank you. That means a lot to me. I was hoping I could count on you for a reference.”
“Of course. Absolutely.”
“I’ll do everything I can to help you find a replacement.”
“I’d appreciate that.” Joe stood and reached out a hand.
Seamus stood to shake hands with Joe. “Thank you again for entrusting your business to me. I’ve tried to take good care of it.”
“You’ve done a brilliant job.” If Joe wasn’t mistaken, Seamus was on the verge of tears. If that didn’t beat all. Now what was he going to do?
Kara was arriving at McCarthy’s with a boatload of passengers when she saw Dan Torrington waiting on the main pier with a picnic basket sitting next to him.
Oh, for crying out loud! The guy can’t take no for an answer!
She jammed the boat into reverse, jarring her passengers. “Sorry, folks,” she said as she looped the spring line onto a cleat, which brought the launch in snug against the floating dock. Helping two older people off the boat, she exchanged a few words with each of her customers, hoping the personal touch would be good for business.
All the while, she was acutely aware of Dan watching from the pier. He leaned against a piling as if he hadn’t a care in the world. A rich guy like him probably didn’t have any cares. Then she remembered what he’d told her the night they met about an engagement that hadn’t worked out. She’d witnessed genuine pain in him that night, and she’d thought about that for a long time after.
In him, she’d recognized a fellow traveler. Maybe she ought to give him a break. If only he didn’t remind her so much of Matt, right down to the profession they had in common. The last thing Kara needed was another money-grubber who didn’t care who he stepped on as he climbed the corporate ladder.
Dan strolled down the ramp to the floating dock and handed her two bills—a twenty and a one. “That buys me three trips, right?”
She reluctantly took the money from him. “Uh-huh.”
“Great.” He climbed on board and took a seat in the back of the empty launch. Of all the times for there to be no line of people waiting to get to their boats… “Hungry?”
“No, thank you.”
He unwrapped a turkey sandwich and held out half to her. “You sure?”
As she nodded, her stomach let out the loudest growl she’d ever heard, which made him laugh.
“Liar. Take it. I swear—no strings attached.”
“Sure there aren’t.” Because she was, in fact, starving, she took the sandwich from him and didn’t protest when he also handed her a diet Mountain Dew. “How did you know I like Mountain Dew?” She sat on one of the bench seats, taking care to keep her distance from him.
“I pay attention.”
The comment unsettled her, so Kara got busy checking what was on the sandwich. “Why do you keep coming around?” she asked as she peeled off a slice of tomato.
“I like the view.”
She assumed he meant the view of the Salt Pond, but when she ventured a glance at him, he was looking right at her. “I’m not interested.”
“In what?”
“You.”
“No,
really
? I never would’ve figured that out from your frosty demeanor or the way you shoot fire out your eyes any time I’m in the vicinity.”
“I don’t do that!”
His brow arched above the frame of his Ray Bans. “Um, okay. If you say so.” He returned his focus to the sandwich, leaving her to puzzle over whether she really shot fire at him every time he came near.
“Are you going to the shindig at Stephanie’s restaurant tomorrow?” he asked.
“I was invited, but I haven’t decided if I’m going.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t really know anyone except for Mac and Luke and Big Mac.”
“You know me. I’ll be there.”
“That’s a good reason to stay away. I wouldn’t want to burn down Stephanie’s new restaurant by shooting fire at you out my eyes.”
He threw his head back and laughed—hard.
Watching him, Kara hated herself for being attracted. She absolutely did not want to be. He was exactly like every other smooth-talking guy who’d never heard the word “no” from a woman. She refused to get sucked into his web. Been there, done that, learned from it—or so she’d thought.
“If you want someone to go with, I’d be happy to pick you up.”
“That’s not necessary. I’m perfectly capable of going to a party by myself.”
“Suit yourself.”
“Thank you. I will.”
He shivered dramatically. “Getting chilly around here.”
“You’re free to leave at any time.”
“Not until I get the three rides I paid for.”
“Don’t you work?”
“Yep.”
“Yet you have all this free time to hang around and bother me?”
“And here I thought I was
charming
you with my wit and turkey sandwiches.”
That drew a reluctant grunt of laughter from Kara.
“Progress,” he said smugly.
Kara scowled at him.
“Ohhh, one step forward, two steps back.”
“You need to learn to quit while you’re ahead.”
“If I’m not mistaken, you like talking to me.”
“You are quite mistaken. I was hungry. That’s it.”
“I bet you get hungry around this time every day.”
She sent him her most withering look, which worked on most people. Unfortunately, Dan Torrington wasn’t most people. He replied with a goofy grin that was positively adorable. Not that she thought
he
was adorable or anything. His grin was. She’d give him that much.
“If you’re supposedly working, why aren’t you dressed for work?”
He wore a pink Izod polo that would’ve looked fruity on a lesser man and khaki cargo shorts. Today he was sporting flip-flops rather than the foolish dress shoes he’d worn yesterday.
“What should I be wearing?”
“A tie, for one thing.”
He shuddered. “I hate ties. I only wear them in court.”
“You’re not like any lawyer I’ve ever met.”
“Thank you.” He smiled as if she’d paid him the world’s biggest compliment. “I hear that a lot.”
“What kind of law do you practice?”
“Lately, I seem to be dabbling in all sorts of things, but I specialize in criminal law.”
“There can’t be much call for your specialty around here.”
“Oh, there isn’t. I’ll let you in on a badly kept secret. I’m writing a book. That’s why I’m here.”
“What kind of book?”
“You know, the kind with words and pages.”
“Very funny.” Mad at herself for being intrigued, Kara took a sip of her soda and tried to decide whether she was curious enough to pursue the line of questioning that was running through her mind. The last thing she wanted was to encourage him to keep coming around.
“It’s about some of the cases I’ve worked on,” he said, sparing her the need for further questions.
“Do you know how to write a book?”
“Not really, but I’m figuring it out. This is my first.”
“Oh.” A host of additional questions popped into her head. She wanted to ask about his writing process, specifics about the cases he was writing about, whether he thought the book would sell to a publisher. But she kept those and all her other questions to herself for fear of encouraging his odd pursuit. What did he even want with her? She was boring compared to the women he must know in LA. Growing up with a posse of brothers, she’d never much concerned herself with fashion or makeup or all the other foolishness most women embraced. As a result, she was a twenty-seven-year-old tomboy and way out of her league with a smooth-talking charmer who could have any woman he wanted. She’d learned not to trust the charming men.
“Why me?” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them, and she was instantly mortified to realize she’d actually
asked
the question.
Naturally, he was nonplussed by her blatant inquiry. “Why not you?”
“I feel like you’re playing some sort of game with me, only I don’t know the rules.”
Much to her dismay, he slid over to sit right next to her. When he took her hand, sensation darted up her arm and zinged through her bloodstream at lightning speed.
This is so not good
. “I’m not playing games,” he said in the most earnestly sincere tone she’d heard yet from him. “I promise.”
She tried to pull her hand free, but he only held on tighter. “I don’t get you.”
“What you see is what you get.”
“That is
so
not true.”
His low laugh stirred something deep inside her. She discovered in that moment that she rather enjoyed making him laugh. “Now what is
that
supposed to mean?”
“Don’t act like you’re not all complicated and broody and full of yourself.”
“I’ll give you full of myself—at times. I’m working on trying to be better about that. But complicated and broody? Not so much. I’m an easy-going kind of guy. I work hard and play hard. I like to have fun. Don’t you?”
It’d been such a long time since Kara had done anything that could be called fun. Matt had ruined a lot of things for her. “I guess.”
“Oh the
enthusiasm
! You bowl me over, Ms. Ballard.”
He shifted their joined hands and linked their fingers. Startled to realize she’d allowed him to hold her hand for several minutes, she tried again to pull free of his grasp.
“Stop,” he said. “Just relax, will you? I’m not about to cause you harm.”
“You may not intend to.”
“What happened to you, honey?”
“Don’t call me that. I’m not your honey.”
“I think I’d like you to be.”
“You never did answer my question.” The feel of his warm palm pressed against hers was doing odd things to her nervous system.
“Which one was that?”
“Why me?”
“Because the night I met you at Luke’s house… Remember that?”
“Yes,” she said, exasperated. Of course she remembered! She’d thought about that night so many times during the long, cold winter in Maine, and she’d thought about him, too, not that she’d
ever
admit that.
“I… You…”
“Articulate, Counselor. Seriously. I’m dazzled.”
He laughed again and squeezed her hand. “As soon as I met you, I wanted to know you better. I wanted to know who had hurt you, and I wanted to hurt him on your behalf. I wanted to tell you what happened with my fiancée, and I haven’t told anyone.”
“You haven’t?”
He shook his head. “Only she knows the truth. And one other person.”
His entire demeanor changed when he spoke of his ex. Kara wondered if he knew that.
“I wanted to talk to you and be with you and maybe kiss you, if you’d let me,” he continued.
As if she’d left the door wide open, he was slipping through her defenses. Amazingly, she wasn’t nearly as bothered by that as she probably should’ve been.
“I’m not interested in being part of a harem,” she said, hating how prim and proper she sounded.
“Oh, damn!
Really?
There go all my plans to make you one of the sister wives. Shit.”
“Stop,” she said, laughing as she bumped his shoulder with hers.
“You should laugh more often. It looks good on you.”