by Natalie Ann
She didn’t want to say how her night manager called her and Penelope a bunch of nasty names and said they had no right to fire him over that. But Dirk didn’t like that they’d brought up the past complaints by staff and the videos of him not doing his job at night but rather sleeping in his office.
Dirk had been skating on thin ice for months, but it was hard to find staff on the island. They’d put him on probation and he cleared that three months, but this was inexcusable and would cost a lot of money, time, and aggravation.
“I think we all have days like that. I had a coworker bringing up our relationship today.”
She frowned. “Now what?”
“Nothing,” he said. “Forget I said that.”
“Nope. I want to know. I already feel like you have an issue with us at times and now I want to know what others are saying.”
“I don’t have an issue,” he argued.
“You do. You get all prickly when anyone mentions our jobs.” It was the softest way she could think of saying it without causing another fight. She really didn’t want to fight anymore tonight.
“Prickly is a good word. If I didn’t think I’d lose my job I would have landed a punch in the gut to Tyler.”
“Tyler? The guy that covered your shift the other day that you told me about?”
“Yeah. That’s him. He hasn’t seen me since that day. He thought it was odd that you were so concerned and then started to ask around and found out we’ve been dating for months. He all but congratulated me on trying to move up a step in life.”
She knew this would come up at some point but didn’t think anyone would have the guts to say it to Crew’s face.
“You don’t believe that any more than I do,” she said, lifting her chin. “You’ve put me in my place more than once and I’m sure you did the same to Tyler.”
“He made a comment about doing something wrong in his job if he couldn’t land someone like you and I said he was doing a lot wrong in his life and walked away.”
She smiled. “Always the better person.”
“Not always,” he said. “Don’t think that.”
She wasn’t sure what to say to that. “I think you are being too hard on yourself. We’ve all had things in our life that make us feel that way.”
“Some more than others.” He shook his head. “Anyway. Since you’re home early and I’m here...how about I take you to dinner? It’s not like the whole island can’t possibly know we are dating now. My office will know by tomorrow.”
“Is it a problem if they know we are?” she asked.
“No. And that came off wrong. It was meant as a joke. I haven’t been afraid to go out in public with you from the very first date and you know it.”
She did. She was the one that was more interested in staying at her place and had to prove to her mother she wasn’t afraid to be seen.
“You’re right. Why don’t you follow me upstairs so I can change into something more comfortable. There is nothing worse than going up and down stairs and all over the place in four inch heels.”
“But they look so good on you,” he said.
“They do, which is why I wear them. Power shoes,” she said. Which of course was why Dirk had no problem calling her an uptight bitch. See if he found another job on this island after that.
No, no. That was wrong. She couldn’t and wouldn’t do that. But if anyone in her family got his resume across their desk, they’d call for a reference and she’d be honest with them.
“So we can end this day on a better note,” he said. “A glass of wine and a massage might do the trick.”
“It will totally do the trick,” she said. “But I should tell you, if we go somewhere and run into family, I’m sure we’ll be stopped. Kayla had her baby this morning. A little boy. Benjamin Bond.”
“That’s great,” he said.
“Yeah. Hunter is always calm, but it’s kind of a funny story I’m being told. Kayla must have been in labor most of the day and didn’t know and then finally realized it and her water broke. There were no more ferries at that point so they got Egan to fly them to Plymouth where Ava delivered this morning.”
“Those family connections again,” he said.
“And this time they came in handy. Though she would have been fine if she had to deliver on the island, but she wouldn’t have had Ava and she wanted Ava.”
No reason to say that the next child they had wouldn’t have that problem with Ava moving here. It wasn’t any big deal to Crew, she was sure.
Once she was changed, they were getting ready to leave the house, but Crew had her up against the wall a second time. His mouth lowered to hers, his tongue invading her mouth and wiping out most of her frustrating day.
“What was that for?” she asked when he came up for air.
“Just wanted to have the night be about us.”
“That’s a good way to do it.”
27
Personal Business
Emily wasn’t kidding about being stopped over the news of Hunter and Kayla’s son’s birth.
It wasn’t just family either. It was people he had no clue on who they were and then of course they wanted an introduction afterward too.
He was fine with it. It’s not like their relationship was a secret and he was glad she wasn’t trying to make it into one. He sure the hell wasn’t.
But when Bode and Drew walked into the cafe they were in to grab takeout of their own, they detoured over to the two of them. Here he’d thought coming here would be fast and simple and they could get back to her place.
Guess he was wrong.
“Congrats on your engagement,” Emily said to Drew. “I haven’t seen you since you popped the question to Amanda.”
“Thanks,” Drew said. “Yes, it was fast and I don’t care.”
If Crew thought that statement was funny he didn’t let on. “If it’s right, who cares?” Emily said looking at him. “I had long and it didn’t make a difference.”
There she was almost defending what they had when there didn’t seem to be a need for it. Or was it just habit now?
“You get it. Most in our family does,” Drew said. “Especially my mother who is walking on cloud nine. But well, the rest of the island always has to stick their nose in.”
“That’s your two guy’s problem,” Bode said. “I don’t give a shit what anyone says or thinks about me.”
“Ditto,” Crew said.
Bode grinned. “See. Life is simpler that way. You look more relaxed than hours ago.”
“That’s because I got out of the hotel and then came here. I might even open up a bottle of wine later tonight. I’ll probably have to have a case delivered to my office once I get the bill from you on the damage.”
He watched the two of them grinning at each other and knew they were just busting on one another. He’d never had that with anyone in his life. Not siblings, not cousins. Maybe some friends.
Though the friends he had later in life only wanted to be with him for what he had, not who he was. Maybe when he was younger and his parents were working their asses off did he have more real friendships.
What a sad thing that was to even think about. That when they were living paycheck to paycheck they had real friends who cared for them and were there to lend a hand. When they had money, it went from lending a hand to having to hand out.
Those older friends felt uncomfortable being around them now. Feeling like they didn’t fit in and that Crew and his parents had changed.
Nope. They hadn’t changed who they were. They just changed what they did. At the core of it, they were still the same people though no one saw it or recognized it.
Maybe that was why his parents traveled so much? To get out of town and be the strangers where no one knew who they were? No one questioned what they were spending, buying, or wanting?
“It is what it is,” Bode said. “We won’t gouge you like someone from Boston.”
“I know,” Emily said. “Just pickin
g. I’ve got a business to run and my budgets can get tight.”
“Don’t get Drew started on budgets,” Bode said. “He’s the one that gets on my case about numbers. I’m happy to let someone else do it. Though it’s all part of the job. Anyway, I’ll get you a quote before I leave the office tonight. If it’s high enough you might want to submit into your insurance. You still want to have the crew start regardless?”
“Of course I do. It needs to get done. But there are pros and cons to the insurance. Anyway, here I am talking business during my dinner out with Crew. You two probably want to eat and be on your way.”
“We are just picking up,” Drew said. “Then going back to the office to work a few things out. You know what it’s like when you work with your family.”
“Don’t I know it,” she said back, her two cousins walking away. “Sorry about that.”
“No worries. You said people would come over and stop us, but they didn’t say anything about Hunter’s kid.”
“No. They would have been getting stopped over it too and know better. Instead we talk about other things. It just drives us all insane that so many on this island are concerned about the Bonds.”
“More like nosy,” he said. Wasn’t that why he left Colorado? Boulder was a big city and it’s not like everyone knew who they were but plenty did. And those that did made up for the rest of the population in terms of annoyance.
“That too,” she said. “We are used to it for the most part. I guess when I was with Simon I was in Boston and it’s not as bad there. Here on the island it’s just much more concentrated.”
“Big fish in a little pond. Plus you were with someone of your class.”
“Don’t go there again,” she said narrowing her eyes.
“I didn’t mean it that way. I just meant there isn’t much to be nosy about or question. What about Kayla and Amanda? What are their backgrounds?”
She sighed and he knew what was coming. “Okay. I can see your point. Kayla was raised in foster care and she and Hunter met when he interviewed her for a front desk job. Amanda is a hairdresser. I’m not sure much about her personal background. I think her family might not be from around here, but no one really says much. It doesn’t matter though.”
“No, it doesn’t. If people aren’t talking it might not be important to them.”
“It shouldn’t be important to them anyway. It’s not their lives, it’s ours. If we are happy,” she said, reaching her hand over and laying it on his, “what business is it of theirs?”
“Good point. And thanks for not mentioning to Drew about me house hunting.”
He’d been a little nervous there for a minute. Of mentioning it to Drew, then to Bode about maybe needing construction if he did buy Carm’s house. The last thing he wanted was anyone prying into his business when he wasn’t sure what was smart to say.
He knew Emily was a little annoyed that he’d dropped the conversation and told her not to worry about it, but he wasn’t concerned or worried and there was no reason for her to be either.
He still had no idea if he was going to buy the house. The price could be way more than he wanted to spend. An inspection might show a ton of work he didn’t want to deal with. There were a lot of factors.
And if it didn’t go through he didn’t want anyone in her family to be looking for him. To do him any favors. Because if Drew was looking for a property for him, then he would end up seeing details. Like Crew paying cash.
Nope. Best not to go there.
“It’s not their business,” she said. “Well, actually it is their business, but not their personal business. They aren’t nosy either.”
“They’ve got more important things going on in their life than our relationship.”
“Exactly,” she said when their meal was brought out. Drew and Bode had their takeout in their hands and waved on their way out.
The two of them started to eat and Crew mulled over the events of the day.
There was a part of him that didn’t have a problem not going into depth with her about the house.
She didn’t talk about her personal finances and he didn’t ask. She could have a loan on her house or have paid cash. He could care less either way. So why should it matter if he tells her how he planned on paying for a house?
The same with the house he lived in. Yep, she assumed he was paying rent, and he could correct her, but again why? Maybe she’d think he got life insurance policies from his parents. Though that was unlikely to get him a house here.
It didn’t matter. Part of him didn’t feel like he was doing anything all that horrible.
He wasn’t lying.
He wasn’t withholding information either, in his mind, because as he’d told her, she could ask and she never specifically had.
But then why did it still feel wrong to him?
28
Head Over Heels
“You are head over heels in love with him, aren’t you?”
“What?” Emily asked her sister the Saturday before Easter. She was going to spend Easter with Crew and his grandmother who’d flown into town yesterday. Lucy was only here a week, but that meant time she didn’t get to spend with Crew. He was taking a few days off of work to show Lucy around and the only relative that Crew was close to wanted to meet her. Badly!
But she wanted to meet Lucy too and try to learn more about Crew and what he was like when he was younger.
“You heard me. Have you told him yet?”
“No,” she said, wondering why her sister was asking this or even bringing it up now. She’d just started to realize it herself more.
“Well, you should.”
“Since when should you give dating advice?” she asked. “You’ve had a handful of relationships in your life and none of them got to the engagement point.”
“So that’s it?” Penelope asked. “You’ve been down that road and are afraid to go there again?”
“Penelope,” her mother said, coming into the room. “Don’t badger your sister. Let her live her life.”
“It seems everyone wants to live my life lately,” she said. “So speak your minds.”
She looked back and forth between her sister and her mother, glad her father was outside doing some yardwork. He didn’t need to do much, but she suspected he was escaping the estrogen build-up as he used to call it.
“Don’t get defensive. There is no reason to,” Penelope said. “I’m asking because I like him and it’s obvious to us all you really like him too.”
“And why do you say that?” she asked, curious as to what they would say.
Her mother said, “Emily. I know it’s been a sore subject what Simon did. But he wasn’t wrong in that you put the hotel before him.”
She opened her mouth and then closed it. “That’s not fair. It’s been our dream.”
“But you couldn’t balance it,” Penelope said. “And since I was single and not landing anyone and focusing on the hotel, it wasn’t for me to criticize.”
“That’s right. It’s not, yet you’re doing it now.”
“No, I’m not,” Penelope said. “I’m saying that the hotel meant more to you than your fiancé. You can argue all you want, but your actions proved that. I’m not saying you weren’t justified by any means. I didn’t care for Simon and neither did Mom and Dad.”
That was news to her. “You didn’t?” she asked her mother.
“I didn’t think he was right for you, but if you were happy, it wasn’t my place to say anything. You saw it or figured it out on your own. If you hadn’t, maybe we would have brought some things up, but I knew you weren’t vested like you should be.”
“Meaning what?” she asked her mother.
“That if you love someone enough and they are your world, the person you want to marry, that you do learn to balance it. And if it comes down to it, you pick your partner over your business. Over concrete, bricks, and personnel issues.”
“We have to make a living,” she argued.
> Penelope laughed at her. “Please. That’s weak and you know it. Just admit it.”
“Admit what? That I didn’t love Simon the way I should? That’s easy to admit. I knew that for months into the engagement but was trying to make it work.”
“Married couples try to make things work. Engaged couples having problems that early usually mean they will only compound, as you discovered,” her mother said.
“You’re right. I’ve got no problem admitting it, as I’ve already said. So I’m still trying to figure out where you two are going with this?”
Her sister looked at her mother and then Penelope finally said, “You blew off a meeting and spent the day taking care of Crew when he had the flu. You shopped for him and called and texted him for days to make sure he was fine. You aren’t working nearly as late as you used to and spend time getting dinner with him or making him dinner.”
She wanted to grind her teeth. “You told me I deserved to have a life. Are you going back on that now? Am I putting too much of the business on you? I worked all day when I was at Crew’s house. I just did it from his couch. You know that.”
Penelope moved forward and pulled her into her arms. “See, you’re getting defensive. You don’t get what I’m trying to say. You’re getting mad at me rather than looking at the bigger picture.”
She hugged her sister back and processed her words and then started to think. Her mother was grinning at her. “That I’m putting Crew before the hotel? That I’m putting him in front of things in my life that I never did with my fiancé?”
“Ding, ding, ding,” Penelope said.
“Are you sure you’re fine with me not being there as much?” she asked, starting to feel guilty.
“You are there plenty. The same as me. You used to be there more. I said it before and I’ll say it again, you are entitled to have a life. I just want you happy. I can handle the hotel.”
“Please,” she said, laughing. “Weeks ago you made me fire Dirk.”
“That’s because you are meaner than me and everyone expects it more from you, but I could fire someone if I had to.”