Hooked on You

by Cathryn Fox

  When we finally arrive, Sam is closing in tight behind us, followed by Jason, but we weren’t even in the top ten, which is fine by me. I just sailed a pumpkin across the lake and survived. That’s all the bragging rights I need. When I get back to Victoria, I’ll be able to brag to…no one. That thought hits like a punch. But I push it to the back of my brain when my crazy “brother” Sam jumps from his pumpkin and comes running up to me. I shriek when he scoops me up and swings me like he’s going to toss me into the frigid water.

  “Sam,” I scream. “Put me down.”

  “Not until you tell everyone you cheated, and I have no match.”

  “Never,” I say.

  “Okay then,” he says and starts to swing me again. The only problem is the ground is wet, and his legs go out from underneath him. He hits the hard embankment, flat out on his back. But my landing, on top of him, is much softer.

  “Damn, you okay?” he asks and searches my face.

  “Yeah, you?”

  Strong arms wrap around my waist and lift me clear off Sam. “You okay?” Nate asks. I nod and he holds a hand out for Sam to pull him up. “You hurt, buddy?”

  “Two things hurt. My ass and my dignity.”

  “That’s what you get,” Cody says, coming up behind him, the woman he’d been talking to earlier nowhere to be seen. He puts his hand on Sam’s shoulder. “Let’s hit the beer tent. A few drinks will help restore your bruised ego.”

  “Sounds good,” he says, tosses his arm around me, and leads me to the tent. I glance at Nate behind me, and he’s scrubbing his chin as his phone rings in his pocket.

  “Coming,” I say.

  “Yeah, I just need to get this.”

  I head into the tent with the guys, and Izzy and Heather call us over. I catch Faith’s eyes, and with a wave, ask her to join us at the long wooden table. Sam and Jason disappear and come back with beer and a tray of hamburgers and hotdogs for everyone. My stomach takes that moment to grumble. Nate and I had been up late building up an appetite, and I worked off the small bowl of cereal with all my paddling exertion.

  Nate saunters in but stops to talk to some guy before he meets us at the table. I know him well enough now to see that he’s upset about something but trying to put on a happy face.

  “Everything okay?” I ask quietly as he slides onto the bench next to me. Our outer thighs touch, and it’s like he’s seeking my comfort. I shift a little closer to him, needing his contact in much the same way he seems to need mine.

  “Work stuff,” he says and takes a drink from his glass. “Thanks for the beer, Sam.”

  “Okay,” I say and let it go. I take a drink of my own beer and find it bitter. I’m more of a wine girl, but I like sitting around the table with all these people. We’re all so different, our backgrounds, our appearances, our work, yet we all just really…fit. I’ve never really fit anywhere outside academia. For the first time in my life, I understand what it’s like to be a part of a community. Gram would have loved this right now.

  Sam nudges me from my right. “Gram wouldn’t be happy to know you tried to knock her favorite grandson out of the race,” he says like he could read my thoughts.

  “I thought Jason was her favorite.”

  “Lies,” Sam says.

  “So,” Jason begins, the seriousness in his voice gaining all our attention. “We’ve been working on something,” he says, and Nate stiffens beside me.

  “I was waiting for this,” Nate whispers in my ear.

  “We all put our heads together and decided we’d have an auction at the Anchor. Heather is on board.” Heather nods when I glance at her.

  “What kind of auction?” Nate asks before I can.

  “One to help raise a down payment for Gram’s house.” Jason pauses, and his gaze falls on me. “That way, it gets to stay in the family.”

  “Guys…” I say and stop. What they’re doing is so damn sweet and touching—and I don’t want to appear unappreciative—but I don’t want them to go through the trouble for nothing. I can’t afford the mortgage even if they covered the down payment.

  “What are the details,” Nate asks, jumping in to help when I sag helplessly against him. “What are you auctioning off?”

  Sam grins. “Well now, that’s the fun part.”

  “Fun part?” Nate asks.

  “We’re auctioning off a date with a fisherman,” Jason says.

  “No way,” I say as my attention flies to Nate.

  “We’ve rounded up a bunch of guys who are willing, and Cody is making fliers to distribute. There are a lot of single ladies in this town with money to spend,” Jason says. “They all might be eighty, but hey, they’ll love a night out, and I can charm an eighty-year-old for an evening.”

  Sam snorts. “Yeah, right, you can’t even charm a lobster if you dress up as the world’s sexiest herring.” We all laugh, and Jason gives Sam the finger.

  “Or a clam whore,” Cody says, and I laugh harder. I guess everyone must have seen the sign outside the Old Fish Factory. The kids around here do get into a lot of mischief.

  “Nate, however, probably lured that mouse from Kira’s room when he dressed up in the cheese wedge,” Sam says.

  “That’s why we need him up there,” Izzy says. “Any man who can charm a blind cow…”

  “No way,” Nate says.

  “Guys, we can’t do this. It’s…sexist, isn’t it?” I ask.

  “They do fireman calendars, don’t they? What’s the difference? You win a date for a good cause. I talked to Spence at the Grand Banker, and he’s going to close the restaurant for the night for a private dinner for us. The whole town wants in on it. Some are even talking about a sunset cruise.”

  “It will be one hell of a night,” Sam says.

  I glance at Nate and shake my head, incredulous. “I don’t think this is a good idea.”

  “You don’t have a say, Kira. They’re hell-bent on doing this.”

  “You have a say,” I tell him. “You don’t have to participate.”

  “I don’t have a choice, either,” he says.

  I turn back to the crew. “Guys, this is too much, and I’m leaving here next month. My life is out west.” Although, truly, what I have out west is work, and I can do my research anywhere. Heck, I could do it from the partnering university in Halifax. Mom and Dad likely wouldn’t even know I’ve gone.

  Wait, what am I saying? No way am I considering this, right?

  “Will you at least think about it?” Sam asks, his big eyes so serious, so sad, my throat tightens.

  I open my mouth, desperate to put a stop to this and say no, but find myself saying, “Okay.”

  God, how could I say no when the class clown looks like he’s ready to sob. I mean, these guys loved Gram as much as me, and unlike me, they were here for her in her time of need.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Nate

  As I maneuver my truck through town, all I can think is TGIF. Not that I don’t like what I do at the plant. I love working here in the Lunenburg facility, and the people, well, they’re kind of growing on me, too. But I’m looking forward to a couple of days off. Not that I have anything exciting planned. My Friday nights aren’t what they used to be.

  Before I came here, my weekends consisted of a few drinks at the bar and a hot woman between the sheets, one I had no intention of ever setting eyes on again—yeah, I’m a chip off the old block in many ways. Although, one-night stands just doesn’t hold the appeal they once used to—thanks to Kira.

  Dammit, she’s been a distraction, and I can’t forget the real reason I’m here in Lunenburg—to install a state-of-the-art processing plant, which is on hold until I can secure the last oceanfront cottage. I’ve been avoiding my family’s phone calls for the past few days. Fuck, the old man needs to lay off and trust that I can get this done within budget. He
believes in making money, not spending it, but the bottom line is, if we don’t invest now, we fail later. For some reason, he can’t see that, or appreciate the direction I’m taking the business.

  As I drive by The Old Fish Factory, I now see they’re selling lame clams. I chuckle but suppose that’s better than clam whores. I stop in to see Frank about the repairs on my vehicle, and he informs me he’s still waiting on one part for my sports car.

  Most people don’t drive fancy cars like these.

  Hence the delay. No problem, I’m not really in a hurry. The company truck is much more suited for this weather anyway. Back in my truck, I drive to my old Victorian mansion and check on progress before heading to work. In a couple of weeks, the new plumbing should be complete, and the place should be move-in ready.

  A strange knot tightens in my stomach. I love my privacy, thrive on it, but the thought of leaving Gram’s and taking up residency in the big old house all alone seems a little…lonely. If Kira sells, maybe the crew could move in with me for the next few weeks. We could finish off the lobster season like the big happy family we’ve become. The truth is, I never really felt like I had a family of my own, and I’ve grown close to the crew over the last few weeks—grown close to Kira. I can’t deny that I enjoy sliding between the sheets with her every night and waking up together in the morning before the others. Seeing her smile before she drifts off, warm and sated each night, and putting that smile on her face again every morning before we part ways for the day. Fuck, it’s the best part of my day. For a guy who was dead set against sleepover…

  Shit, don’t go falling for her, dumbass.

  She’s a nice girl and doesn’t need an asshole like me breaking her heart. After she sells the house, she’s leaving, and I won’t be too far behind. Yet, even knowing all that, a part of my brain registers that I don’t want—can’t—quit her.

  Not good asshole. Not good at all.

  After checking on the house, I drive slowly through the snow-dusted streets and go even slower when I see the land yacht parked outside the tall, wrought-iron gates of the cemetery.

  I guess Kira decided today was the day to visit Gram’s resting place. My gut squeezes. This is going to be so fucking hard on her, yet it just might be what she needs to get the closure she’s been seeking.

  I slow my truck to a snail’s pace and glance into the yard. I spot Kira on her knees, her entire body shaking as she prays over her grandparent’s burial spot. Fuck, man. Do I go in there, or do I leave her be? Which would she want more? I’m not sure, but I can’t just drive by, not when every instinct says she needs comfort.

  I slam my vehicle into park, slide from the driver’s seat, and close my door quietly. I don’t want any sudden noises to startle her. Wet leaves squish beneath my boots, and I follow the winding path to Kira as she sobs quietly in front of a small tombstone.

  The sound of my boots alerts her to my presence, and when she turns, her nose red, her eyes redder, my heart squeezes so hard, the world around me spins a little.

  She reaches a hand out to me. “Nate,” she whispers, and I hurry to her.

  “I’m here. I’ve got you,” I say and pull her to me. She presses a tissue to her face and leans her head on my shoulder. I just hold her, console her in silence the best way I know how. If she wants to talk, she’ll talk. If she doesn’t, we can sit here until nightfall, or for however long she wants, in silence. In typical Kira fashion that I’ve come to know and adore, she looks off in the distance, losing herself in her thoughts.

  I glance up at the clear blue sky as a seagull squawks overhead, undoubtedly headed to the dock for its morning breakfast. A car honks in the distance, and bells jingle over the doors as shops open for the day. Kira’s breathing slows, becomes less erratic, and I hug her to me, offering to be her life vest in the storm.

  After a long while, she whispers, “How did you know I was here?”

  “I saw the land yacht.”

  She chuckles slightly at that and grabs a new tissue from her coat pocket to wipe her red nose. Her head turns slightly, and those dark brown eyes meet mine. “Thank you, Nate,” she whispers, and I swallow against a tightening throat. I want to be here for her, and I want to be her rock in her time of need. I want to be everything she needs, but I can’t be that guy. Right?

  “I wasn’t sure you’d want the company,” I say. “Grieving can be a private matter.”

  She nods like she understands. Hell, I’ve been silently grieving the loss of my own mother, and to this day I have no closure. I honestly have no idea if she’s dead or alive, but I won’t go after her to find out. A cut that deep never heals properly, and I’m not interested in tearing it open again if she wants nothing to do with me. If only you could pick your family.

  “Why now, Kira? Why today?”

  “Today was Gram’s birthday.”

  “Ah.” I glance at the headstone. “Happy birthday, Gram. I’m sorry I never got to meet you, but I kind of do feel like I know you through Kira and the crew.” I hug Kira tighter. “You did a good job with this one. Like you, she’s one of a kind.” I stop short of saying she’s a keeper because I don’t want her to get the wrong idea, even though it’s quite likely that I do want to keep her.

  But that’s impossible.

  Her smile is so soft and appreciative when I shift my focus to her face. Her hand goes to my cheek. “Gram, you never got to meet this guy, but you would have liked him.”

  “Go ahead and tell her what she would have liked,” I say.

  Kira laughs, and it wraps around my soul and squeezes tight. Warmth moves through my veins.

  “He’s always fishing for compliments, Gram,” she says.

  “Fine, I’ll tell her all about the woman you’ve become. Gram, Kira is smart, like super smart, rocket science smart.” Kira grins and rolls her eyes. I wave my hand over my head. “She’s up here, and I try really hard to follow along, but I’m a bit slow at times.” Kira nudges me with her shoulder.

  “Stop it. You’re far from slow. It’s just not your field of study. I’m sure you excel at everything you do.”

  I give her a wink. “I try.” Her cheeks turn red, and I continue with, “She’s funny as hell.” Kira’s eyes go wide. “I mean heck,” I correct quickly. Yeah, using the word Hell in a graveyard, not my brightest moment. “She has an ironic sense of humor, and she’s nice to everyone. I think there’s a big part of you with her in here,” I say and put my hand over her heart.

  Tears pour down her face, and I wipe them away and press my lips to hers for a soft kiss.

  “I bet Gram really liked hearing that,” she whispers between kisses. “Thank you, Nate.”

  We both go quiet again, and seconds turn to minutes. I should be at work, returning my lawyer’s call, but no way am I about to leave Kira. Time passes slowly, and I break the quiet. “Kira, why didn’t your mother have a service?”

  “When mom left here, she wasn’t on good terms with Gram. I only recently found that out. Mom was involved with an older man, and Gram did everything to come between them. She only had my mom’s best interests at heart, though. In the end, the guy broke her heart, and Mom left town for a new life, one that had nothing to do with the fishing industry.” I nod. “Mom didn’t talk about her parents much. After Gram died, she flew back, had her buried with Grandad, and that was it. No service. Nothing.”

  “That’s not enough for closure,” I say.

  “You’re right.”

  “How are you feeling?” I tug on her hat, adjust it around her ears.

  “Tired and sad.”

  Wind from the ocean washes over us, and the wrought iron gate creaks. “Want to stay here longer, or do you want to go for a walk?”

  She lifts her head and looks off into the distance. “Don’t you have to be to work?”

  I pull my phone from my pocket, shoot a message to my receptio
nist, and say, “Nope. My day is free.”

  “Nate—”

  I hold up my hand and stop her protest. “Come on. I know exactly what you need.”

  “You do?” I nod. “I’m not sure how, when I don’t even know what I need right now.”

  I pull her up with me. I brush the debris from our knees and put my arm around her to guide her from the graveyard. “Let’s take a walk, and then we’re heading into Halifax.”

  “What’s in Halifax?”

  “Ah…everything,” I say, and we both laugh.

  We walk along the streets, tourists long gone from the town now that November is upon us. The only ones left are the people who live here, and a few of the shop owners. Many of the touristy shops close up for the winter.

  We walk along King Street and take in a string of old homes now converted to shops and restaurants, painted vibrant shades of green, orange, and pink. We turn the corner and keep walking, heading toward Iron Works Distillery, which is housed in a heritage building that used to be an old blacksmith shop that once produced ironworks for the shipbuilding industry.

  “Did you know they filmed the Book of Negros here?” She points to a wharf on the ocean. “They did a lot of the filming right there. I was excited about it and kept up with the news from back home. They also filmed Two if By Sea with Sandra Bullock. Stephen King also loved this location for his movies.”

  “Yeah, I heard about that,” I say.

  She exhales and stops outside an art gallery. As she peers into the window, she says, “I never appreciated the history or culture of this place when I was young.”

  “You were a kid. Now you see things differently. Want to go in?”

  She nods, and the bell over the door jingles when I open it for her. Warm scents of cinnamon mixed with fresh hazelnut coffee reach my nostrils. An elderly lady behind the counter lifts her head, and when I recognize her from the McMurtry’s party, she gives us a big smile.

  “What brings you in today?” she asks.