the Grand Banker for a bite. There will be plenty of time for you two to talk later.” Nate turns to me. “But I’m warning you. Don’t believe anything he says.”
I laugh, enjoying the comradery between these two fishermen. They must have some fun out on the boats. Not that I’d ever get to see firsthand. I’m terrified of open waters. It’s an irrational fear, but when I was young, there were so many stories of fishermen lost at sea, it frightened me. Granddad was also a casualty of As el Mar, as he called it. Years later I realized it meant he loved the ocean and knew someday he’d die by it.
Jason gives Nate a playful punch on the shoulder. “Don’t be jealous that the ladies like me better than you.”
Nate grins and shakes his head. “He’s full of lies, Kira.”
I nod, but anyone who calls my late grandmother Gram is probably okay. “I’m sorry I ruined dinner.”
He shrugs. “It’s your first day in town. I think a lobster feast is in order, don’t you? Let me treat you.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
He rubs his stomach. “I want to.”
I shake my head at him. “I can’t imagine a lobster fisherman wanting to eat lobster for dinner.”
“Wait, you think I’m—”
“What the hell?” someone yells, the screen door banging open. “Who the fuck tried to burn the place down?”
“That would be Sam,” Nate says. “He’s loud, bat-shit crazy, funny, and swears like a sailor. You’re going to love him. Come on, I’ll introduce you.”
Chapter Four
Nate
I climb from the shower and knot a towel around my waist before I make my way to my room at the end of the hall. The old house is big, with six bedrooms available for us, save for Gram’s. It has been vacant out of respect all this time, and it’s fitting that Gram’s granddaughter should occupy it now.
The door to her room is cracked slightly, and I can’t help but glance in as I pass. I didn’t know Gram, but a floral bedspread with matching pillows and curtains, along with a wall full of paintings, is exactly how I’d expect her room to look. I’m about to walk past when heavy textbooks, stacks of paper, and three laptops on the bureau catch my eye. What the heck? Is Kira studying for some big exam?
I move when footsteps sound on the creaky stairs. Sam chose that chore last week. I fully expect the stairs to be creak-free in a week or two. The fishermen who stay here are an honest, hard-working bunch, but I can understand Kira’s worry about sharing a home with a group of strange people. Running a B&B on the honor system is strange, for sure. I think it’ll take some time for her to wrap her brain around that, and I sense part of her is still grieving.
The crew will have to find new accommodations after she sells the place, but I’m hoping to be in my home long before that. It’s late October, but we still have a few more weeks to break ground on the new plant, presuming we can secure the piece of land in the next couple of days and expedite the paperwork.
In my room, I try not to think about Kira running into the kitchen half naked. Fuck, man, I thought she was cute when I met her earlier today, but seeing her long, wet, honey-blonde hair flirting with the two bumps hidden behind her thin cotton shirt and catching sight of her shapely legs and smooth, creamy skin…
Jesus, she’s fucking gorgeous, and in that instant, I wanted her in the worst ways.
I tug on a pair of jeans and a clean sweater. The Grand Banker isn’t a fancy place, but they have the best damn seafood in town. Shoes in hand, I head downstairs. One of Gram’s rules is no footwear in the house, and we all respect that.
I peek into the kitchen, living room, and dining room but can’t find Kira anywhere. Her car is still out back, so she must be here somewhere. “Kira,” I call out.