a smile. When we met a few months ago, I instantly liked him. He’s around my dad’s age and is like a father figure to everyone.
“Nate.” Jeremy, the deckhand, greets me as he unties the boat. Albert heads off to pilot the craft. I stand portside, and as we head deeper out to sea, my thoughts go to Kira. I wasn’t lying when I said I didn’t do sleepovers, but it was late when she came to me, and we are living under the same roof. Yeah, that’s the only reason. I’m sure of it.
Fuck, maybe if I keep telling myself that I’ll start to believe it.
When the boat comes to a stop, I get straight to work gathering the traps. Albert takes measure of the lobsters, while a couple of the deckhands and I refill the mesh bait bags with herring. We continue to check traps, talk about work concerns, and soon enough the day is gone and my muscles are aching. I love being on the water, but I don’t get out enough, and by the end of the day, my body always feels the strain. The sun is close to setting by the time we get back to the dock.
“Great catches today, eh?” Alberts says as he looks over his haul.
“You bet.” I put my hand on his shoulder. “Thanks for letting me come along.”
“Listen, Faith is having a Halloween party on the thirtieth. Lots of food and drinks. Why don’t you come along?”
He’s talked about his wife Faith on numerous occasions, and I’ve yet to meet her. “Do I have to dress up?”
“Only if you want to.”
“I don’t want to,” I say, and he laughs. “What time?”
“Seven good?”
“Perfect. See you then,” I say. My body is too sore and far too tired to head back to the office to change, so I drive straight to the B&B. The kitchen is empty when I get there, but lingering aromas of dinner reach my nostrils. Had Kira eaten with the others? Had she eaten at all?
“Hey,” she says quietly, coming around the corner, and I ignore the way my pulse jackhammers in my throat at the mere sight of her. It’s insane how much I thought about her today, how I couldn’t wait for the hours to pass so I could be back here with her.
My gaze drops from her pretty face to take in her baggy jeans and loose-fitting AC/DC T-shirt. How can she make that look sexy? I suppose she could wear a burlap bag and I’d still want her.
“Hey, yourself.” She leans against the doorjamb, her face relaxed, her eyes soft, and for one awkward moment, I’m not sure whether to kiss her or not. I want to, there is no doubt there. I want to cross the room, drag her sweet body against mine, and kiss the hell out of her. But I’m in my gear, reek of fish, and I pretty much stick to one-night stands, so this is all new to me.
“Where is everyone?” I ask.
“I think they’re all gone to the Anchor.”
I don’t tell her it’s probably to put together some insane plan to save the B&B. “Did you eat?” I ask.
She nods and her eyes widen in delight. “Sam made shrimp pasta. It was delicious. You’re all good cooks.” The sudden image of her helping Sam in the kitchen, stirring sauce together, fills me with an insane amount of jealousy. Ridiculous, right?
She sticks out her flat stomach. “I’m going to be ten pounds heavier when I finally leave here. There’s a plate in the fridge for you.”
I roll my heavy fishing coat off my shoulder and wince when the muscles in my neck tighten.
“You okay?” she asks.
“Just a lot of heavy lifting today. I was on McMurtry’s boat.”
“McMurtry. That’s Amber’s last name. Are they related?”
“Everyone in this town is related,” I say, and she laughs.
“I met Amber’s mother today. She stopped by after the realtor left and invited me to her Halloween party. That was nice of her.”