Page 81 of Rebel Summer

“I need to talk to you.”

“I’m working.”

He motioned around the nearly empty cafe. “Jean won’t mind. I think you can spare a few minutes for your dad.”

I hesitated, my teeth skimming my bottom lip. I’d been avoiding his phone calls since he showed up at my house after the Lucas incident. But he couldn’t stay here. The last thing this cafe needed was Dax poking the bear. And by the look on Dax’s face, he was itching to do it.

“I’ll be outside.” With a scathing glance at Dax, he turned and strode out the door.

I looked back to Dax, struggling to find words to fill the silence. Then I remembered I was a waitress.

“What would you like?”

“You don’t have to go out there.”

“I have to talk to him.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s…relentless. He’ll be back in five minutes. It’s easier to just go and get it over with.”

I began making my way toward the door to do exactly that when my clothes caught on something. Glancing down, Dax’s fingers gripped my apron.

“Hey,” he said, pulling me toward him, his voice a low rumble.

“What?” I asked, a little breathless.

“You’re okay to be here.”

“What?”

He motioned toward the window. “You don’t have to be perfect to exist on this island. No matter what he says. You can mess up and still be here.”

“It’s not that simple. My dad?—“

“It is that simple. Your dad will get over it.”

I huffed out a laugh. “You don’t know him. He doesn’t get over things.”

“That’s not your problem then.”

Drawing in a breath, I broke eye contact with him for a moment to gain my bearings. “I did screw up, though. And I think it really did mess with his campaign.”

He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.”

I gaped at him. “How?”

“Because your dad isn’t part of this equation, Dr. Brooks. I am. And you could crash into my building ten more times and you’d still be okay.”

Time stood still at that moment. The chatter and the clank of silverware went on all around me, dulled to a white noise. It was just him and me and the feel of his hand holding my apron. I pursed my lips and glanced away from the sweet intensity of his gaze. A girl could forget about a lot of things with a gaze like that. My eyes stung and I fought to regain control.

“Did you call me doctor?”

Though I could tell it pained him in this moment, he bit back a smile. “That’s what you got out of all that?”

“I’ll remember it forever.”

“Not the real kind of doctor.”

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