Page 32 of Falling for the Wrong Guy

“Because I grew up in the same house as him!” he shouted.

I startled at his response. There it was again—that temper he’d kept nicely concealed at first. If there was one thing I hated, it was a short temper. “I’ve promised him a two-day trial. I plan to go through with it.”

“Fine, then let him work another day and then send him on his way.”

“That’ll be my decision. Not yours.”

“Great. I called hoping we could smooth over the rough night we had, and instead, things only got worse. I told you—it’s Declan. It’s always Declan.”

“I’ve got to get back to work,” I said.

“Yeah, me too.” He hung up without saying goodbye, and I should have been hurt or, at the very least, upset about that, but I couldn’t work up any emotion at all except irritation. Kellan was once again telling me how to run my business, and as far as I was concerned, that was the quickest way out of my heart.

I left the office. Dex was chopping onions. He avoided eye contact until I came and stood right next to him. He still kept his focus on his task and continued chopping.

“It’s all right,” he said and finally put down the knife. The onions left a stinging cloud in the air, and I blinked to avoid tears. Dex looked up at me. “I didn’t eavesdrop. I could hear the conversation once things got more heated. I don’t want to come between you and Kellan. I’ll just finish the prep work and be on my way. I’m sure you’ll find someone better and someone who doesn’t come with so much baggage.”

“You’re not getting out of this so easily, Dex. You told me two days, and if tomorrow goes like today, then the job is yours—if you want it.”

“Aria, I don’t want to cause a rift between you and Kellan. I’m not a woman, clearly, but my brother’s a good catch. Like I said—he’ll treat you like a princess, making sure you have everything you’ve ever wanted and more.”

“The one thing I don’t want from him is to be told how to run my business.” I stood up straighter. “Now, can I expect you back tomorrow?”

His mouth tilted in a smile. “Yes, Your Ladyship.”

“That’s better. Now I’m going to step away from the work counter because those onions are killing me.”

ChapterTwenty-One

Dex

Ispooned some tuna onto the railing, and Gus appeared from out of nowhere to eat it. “Exactly what have you been up to, buddy? Seems like you’ve been disappearing a lot lately. Are ya leading a double life somewhere on a yacht?” Gus finished the fish and settled into a preening routine. It seemed I wasn’t going to learn about his secret life.

I grabbed a beer out of the mini fridge and placed my folding beach chair out on deck to relax. It had been a while since I’d stood at a stove all day churning out multiple dishes to customers. The day had started well, and the customers and my new boss seemed pleased with everything I prepared. I was feeling pretty darn good that I’d found a place to work, a place to be, but then Kellan called to throw a wrench in an otherwise smooth day. Aria insisted that I return for the second day of my trial, but I wasn’t so sure about any of it now. I didn’t want to get in the way of their relationship. Aria was strong and confident, and it seemed that my brother had met his match in that regard. I wasn’t sure if that had ever happened before.

“Thanks again for dropping off the sandwich.” Oscar’s gravelly tone cut through my thoughts.

“It’s all Aria. I was just the delivery man,” I called back.

Oscar was wearing a big puffy coat and using a cane to walk along the uneven planks on the dock. He stopped at my boat. He pressed the cane down firmly and rested both his hands on top. “You need to name her.”

“Excuse me?” I asked.

“This boat. It’s a bit of a heap, but she’ll shine more if you give her a name.”

“You’re right. Any suggestions?”

“Don’t know, but something that’ll make her feel pretty.”

I lifted my beer. “Would you like one?”

Oscar chuckled. “You see how hard it is for me to walk this dock? Can you imagine that same walk after a beer? No, I had to give up the beers years ago to keep my sea legs under me.”

“You look like a man who could stand perfectly still on the deck of a ship being rocked by a monsoon.”

He laughed again. It was a grainy sound that seemed to indicate he’d laughed a lot in his life. “Oh sure, on deck these old bones are as steady as wrought iron, but this ratty old dock is another thing altogether. Well, I’ve got a load of clothes spinning down at the laundry room. If I leave it too long, Bert, over on theBlue Sky, will take my stuff out and shove it into a basket. Don’t want to be walking around in wrinkles.”

I sat up from my slouch. “Do you need some help with that?”

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