Page 23 of Starry Skies, Stolen Kisses, and My Best Friend's Brother

“I’d do anything to protect my daughter.She has a career that she needs to pursue in D.C.She’s a smart girl, and she deserves to get what she wants.”

“Do you threaten all of Mae’s boyfriends?Do you not want Mae to be happy?”

He creases his eyebrows, and his face relaxes a little.“What?No.I liked Rick.He’s a good guy.I was kinda hoping she’d come home with an engagement ring.”

“So it’s just me then.What’s wrong with me?”

Keith shakes his head.“Mae’s heart broke when her mother left.She left two days after you did, actually.That was the year I saw your father’s heart break as well.”

His words hit like a gut punch.I know I hurt my dad, but I had my own demons to deal with.“I left forcollege.”

He sneers.“And you never came back.Not even for Christmas.You will hurt Mae the same way her mother did.The same way you hurt your father.I won’t let that happen.Am I signing the land over to Green Bank or not?Your call.”

My chest is tight, and I have the sudden urge to punch something.I know I left, but do I deserve this?No.

I’m used to getting what I want, and Mae is someone I didn’t even realize I wanted.

Now, I want her even more.

I need time to think about this.“Can Mae and I still work together?If we’re not, I’ll have to explain to everyone why I fired her.”

I’m not giving in.But this is a curveball I didn’t see coming, and I need to do my research before I can fix it.This is actually what makes me different from other corporate fixers and pirates and what makes me better than most.I always let people think they are getting what they want.Especially when they back me into a corner.Then I find a way to fix the problem anyway.So for now, Keith needs to think he’s won.

“She can work for you, and you can be friends, but if I catch even a whiff of anything more, it’s over.I’m not playing around.”

“That’s fair, sir.”

It’s not.Nothing about this is fair, but I can’t have him making any impulsive decisions.I will not let him hurt Dad because of me.He’s right.I did break my father’s heart.But I’m here now, and I’m hoping to fix that, and I’m not the same kid I was sixteen years ago.

I have to figure this out first.Mae is willing to move to India with me—that’s a huge deal—and by the time I’m done here, Whisper Springs will be thriving, and Mae and I will be together.I like challenges, and this might just be my biggest one yet.

“This job that she has with you.It’s only good until just after Labor Day, right?She needs to go to her internship in D.C.”

“Don’t worry.She will.I just need her help getting this first event taken care of.”I have no idea how I’ll explain this all to Mae.We were seconds away from committing our lives to each other, and now we have to turn it all off.At least for now.

Keith stands there for a moment.“I’ll be keeping a close eye on you.No funny business.”

“I assure you, sir, my loyalty to this place is greater than any feelings I have.We’ll be fine.”

“Everything okay over there?”

We both jerk our heads up and see Dad walking toward us.Keith gives me a look.He knows I won’t say anything because that would mean hurting Dad.I grind my teeth and plaster on a smile.

“Yeah, Keith and I were just talking about Whisper Springs and how his place might help ours recover.”

Keith gives me a look but doesn’t argue.That’s right.Two can play this game.If he’s going to be an ass about Mae, I’m going to make sure he’s involved in our recovery instead of just signing a few papers and letting us do everything.Mae’s dream is to restore Whisper Springs, and right now all I want to do is make her happy.Plus, it will make it harder for Keith to sell out if he has some skin in the game.

Dad claps Keith on the shoulder.“Look at us growing together.I’ve no doubt Seth will save us, but it’ll probably be painful.You up for it, old man?”

Keith grumbles, shoves his hands into his pockets, and stalks away.Dad gives me a wink and chases after him.

I take one last look up at the stars and then head inside.I find Mark, Levi, and Noah sitting at a table and plunk myself in between them.

“I take it the dance didn’t go well.”Noah smirks at me.“Because somehow you ended up here with us instead of taking her back to your cabin.”

I shrug, not sure how to play this.I could make something up, but I’m trying to re-establish our relationships, and I want them to trust me again.Besides, if they feel bad for me, they might give me my bedding back.

“Oooh, Sethy’s not used to getting rejected,” Mark says in a singsong voice.

---