Page 26 of Homecoming

“I’ve missed you, too.”

Chapter

Seven

Renata droveKara home to Bertha’s and then took her time getting back to work. Myles would be annoyed at her for stretching her lunch hour, but he needed her more than she needed him, so she stuck to the twenty-five-mile-per-hour speed limit as she made her way to Southwest Harbor. The boats would be pulling up to the wharves with the day’s catch soon, which would keep Myles out of her hair for a few hours anyway.

She used that time without him hanging over her shoulder to get the bulk of her work done.

When she pulled into the parking lot, the first thing she saw was his bright red Ram truck with the Williams Lobsters & More logo on the side of it. He loved that stupid truck, which meant she couldn’t stand it because she couldn’t stand him.

And no, unlike what Kara mistakenly thought, she wasnotattracted to him in any way, shape or form.

Williams Lobsters had been founded in the 1940s by Mr. Williams’s grandfather and great uncle, who’d been lobstermen first and foremost before they got into the retail and wholesale side of things. Today, their online business was booming, withlobsters and other seafood products shipped daily around the world.

Everything had been fine when Myles’s father, Mr. Williams, had run the business. She’d loved working for the kindly man who’d so appreciated everything she did to keep things running smoothly. Then he’d ruined everything by retiring and turning over the business to his son with the MBA from Dartmouth who’d come in and tried to upend everything that was working just fine in an attempt to make it “better.”

Renata wanted to shove that Ivy League degree up where the sun didn’t shine, except that would require her to be near him when he was naked, and the thought of that made her want to vomit.

She grabbed the bag with the sandwich she’d gotten for him—on his credit card—and brought it with her into the office that visitors told her reeked of lobster. The scent was so familiar to her that it barely registered anymore. It was the scent of home to her, and unlike most people, she didn’t find it repulsive.

Rather, it was comforting to work in and around the industry that’d made her home state famous.

Myles wasn’t in his office.Thank God for small favors, she thought as she left his lunch and the receipt on his desk and went to her own desk to catch up on the calls and emails that’d come in while she was gone.

During ninety minutes away from her desk, they’d received thirty-two new orders that needed to be processed before the end of the day.

Renata got busy printing shipping labels and updating inventory. She was deep in her own groove when Myles came through the main door and made a beeline straight for her desk. While she saw him coming, she’d perfected the art of ignoring him and his wavy dark brown hair, striking blue eyes and muscular build. None of that appealed to her in the slightest.

“How was lunch?”

“Good.” She’d also learned that ignoring him only made him more dogged in his attempts to get her attention. “We had a midday rush.”

“I know. I saw.” He was obsessed with checking their storefront to keep track of the daily revenue.

“Your lunch is on your desk.”

“Thank you. How’s your cousin?”

Renata never took her eyes off her screen. “She’s good.”

“Is her husband dealing with the brothers?”

“Yes.” The less she said, the faster the conversation might end.

“The cops must’ve shit a brick when that guy walked in their door.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I can’t believe your cousin is married to him. He’s a rock star. He’ll have them out of lockup in no time.”

Go away. Please, please, go away and leave me alone.She had those thoughts repeatedly during the workday but would never say them out loud. Being mean to him would be like kicking a golden retriever puppy. Not that she’d ever kick a puppy, but she’d like to be mean to Myles so he might get the message that she didn’t want to be friends or whatever else he wanted with her. While she couldn’t bring herself to cross the line from annoyed to rude, it was a daily struggle to be nice.

“I’d love to meet him if I get the chance while he’s in town.”

Was he asking her to arrange that? She glanced up at him. “He’s going to be pretty busy. They’re eager to get home to Gansett as soon as they can.”

“Still… If the opportunity arises, keep me in mind.”

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