Page 1 of Love at First Swim
Gunner
Gunner Powell looked out the seventeenth story window of his office building.
He rubbed his eyes as he turned back to his desk, pushing his black hair out of his face. He'd been at work for almost twenty-four hours now and he was exhausted.
He was trying to secure a new location to build another set of townhomes and was having a difficult time getting a small shop to sign over the last property.
He'd sent quite a few people over to the shop and she would never bend. And he was about done.
He checked his watch and saw that it was almost two in the morning.
Why was he here this late again? Because he had no life to speak of. Just work and more work.
You didn’t grow your successful real estate business from the ground up without some sacrifices.
He wanted to snort. Sacrifices, yes. That was the short of it. He hadn’t wanted to go to a regular college when he was younger. Had instead gone to Real Estate school and had learned the ins and outs about selling houses, businesses and more. After a year, he'd become quite adept at finding the right things to invest his money in.
He had the head for numbers and was very cautious and careful with each investment and before he knew it, he'd gone from working for someone in a real estate office, to working for himself and building his empire.
He was almost thirty and had been working non-stop to build his business since he was nineteen.
He wanted something to be proud of. A legacy that he could one day pass on to his own child.
Not that that would ever happen. Seeing as he hadn’t even gone on an actual date in too many years or felt anything for a woman that made him want everything.
He didn’t date at all. He worked too much and went home to an empty house day after day and wished that he had someone special.
He knew she was out there, he just didn’t know where she was or if he would ever find her.
His body had never come alive for a woman. Even if he was surrounded by beautiful women, he hadn’t been affected by one yet.
He was lonely, and yet work and his sister kept him from feeling that too often.
He was grateful for his sister and brother in law and their little girl Cassidy who was five years old. They lived close by and it helped keep the loneliness at bay.
From the moment that tiny girl was born he was wrapped around her finger. Cassidy Eve was the cutest little thing and he loved her sweet face and her spitfire personality.
He looked at the photo he had of her on his desk and ran his thumb over it.
He was still upset that he'd missed her birthday party two weeks ago.
He'd tried his best to come, but had an important meeting that he couldn’t miss.
He was still kicking himself that he hadn’t changed it sooner.
Cassidy had wanted a big party where she could invite all her friends from her class.
She's been obsessed with mermaids since she was two.
This year, she wanted a real one at her party. She had her mom research mermaids and their legends for a very long time.
Genna loved it, and hated it. She wanted to let Cassidy believe in mermaids, but it was hard knowing she could be disappointed later in life.
Luke would just tell Genna that Cassidy was only little once and to let her use her imagination.
On Cassidy’s fifth birthday they had a big party. And Luke and Genna had gone all out for it.
Even going so far to hire a mermaid to come and swim in their pool with the girls just as Cassidy had asked for.
