Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 76000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
“Nope.” I sip my beer, thinking about it. “But she’s been like this since she was a kid—probably middle school. I always ignored her back then, but now we all hang out together a lot, and she’s hard to ignore.”
“She’s pretty,” Wolfe says. “Yeah, she has the tomboy thing down with the coveralls and hats, but even that can be sexy.”
“She’s always had the prettiest red hair,” Tanner agrees, and all I do is narrow my eyes at the two of them.
“What are you trying to do?”
“Nothing.” Wolfe polishes off his slice and reaches for another. “Just pointing out that June’s hot. It’s fine if you’re not into her. Someone will snatch her up.”
“She’s a catch.” Tanner nods, looking into his glass.
“Don’t be stupid.” I sit back and wipe my hands on a napkin. “Do you live in the sixties? Women don’t need to be ‘snatched up’. She’s fine and does damn well without any help from anyone else.”
I shake my head, surprised that they’re talking about any woman this way.
“You two idiots are better than that. Luna and Sarah don’t need you. Either of you.”
“You’re absolutely right.”
Tanner is grinning. They both are.
“You two are assholes.”
They laugh and fist-bump, and I sigh.
“You sure didn’t like the idea of her being with someone else.”
“I think you ought to mind your own damn business.”
We finish dinner, and Harvey passes Wolfe a fresh pizza on our way out.
“You guys coming with me?” Wolfe asks.
“I’ll go over,” Tanner says with a nod.
“I’m out.” I shake my head and start for my truck. “I have another early morning tomorrow. Have a good night.”
“See ya,” Wolfe calls out.
Do I want to see June? Hell yes. I want more than that. But I already spent time with her today, and it was all my system could handle.
It’s almost torture to be so close to her and know that I can’t touch her or kiss her.
That night we spent together was a fucking mistake because now I’m addicted to her, and I can’t have her.
It’s fucking horrible.
“Well, what are you doing here so early?”
Luna smiles at me, holding a steaming mug of coffee as she sits inside the gazebo by the lighthouse and watches the sky come to life over the Pacific Ocean.
“I thought I’d swing by on my way to a job and see how things are going here,” I say, sitting next to her on the bench.
“They’re so good. The inn is 99 percent finished, and we’re ready to bring in furniture. I get to stage everything and make it extra pretty.”
“It’s hard to believe that it’s almost finally done.”
“Oh, I can believe it. It feels like we’ve been working on it forever. A lot has happened in the past year from Wolfe coming home, to the fire, and Sarah being hurt by her psycho ex, and on top of it, we had to rebuild Wolfe’s garage and continue to build the inn.”
“Busy year,” I agree and take a sip of coffee from the travel mug I brought with me. “This place doesn’t look the same as it did when we were kids.”
“Does that bother you?” She turns in her seat to face me, concern written all over her face. She’s always been the pleaser in the family. “This property is your home as much as it’s mine.”
“I don’t think that’s necessarily true.” I shake my head and look out at the water. “Sure, we both grew up here, but the lighthouse is in your blood, Luna. This is your home and your legacy for your new family. I like to come up to hang out, and I have good memories here, but it’s not my home. If you need my approval on everything that you’ve accomplished, you have that. I’m damn proud of you. I know Mom and Dad are, too, and they’re excited to come for the holiday parties and stuff you have planned.”
“I’m excited for that, too,” she murmurs. “I just didn’t want you to think that I took over and changed this place without having you in mind.”
“You’ve checked in with me several times in the past year, and I have always said the same thing—do whatever you want. I mean that. You aren’t foolish, you love this property, and you’re going to make it really awesome.”
“Okay. That makes me feel better. What are you up to today?”
“I have a job up in Lincoln City.”
“That’s quite a ways away.”
I nod and sip my coffee. “Yeah, that’s why I’m getting an early start. I’ll finish it up today, and then I’m back in Huckleberry Bay for the foreseeable future. What about you?”
“The cleaning crew finished yesterday, so I’m going to start going through the deliveries of décor and stuff for the inn that I’ve gotten over the last couple of weeks.”
“So, you really are ready to go.”