
While We Waited (Smuggler’s Hideaway #3)
Chapter 1
Nova – a woman who hates to be told no – especially by a grumpy resort owner
Nova
I enter Five Fathoms Brewing – the brewery I own with the four best friends in the world – and smile at Chloe.
“Good morning, Chloe. It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it? The sunrise was magnificent.”
She grunts. “Sunrise? Who gets up early enough to watch the sun rise?”
Speaking of how early it is. “What are you doing here already?”
Chloe is one of the co-owners of the brewery. She’s the hospitality manager for the bar and restaurant . She usually doesn’t arrive at work until it’s time to open the restaurant for lunch.
She motions to the broom. “What does it look like I’m doing?”
“Having a mental breakdown since you don’t clean.”
“I clean.”
I giggle. “Do you not remember the time you rang me for help because suds were coming out of your dishwasher?”
She rolls her eyes. “That happened years ago.”
“What about last month when you spilled purple laundry detergent all over your white kitchen counter and wanted to know how to dye the entire counter purple to match?”
“Purple kitchen counters are cool.”
The door bangs open and two more co-owners of the brewery, Sophia and Maya, enter. “Good morning.”
“Where’s the coffee?” Sophia grumbles.
Chloe points to the bar. “There’s a full pot.”
Sophia stumbles to the bar and pours herself a cup. She downs half of it before sighing. Her brow wrinkles. “What is Chloe doing here?”
“Ahem.” Chloe clears her throat. “I work here, remember?”
“But usually you don’t arrive before eleven,” Sophia points out.
Maya claps her hands. “Maybe it’s because she got up early with her husband.”
Chloe glares at Maya. “Lucas is my fake husband.”
Chloe married the sexy cop next door to help him keep custody of his daughter. We’re all hoping Lucas can’t resist our beautiful friend. She deserves a sexy husband who can’t keep his hands off of her after the way her own mother treated her.
Maya winks. “Sure, he is.”
“Whatever.” Chloe whirls around and stomps toward the hallway. “I’ve got inventory to do.”
“And I’ve got beer to sell,” I say as I make my way up the stairs to where our offices are.
I’m the sales manager for Five Fathoms Brewing. It’s an easy job since our beer is fantastic thanks to the fifth owner, Paisley. She’s always experimenting with flavors that sound as if they shouldn’t go together but end up tasting awesome combined.
Sophia, Maya, and I get settled at our desks in our shared office.
“How was your evening?” Maya asks Sophia while she waits for her computer to wake up. “You seem tired. Too much fun with Flynn?” She waggles her eyebrows.
Flynn is Sophia’s boyfriend. They’ve been obsessed with each other since high school but only recently got together. I’m surprised he hasn’t asked her to marry him yet.
I sigh. Everyone’s pairing off. Sophia with Flynn. Chloe with Lucas – although their relationship is supposedly ‘fake’.
I want someone to love and have tons of babies with. I want a family. Someone to cuddle under the blankets with while watching movies in the evening. Someone to eat pancakes with on Sunday morning. Someone to observe the stars with at night.
I’ve got Finn Fable, my cat, but he’s not allowed outside at night anymore. Not after he attacked the dog next door. I swear the dog was asking for it. Why else would my five-pound kitty go after a seventy-five-pound German Shepherd?
Paisley strolls into the office and stops in front of my desk. I grin up at her. “Good morning, Paisley.”
“Have you spoken to Hudson yet?”
I groan. Hudson is the bane of my existence. He’s also the owner of the largest resort on the island of Smuggler’s Hideaway where we live. Hideaway Haven Resort is an exclusive hotel. It’s also the only hospitality establishment on the island that doesn’t serve Five Fathoms Brewing.
“I’ve spoken to Hudson numerous times,” I hedge.
“She means since high school when you tried to get his attention by trying out to become a cheerleader,” Sophia says.
“I didn’t try out to be a cheerleader because of Hudson,” I lie. “The lead cheerleader asked me to try out.”
“Because she…” Maya’s eyes widen and she slams a hand over her mouth. “Never mind.”
“It’s okay, Maya. You can say it.”
Her cheeks darken and she drops her chin to stare at her fingernails. “Sorry, Nova. I didn’t mean to bring her up,” she whispers.
“You can talk about my mom. I won’t burst into flames at the mention of her name.”
My chest feels tight and my limbs heavy at the mention of Mom but I fight through the sadness. Mom’s been gone for more than a decade. I’m used to the sensation by now.
Paisley’s brow furrows. “Burst into flames? Why would you burst into flames?”
“Vampires burst into flames when they’re exposed to sunshine. Unless they are mated to a human,” Maya explains.
Sophia giggles. “Are you reading a vampire romance?”
Maya is a hopeless romantic who would rather read than deal with the world. She’s lucky her job as our financial manager doesn’t require her to speak to other people much. She’ll literally send fifty emails to remind a customer to pay their bill rather than picking up the phone and carrying out a five-minute conversation.
She sighs. “Vampire romances are hot.”
“Yes, I imagine they are if they’re bursting into flames,” Paisley says.
I giggle. Paisley doesn’t joke often. She’s usually too busy reciting random factoids. She’s the smartest person I know. She can quote facts about nearly everything. Except mermaids. She doesn’t believe in those. Which is a sin if you live on Smuggler’s Hideaway.
She clears her throat. “Anyway, Hudson?”
“I’ll contact him today.”
“Tell him I have a bunch of ideas for exclusive beers at his resort.”
“Hold on,” Sophia says. “You do?”
Paisley pushes her glasses up her nose. “I do.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? Exclusive beers make for great marketing material.”
Sophia is the marketing manager of Five Fathoms Brewing. She used to work for some hot shot marketing company in Atlanta but she came home a few months ago after she quit her job. It killed her pride to come home, but I’m glad she’s back on the island. Considering she’s living with the man she’s been in love with forever, she’s happy now as well.
“These beers will be exclusive to Hideaway Haven Resort,” Paisley explains.
Sophia rubs her hands together. “We could do a joint marketing campaign. I love this idea. Does anyone know who the marketing manager at the resort is? Never mind. I’ll figure it out.” She digs her phone out of her pocket.
“Hold on,” I say before she can dial. “ Hideaway Haven Resort isn’t a client.”
“Yet.” Sophia waves at me. “Use some of your sunshine magic on Hudson and he’ll be a client in no time.”
I cock an eyebrow. “My sunshine magic?”
“Oh, please. Don’t act confused. You can sell fish to a mermaid.”
Usually, I agree with Sophia. I am a pretty darn good salesperson. But Hudson isn’t interested in my sales pitch. I can barely get him to speak to me on the phone. Let alone buy our beer.
“Please,” Maya begs. “ Hideaway Haven Resort is a huge account. Think of the financial security having the account will bring to Five Fathoms. ”
“Fine. I’ll call Hudson.”
I log into my computer and …
I glance up. Sophia, Maya, and Paisley are now standing in front of my desk.
“What are you doing?”
“Nothing,” Sophia says at the same time Paisley says, “Eavesdropping.”
I shoo them away with my hands. “I can’t do a sales pitch with the three of you staring at me.”
“Fine.” Paisley checks her watch. “I need to get back to the brewery anyway. I have a new batch of Session IPA I’m working on.”
She leaves but Sophia and Maya don’t.
“I’m not calling while you stand there.”
Maya shrugs. “Fine. I can hear you from my desk anyway.”
Siren bait! I can’t phone Hudson with them listening. My friends believe I have a thing for Hudson. I don’t. Did I maybe have a teensy tiny crush on him in high school? He was the captain of the football team. Of course, I did. Every girl in school did.
But Hudson, the charming football player, is no more. He’s a grump who thinks it’s okay to tell women what to wear. Jerk.
I grab my phone and make my way to the bathroom. I lock the door behind me and dial Hudson’s number.
“What?”
I ignore his Holy Grumpiness. “Hi, Hudson. It’s Nova from Five Fathoms Brewing. ”
“What do you want?”
“I want to discuss the possibility of Hideaway Haven Resort carrying Five Fathoms Brewing beer. As you—”
“No.”
I open my mouth to try again but he hangs up. Captain Cranky strikes again.
He has another thing coming if he thinks I’m giving up. I’m not.
I’ll think of another approach. One he won’t see coming.