Chapter 23
A second chance doesn’t mean go ahead and trample all over my life.
Hazel
I tap the envelope with my finger. It’s a thick envelope containing the VA hospital’s job offer. Is it a good offer? No idea. I haven’t opened it yet.
What if it’s a great offer? I can’t turn down a great offer. Even if it means leaving home.
Ugh! I hate being indecisive. Usually, I can make a decision within minutes. But this decision has me torn in two.
My phone rings and I snatch at the opportunity to take my mind off this job offer.
“Hello.”
“Hazel?”
The voice sounds familiar, but I can’t place it. “This is Hazel. Who am I speaking to?”
“Hudson.”
Of course, I know Hudson. He owns the Hideaway Haven Resort. He’s also a local celebrity who used to play in the NFL. Plus, he grew up on the island.
“Oh, hi, Hudson. How are you? How are Nova and Iliana?”
“I’m good, and they’re perfect.”
I sigh. Nova is the luckiest girl on the island. To have a big, strong football player who lived as a hermit fight his demons for you? Swoon!
“I’m glad. Why are you calling me?”
He chuckles. “Always to the point.”
“I can beat around the bush for a while if you prefer. But you’re a busy man.”
“I am. I’ll get to the point then. I want to hire you.”
“Hire me? I don’t remember applying for a job.”
“I don’t need to interview you. I know you’re an excellent physical therapist. And I need a physical therapist.”
“You just happened to remember I’m a physical therapist?”
“I might have been reminded by someone.”
I swear under my breath. “Miles set me up. I’m going to whip him with his surfboard.”
“In his defense, I wouldn’t offer you the job if I didn’t think you were capable.”
“You’re seriously offering me this job? It’s not a pity ask?”
“Not sure what a pity ask is, but I’m offering you the job. It would be full-time, and you’d also be on call for weekends and holidays. You can bring your own clients with you and maintain your current payment arrangement with them. The resort would earn no money on those clients.”
Holy smugglers. This sounds perfect. I could stay on the island and still work as a therapist.
“Miles might have reminded me you’re a therapist, but I should have offered you the job before.”
“I need to think about it.” And go find Miles so I can give him a piece of my mind.
“Take your time. And don’t hurt him too bad.”
He rings off and I shove my phone in my pocket before grabbing my keys. Miles better hope I can’t find him because I am not a happy mermaid.
I stomp out of my apartment, but once I reach the sidewalk, I pause. I have no idea where Miles is. But I have an ace in the hole. Someone who can’t refuse to answer me after what she did.
Harper answers on the first ring. “Hey, Hazel. Where are you? Are you coming?”
“Coming where?”
“Mermaid Mini Golf. The whole family is here.”
“The whole family?”
“If you’re asking whether Miles is here, he is. If you hurry, you can be on his team. Dad, don’t touch that. Sorry, I need to go before Dad destroys a mermaid.”
When we hang up, I check my phone. No messages from Miles inviting me to a family event. Great. Mr. Hot and Cold has arrived at the party. This is why I didn’t want to give him a chance. I can’t trust him to always be there.
Like now. He’s switched off again. But why? Why arrange a job for me and then switch off? Miles Raider is the most confusing man I’ve ever met.
He’s also the man who will be answering all my questions. As soon as I can make it to Mermaid Mini Golf.
I jump in my car and drive as fast as possible toward the cliffs. On one side is Mermaid Mystical Gardens. On the other side is Mermaid Mini Golf. In between is a statue of a poor mermaid who believed a smuggler when he claimed he loved her and ended up diving to her death off the cliffs.
The Raider family has taken over the mini golf course. There are Raiders everywhere. Pearl is running around the giant mermaid at the fifth hole while Rhett chases her. Dakota is sitting on a bench with baby Mira, laughing.
“Miles Raider!” I stomp toward where he’s standing with Jaxon and Sloane, waiting for their turn to begin.
“It’s about time you got here,” Jaxon says. “We’re about to start.”
“You were expecting me? Odd since I wasn’t invited.”
Miles holds up his hands. “I didn’t invite you because you’re supposed to be working at Smuggler’s Cove Restaurant tonight.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “How do you know when I’m supposed to work?”
He shakes his phone at me. “I have your schedule synced to mine.”
“You have…” I shake my head. Miles knowing my schedule is not the issue here. His not inviting me tonight isn’t either. Although, I’m happy to hear he didn’t forget all about me. Maybe Mr. Hot and Cold hasn’t returned to the party yet after all.
“Did you speak to Hudson?”
His cheeks darken. “Y-y-yes.”
“How dare you ask him to offer me a pity job!”
“Can we discuss this somewhere private?” He motions to his brothers, who have given up on mini golf and are inching their way toward us.
“What’s a pity job?” Sloane asks.
“Please. Somewhere private,” Miles pleads.
I snort. “First of all, there’s nowhere private enough on this island to keep your family from eavesdropping.”
“Not fair,” Zane claims while he rocks Adele in his arms. “I don’t eavesdrop when it’s adult time.”
Pearl tugs on his jeans. “What’s adult time? Mom and Dad take naps during adult time. But I’m not allowed to join them.”
“Pearl.” Rhett rushes to pick her up while Dakota’s cheeks darken until they’re bright red.
I ignore all of them to glare at Miles. “Did you or did you not ask Hudson to give me a pity job?”
“It’s not a fucking pity job,” he grumbles.
“Swear jar, Uncle Miles!”
Rhett covers Pearl’s mouth with his hand. “Sorry.”
Henry, Harper’s dad, wheels his way toward us. “What’s going on? I was promised a burger and fries.”
Harper glares at Kai. “Who promised you a burger and fries?”
“It won’t kill him to eat a burger and fries once in a while.”
Harper throws her arms in the air. “I give up!”
“If you’re done discussing what I’m allowed to eat, can someone tell me what the holdup is?” Henry asks.
I point to Miles. “He went behind my back to get me a job at the resort.”
“I didn’t go behind your back.”
I spit daggers out of my eyes at him. “Did you tell me what you were doing? No. You did not. You snuck off to speak to Hudson about me.” I slam a hand on my chest. “About my career without consulting me.”
“I wanted to give you options.”
“I can’t believe you. You ignore me for years.”
He growls. “I never ignored you.”
He so did. I get all up in his face. As much as is possible, considering I’m several inches shorter than him.
“You ignored me for years except when you were drunk and horny. And when I’m finally getting my career on track and have an awesome job opportunity with a VA hospital, you decide you can’t handle it and stick your big, fat nose in my business.”
“I do not have a fat nose.”
I growl. His nose is not the point and he knows it!
“Never mind my nose,” he quickly backpedals. “You told me you would stay on Smuggler’s Hideaway if you had a job here.”
“So you went and got me a job.”
“I don’t want you to leave.”
“I don’t care!”
“Yes, you do,” he grumbles. “You don’t want to move away from Smuggler’s Hideaway. You want to stay. What’s the big deal? Hudson wouldn’t hire you if he didn’t think you could do the job. He was impressed with how you treated Caleb.”
“None of this is the point.” I stab him in the chest. He tries to capture my hand but I step backwards before he has the chance. “You can’t control me. This is my life. My career. I make the decisions. Not you.”
He reaches for me. “I’m not trying to control you.”
I bat him away. “I’m done here.” I whirl around and march toward my car.
“This isn’t the end,” Miles hollers after me. “You can be mad at me and stomp away, but this isn’t us breaking up. We’re having a fight. We’re not ending. We’re never ending.”
How I wish I could believe him. But he pushed a job on me after less than a week of dating. How is he going to try to control me after a year? A decade?
Can I ever trust him again?