Chapter 8 #2
Ben gave me another quiet nod. “Maybe Eli and Jules getting involved kind of broke the ice on these kinds of relationships. But he’d better do right by you. Just say the word, and I’ll rearrange his face for him.” He picked up his shovel and went back to inspecting a newly planted hibiscus.
“I hardly think that will be necessary,” I said with as much dignity as I could muster under the circumstances.
That left Austin. He pushed away from the palm tree, his gaze fixed on me as we walked away. “You okay?” he asked gruffly, the two words carrying more weight than Braden’s entire monologue.
“I think so,” I admitted honestly. “It’s… new. And scary.”
“It’s your business. But don’t let it distract you from all that’s going on around here.” A pause, a shift in his expression. “Or get hurt again.”
I chewed my lip, sensing the warning beneath his words. “How about we take a walk down to your boat?” I suggested, hoping to bridge the distance between us.
“Sure.”
As we made our way toward the dock, I thought about how much Austin had changed, how the fun, easygoing brother of my youth had become this introspective, sometimes downright curmudgeonly man.
He used to laugh with a freedom that matched the ocean he loved, but I was afraid those days were behind him now.
Line Dancer sat tied to the pier, the resort’s fishing charter boat that mirrored its captain. Everything about it was tidy and efficient, from the coiled ropes to the spotless deck. Austin stepped on board, waiting for me to join him.
A mix of frustration and hope knotted in my chest. “So that’s it? You’re not going to say anything else?”
His eyes shifted to mine, then out to the water. “Chase has got it together. He’s not like Dad. Or Jarod.”
I let out a breath. It wasn’t a ringing endorsement, but it was something. “No, he’s not.” And I had a feeling reminding myself he wasn’t Finn’s dad was going to be a common refrain for me.
He looked at me again, a hint of a smile pulling at his lips. “Just don’t expect me to babysit while you two are off having sex in some fancy new resort bed.”
I laughed, the sound carrying over the water. “Fine. I’ve got plenty of others to ask.”
His smile steadied, and lightness spread through my chest. When Austin smiled, it changed his whole face, like the sun breaking through a cloudy sky, a glimpse of the brother he’d once been. “Finn’s welcome on my boat anytime. You know that.”
“I do. Thank you. He loves going out on the water with you.”
“When are you gonna tell Mom?” he asked, a knowing look in his eye.
“Once I survive telling everyone else.”
“I think she’ll be okay with it.” He leaned against the railing, relaxed now. “You and Chase are the responsible ones. I didn’t blame her for being furious at Eli.”
I shook my head and smiled. “Yeah, but look how that came out.”
We stood in companionable silence for a moment, the waves lapping against the hull. At last, I felt like maybe everything was going to be okay. Or at least manageable.
“I guess Brenna is next on the list,” I said.
Austin nodded, then picked up one of the huge rods and inspected the reel. “You know where to find me if Ashworth steps out of line.”
As I walked away, I pulled out my phone and dialed my little sister. She was between Austin and Braden in the birth order. Her voice came through bright and cheerful. “Harper! What’s up?”
“Could I come over to the bookshop?” I asked, the need for a sisterly sounding board growing stronger. She could offer advice that would never even occur to our brothers. “I’ve got something to talk about.”
“Of course,” she said without missing a beat. “I’ll brew a fresh pot of tea.”
“Perfect,” I replied, feeling a touch lighter. We hung up, and I made my way to the parking lot, bracing myself for round two of the Coleridge confession tour.
“… so I just came from telling Austin, Braden, and Ben about us,” I finished, picking nervously at a loose thread on the cuff of my resort polo shirt as I leaned against the checkout counter of Bookshop in Paradise.
Brenna just stared at me, her iced tea halfway to her lips, those warm green eyes wide with surprised assessment.
She’d kept quiet during my long-winded explanation.
For a long moment, the only sound was the low hum of the shop’s air conditioner.
Then, slowly, a wide, knowing smile spread across her face.
“Chase?” she finally breathed, setting her tea down carefully on a stack of order forms. She tilted her head. “Actually, yeah. That sort of makes sense, doesn’t it?”
Relief prickled under my skin, surprisingly potent. “You think so? Because right now it feels completely unhinged.”
Brenna laughed, that soft, musical sound that always felt like coming home. “Well, you are a Coleridge. Unhinged is kind of our baseline.” She came around the counter and leaned back against it beside me. “But there have been some serious sparks and tension between you two.”
“God, now you sound like Braden. We have not been…” I started, then trailed off because, honestly, who was I kidding? “Okay, maybe there’s been some underlying… professional friction.”
“Uh-huh.” Brenna smirked. “Friction. Is that what we’re calling it?” She nudged my shoulder playfully. “Sounds like this… friction between you two was pretty good.”
I sighed, letting some of the bewildered energy settle.
“Better than good. Amazing. And he’s just so easy to be around.
It’s completely illogical. He’s Eli’s best friend.
He’s our business partner now. The timing is objectively terrible.
There’s no other way to put it.” I threw my hands up slightly.
“And yet, when I’m actually with him, arguing about plumbing or hovering over blueprints, it just…
clicks. It feels easy somehow, comfortable, even when we’re disagreeing. Which makes absolutely no sense.”
“Since when does anything involving attraction make logical sense?” Brenna asked wryly. She took another sip of her tea. “So, it feels easy and comfortable, even though it’s complicated and messy. Sounds about right.”
“Is that supposed to be reassuring?”
“Maybe.” Her smile was warm now, full of genuine affection. “Look, Harper, you’ve had your life locked down tight for years. Finn first, resort second, everything else—especially you—a distant third. Maybe it’s okay for something illogical and messy to feel good for a change?”
“But the complications are real,” I insisted. “Do you want me to recount them again?”
“Okay, okay, breathe.” Brenna held up a hand.
“Yes, the complications are real. They always are. I married Hunter! The Markham name alone was practically a declaration of war in our family.” She shuddered theatrically.
“You can’t let the complications overshadow the good stuff. And there’s obviously good stuff.”
“Yeah. Plenty.” I smiled, unable to help it. “We’re going on a real date on Friday. Away from the resort.”
Brenna’s eyes lit up. “See? That’s progress.”
“It is nice,” I agreed, a flutter of anticipation mixing with the nerves. “It’s just scary. It’s been so long.”
“Of course it’s scary,” Brenna said gently. “Jumping back in after… well, after everything, it’s always scary. And Chase isn’t exactly low-stakes, given the circumstances.” She paused, her gaze thoughtful. “But, Harper, don’t let the what-ifs ruin the right now. You like him, don’t you?”
I nodded, unable to deny the warmth spreading through my chest at the thought of his reassuring yet very sexy gaze, his unexpected humor. “Yeah. I really do.”
“And he clearly likes you. So, go on the date. Have fun. See what happens when you’re not covered in sawdust or arguing about copper pipes.” She nudged me again. “Stop trying to plan the next ten years based on one explosive night and a potentially great date.”
Tears I hadn’t expected pricked my eyes, blurring the colorful book covers surrounding us. It wasn’t profound advice, maybe, but it was exactly what I needed—permission to just be in the moment.
“You think it could actually work?” I asked.
“I have no idea,” Brenna admitted with a shrug.
“Nobody ever does at the start. But this is Chase. He’s a good guy, Harper.
Steady. Kind. Maybe a little too controlled for his own good sometimes, but straight up.
And from what you just told me”—she smiled softly—“it seems worth finding out, doesn’t it? ”
I pictured his smile, the way his eyes crinkled at the corners, the surprising tenderness he’d shown me after my initial panic. The easy way he was with Finn. Yes, it was worth finding out.
“Okay,” I said, taking a shaky breath and finally returning her smile. “Okay. I’ll stop catastrophizing. For tonight, anyway.”
“That’s my sister.” Brenna gave my arm a squeeze. “Now go figure out what you’re going to wear.”
I felt lighter leaving the bookstore than I had arriving, the anxieties still present but now overshadowed by a burgeoning sense of excitement and curiosity. A real date. With Chase Ashworth. Maybe this ridiculously complicated situation could lead to something wonderful.