Chapter 3
In my defense, no one warned me about the dimple.
Addy
I check the time and cringe. I’m late. I should have been at work by now. It’s a good thing I have the coolest bosses in the world.
The five women who own Five Fathoms Brewing are the best. They used to run around the island causing havoc, but now they’re all loved up.
My stomach drops. All loved up. Must be nice to have found the man of your dreams.
Meanwhile, I don’t have time for the man of my dreams. Even if he’s tall, has a chiseled jaw, and chocolate brown eyes I want to drown in. Or a dimple I want to lick. Or hair I want to tug on.
I push those thoughts from my mind. I definitely don’t have time for a man who’s on the island temporarily.
“Penelope! Mila!” I shout. “I’m leaving.”
Mila rushes into the hallway. “Why are you shouting? We know you’re leaving. ”
She smiles and my blood chills. It’s her ‘butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth’ smile. A more accurate name would be her ‘shit stirring’ smile.
“Mila! I’m going to kill you!”
It sucks to always be right. I sigh before making my way to their bedroom. “What’s wrong?”
Penelope points at Mila. “She undid my bed.”
Mila sticks her tongue out at Penelope. “You shouldn’t have told Jeremy I like him.”
“But you do. You wrote his name in your notebook and drew hearts around it.”
I slash a hand through the air. “Enough. I need to get to work. Promise me you won’t harm each other while I’m gone.”
“Define harm.”
Why, oh why, does my fourteen-year-old sister have to be precocious? She’s smart – way smarter than anyone else her age on the island – but doesn’t understand social rules. Such as never telling a boy your sister likes him.
Otis stumbles out of his room. “Go. I’ll watch them until they leave for summer school.”
My baby brother never volunteers to help around the house. I narrow my eyes at him. “What do you want?”
He doesn’t hesitate. “Money for the team pizza party this weekend.”
“An hour of watching your siblings isn’t worth very much.”
“I’ll watch them every morning this week before they have to go to summer school. ”
I lift my eyebrows. “You’re going to get out of bed before noon?”
“If you give me money for the pizza party.”
I hold out my hand. “Deal.”
I check the time again. Smugglers drowning in the sea. I’m seriously late now. “I’m going. If I have to wash blood off the walls, our deal is off.”
I wave as I rush out of the house to my bike. The brewery isn’t far. I can bike there in five minutes. The advantage of living in a small town on a small island.
I fly through the rear entrance to Five Fathoms and nearly run into my boss, Chloe.
“What’s your hurry?” She narrows her eyes. “Did someone tell you about the football players who are eating here for lunch?”
Football players. My heart skips a beat. I wonder if Gage is here.
I immediately push the thought away. Even if I had time for a man – which I don’t – he wouldn’t be interested in a small-town girl like me.
“Don’t want to be late clocking in.”
She sighs. “What did your sisters do now?”
I open my mouth to respond but someone hollers my name. With a mumbled sorry, I rush away.
I have a waitressing shift today. Sometimes I’m the hostess. And sometimes I bartend. Whatever is needed, I can do it. I pick up as many shifts as I can .
“Table five needs service,” the bartender says as I tie my apron around my waist and stuff my phone in one of the pockets.
I grab some menus before making my way to the table. My steps slow when I realize who’s sitting there. It’s the same group of men from the other night at Mermaid Karaoke. Including Gage.
He notices me and smiles. His dimple makes an appearance and my knees wobble.
This is ridiculous. I’m not a damsel in distress. I order my knees to behave and continue to the table.
“Hi, Addy.”
“Hello, Gage Edwards.”
The man next to him barks out a laugh. “She really doesn’t know who you are.”
He must have told them about our conversation at the Bootlegger.
“These are my teammates. Tanner, Nolan, Brock, and Corbin.”
“Do you all play on the same soccer team as Gage?”
Gage’s eyes narrow. “We play football and you know it.”
“I do?” I tap my chin. “Oh, wait. I’m supposed to know who you are.”
“You can’t make fun of me for being surprised you don’t know who I am.”
I scrunch my nose. “I can’t? Is this a law?”
“I like her,” Nolan declares .
“Good. I was worried about Gage’s teammates not liking me.”
“She’s sarcastic.” Tanner grins. “I love her.”
Gage punches his shoulder. “Knock it off.”
“Since I’ve already won the love and affection of your teammates, it’s time to order. Who knows what they want?”
“I’ll have the double cheeseburger with a side of hot wings, mac and cheese, and a baked potato,” Brock says.
I blink at him. “Should I add half a cow to your order?”
“I forgot coleslaw. And can we get a round of appetizers first?”
I was joking but apparently he’s not. “How many appetizers?”
“I’ll have the mixed platter.” He shuts his menu and sets it on the table. “Does anyone else want appetizers?”
“You can lift your jaw from the floor now,” Gage says.
I clear my throat. “Sorry. I didn’t expect him to order the entire menu.”
“I’m hungry,” Brock grumbles.
“What does everyone else want? I should take your order quick before poor Brock withers into nothingness.”
I thought Gage was a big guy. But he appears tiny next to his teammates. The five of them need two four-seater tables to fit their bodies around.
They chuckle as they tell me what they want. I hurry to the kitchen to place their order. When I turn around to return to the restaurant, I nearly run into Gage again.
“We need to stop meeting this way.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Are you following me?”
“Depends.”
“On?”
“Whether following you is good or bad. I vote for romantic.”
I scowl. “Did your mom not teach you it’s not romantic to follow a woman?”
“Nope. She didn’t teach me anything.”
I sense there’s a story, but I don’t ask. I’ve barely known him for a minute; I don’t have the right to his story. But I am curious. More curious than I should be.
“Moving on. Why are you following me?”
“To ask you out.”
“To ask me out?”
“On a date.
“A date?”
“You know. Dinner, dancing.”
For a moment, I allow myself to imagine how it would feel to go on a date with Gage. To be wined and dined by him. For his attention to be focused on me and me alone.
But it’s not to be. No dating for me. “Sorry. I can’t.”
“Are you involved with someone? Lucky bastard.”
My chest warms at him, thinking any man of mine would be lucky. “No.”
“Why did you say no if you don’t have a boyfriend?” He appears genuinely confused.
“Not used to hearing the word no?”
“Nothing you say or do is what I expect. ”
“Glad I can amuse you.”
“You fascinate me.”
I flick my hair. “Because I’m fascinating.”
“You’re joking. But I’m serious. You’re fascinating.”
I giggle. “I’m not fascinating. I’m boring.”
I don’t have fancy nails, get a pedicure every week, wear brand-name clothes, or go on exotic vacations. I don’t have time for any of those things.
“You’re not boring. Go out on a date with me and I’ll prove it.”
I tuck my serving tray under my arm. “You’re going to prove I’m not boring by going out on a date with me?”
“Yep.”
“Sorry, Gage Edwards. I don’t have time to date.”
“I get it. My life is busy, too. I have workouts, team training, meetings, etc. But I’m willing to make dating you a priority.”
“Wow. Big of you.”
He sticks out his chest. “I am big. Thanks for noticing.”
I roll my eyes. “Men and size.”
“Come on,” he cajoles. “Go out on a date with me and I promise not to discuss my size all night.”
I’m tempted. More than I care to admit. But I’m not playing hard to get. I seriously don’t have time to add one more thing to my life. It’s full and bursting at the seams as it is.
“Sorry, Gage. I’m not playing games. I really am…” I pause when my phone beeps. I dig it out of my apron and sigh when I read who the message is from.
I wag my phone at him. “I need to handle this. ”
“Okay. But I’m not giving up.”
“Trust me. You will soon enough.”
I learned the hard way how men who don’t get enough attention leave you. Men who refuse to compete with your siblings for your time. Men who don’t bother to stay – even when you need them.
“I don’t give up if I want something.” He leans close enough for me to notice the green flecks in his eyes. “And I want you.”
My body warms. He’s intense. I wonder how intense he can be. Especially when we’re both naked.
My phone beeps again and I startle. I glance down at the display and groan at Otis’s message. I quickly type a response.
You promised no blood.
“See you soon,” Gage hollers from the end of the hallway.
I glance up in time to watch him stride toward his table. He is one fine specimen of manhood.
If only I had time for a man.
If only I could trust a man to support me.
If only I could trust a man to stay.
If only. If only.
Useless words.
Gage is guaranteed to leave at the end of the summer when training camp ends.