Chapter 13
“Thank you for meeting me,” I say, holding my hot cup of coffee in my hands, looking across the table at Mrs. Adams. “I really appreciate it.”
Katherine smiles, nodding. “Of course. Though I feel like I owe you a thank-you for distracting me today. I hate when the boys go out when it’s rough. And I really hate it when they leave so early that it’s basically night. But do you know what I hate the most?”
I frown, not knowing what she’s talking about. “What?”
“I hate when only one of them goes out.” She shakes her head. “It’s not safe not to have another boat nearby on rough, cold days. And so that’s three different things that I hate that my son has decided to pull today.”
“I don’t—” I stop, still not following all the way. “Which one?”
She gives me a look and rolls her eyes. “Ridge, of course. My child who is as stubborn as a goddamn bull. He left at one a.m., which means he’s got to be wiped out by now, and he still isn’t in yet.”
It shouldn’t bother me, thinking about Ridge being out there on a day it’s not nice out. He was rotten to me the last time we saw each other. And even if he hadn’t been, we don’t even get along. Well, aside from the one day we got along a little too well and then ended up having sex all night.
“Oh, wow.” I take a sip from my coffee. “That’s not good. I don’t blame you for being worried.”
When the fearful expression on her face intensifies, I set my cup down to reach across the table and pat her hand. “But he’s been fishing for most of his life, right? So, I’m sure he’ll be fine. Besides, he seems like the … extremely cautious type to me.”
She sighs, relaxing slightly. “Yeah. You know what? You’re right. I’m being dramatic. That boy always has a plan for a plan. He’ll be fine.” Though I can tell she’s still worried, she attempts to give me a relaxed smile. “So, what was it you wanted to see me for?”
I’ve spent days thinking about the last conversation I had with Victor.
Something in his voice told me that he wouldn’t stop pushing until the Adams’ property was his.
Despite my desire to climb the ladder at work so that I can gain more experience, I genuinely don’t want anyone to come between this family and their legacy.
In a way, I envy what they have here. It’s rare, and they don’t deserve to have it threatened or taken away.
Because of that, I knew I had to meet her today.
“I know that no amount of money would ever convince your family to sell out,” I tell her genuinely. “I think I realized that right off the bat.” I chuckle. “Ridge makes it pretty obvious how he feels.”
“He does. With every single thing in life really.” The corner of her lips turns up. “That boy sure loves his home and everything his family has built here.”
“I know,” I whisper. “And despite my … mixed feelings about your son, I admire the loyalty all of you have to something you clearly care so deeply about.” I stop, looking down. “Which is why I needed to come here. To warn you …”
When I glance back up again, she’s frowning. “What do you mean, warn me? What’s that supposed to mean?”
I grimace inside, knowing that whatever I say, she’ll still be wary of me because this entire thing is basically my fault.
I know if I hadn’t taken this opportunity, he would have offered it to someone far more ruthless than me.
But Katherine isn’t going to see it that way.
In her eyes, I’ll be the woman who came in and disrupted the peace and put her family’s land at risk.
“Victor, my boss, is pretty convinced that with some digging, he’ll be able to find something your family is hiding.” I swallow sharply. “Something that’ll make it easier for this land to go up for sale.”
Confusion and shock are followed by anger, which covers every inch of her face, making her cheeks grow red.
“We have nothing to hide, I can assure you.” She speaks sharply now, going into protective mode. “So, you can run back to your boss and tell him that if he’s trying to scare us, it’s not going to work.”
She begins to slide toward the end of her seat to get up, but I reach for her hand.
“Katherine, wait,” I say quickly. “I promise, I didn’t think he’d do anything like this. If I did, I would have never come.”
“But you did,” she utters, looking at me with disgust. “Stay away from my family.”
I pull my hand back, and she hurries to get up. Before I can say anything else, she grabs her coat and quickly rushes to the door. I could run after her and apologize again for my involvement, but I don’t want to make it worse on her. Especially not when she’s already concerned about her son.
So, instead, I sit here in this booth, staring straight ahead. Realizing that Christmas, a holiday she seems to love so much, is in two days. And here I am, ruining it for her. Just giving me another reason to hate this season that much more.
“You’re shitting me,” I mumble, creating a puff of smoke in the air from my breath because this car is so fucking cold. I turn the key again, squeezing my eyes shut and hoping for the best. “Come on, you stupid car. Don’t take a giant shit on top of my already-shitty day.”
The car won’t start, and I inhale a deep breath, trying to calm myself before I have a full-on meltdown in this coffee shop parking lot and things get ugly.
I don’t need this today. This morning, I stubbed my toe.
And then I found out my favorite Netflix series had been canceled.
Twenty minutes ago, Katherine gave me a death glare and then walked out of the café. Now, my car won’t start.
All of this shitty stuff, and it’s not even Christmas yet.
Pushing the door open, I start toward the café to find the sign now says it’s closed. “Amazing,” I grumble, taking my phone from my pocket.
I could call Ridge. After all, I have his number, but something tells me he’d probably tell me to fuck off. And I don’t know anyone else in the area—well, besides his family, and they sure as hell don’t want to hear from me either. So, I suppose I’ll call the closest garage and have it towed.
A loud exhaust startles me, and I look up to find a big white truck pulling into the parking lot, its windows so dark that I can’t even see inside it. It parks, and for a moment, no one gets out.
Creeped out, I start toward my car just as the driver’s door swings open and Riley steps out. He waves, flashing me that panty-dropping grin that I think is his signature smile before heading over.
“Hey, it’s Stella, right?” he drawls, stopping next to my car where I stand.
I nod, knowing that his mom probably hasn’t talked to him yet. If she had, he wouldn’t be smiling that big at me right now.
“Thought so.” He stops, his brow furrowing. “Everything all right? Why are you just standing outside your car? It’s fucking cold out.”
Despite the chill in the air, my cheeks heat up. Part of my issues from my shitty childhood that I carry with me is the inability to accept help. But right now, I’m not sure I really have a choice.
“Um, yes. I can’t get the engine to turn over, so I’m going to call a tow truck.” I shrug it off like it’s all fine and dandy. “Not sure what’s going on with the stupid thing.”
Pulling the door open, he climbs behind the wheel and attempts to start it, and just like I could have told him would happen, it doesn’t work.
“Well, it’s not a dead battery—that much I know,” he says thoughtfully, just as a gust of wind sweeps through the parking lot, sending some fallen snow spraying through the air.
I shiver, my lips trembling before I stuff my hands inside my pockets. Of course, Riley has to notice because, instantly, he waves toward his truck.
“My truck’s warm inside. Let’s go sit in there, and I’ll call my friend Alex.” He gets out of the car. “He owns a garage in town and has a tow truck. I’ll have him come and grab it.”
Guilt strikes me—because I know how angry his mom would be if she knew he was helping me out. Rightfully so too.
“You don’t have to do that,” I say, shaking my head. “If you give me the number, I can call.”
Please don’t help me. It only makes me feel worse.
“Hell no, I’m a gentleman.” He winks before throwing his arm around me. “Come on. Let’s get you out of the cold.”
He smells different from Ridge, but delicious nonetheless.
And yet, with his arm around me, I don’t feel that same spark I did when it was his brother who was this close.
Riley is an insanely attractive man who’s clearly confident—as he should be.
Yet, now that I’ve been with his brother, I can’t get him off my mind, even with Riley so close.
Releasing his hold on me, he opens the passenger door, and I climb inside, thankful to be in the warm air, even though I know it’s wrong for me to take advantage of how sweet he is after the mess I might have put his family in.
Once he closes the door, he jogs to the driver’s side and climbs in before pulling out his phone. After a moment, he puts it to his ear.
“Yo, what’s up?” He grins. “You hauling cars today or fucking off, like usual?”
He listens, his grin growing wider before he chuckles. “Hey, it’s fucking blowing a fuck ton outside, so, hell no, I’m not out to haul.”
His words make my stomach feel sick because if it’s really that bad out today on the ocean, why on earth did Ridge go out?
Riley laughs again at whatever the dude on the other end of the line said. “Yeah, yeah, I bet.”
He glances at me. “Hey, look, I have a friend whose car won’t start, parked down here by Salt and Coffee. Is there any chance you can come get it?”
He listens for a few seconds. “All right, sounds good. We’ll be right here.”
Once the call ends, he hits a few buttons to turn off his own heated seat, but luckily, he leaves mine on.
“He’ll be here in ten,” he drawls. “Hopefully, you weren’t here too long by yourself.”
“No, only a few minutes,” I answer softly. “Thank you for calling your friend.” I smile. “And for letting me sit in your fancy, warm truck. Keyword: warm.”
“It’s not a problem.” His deep voice is smooth, and every word packs a bit of flirtatiousness that Ridge doesn’t have. “Been wondering where you’ve been. I noticed your car at the rental house, but haven’t seen you.” He eyes me over. “Where’ve you been hiding, girl?”
“Here and there, I suppose.” I blush.
He just has a certain magnetism to him that makes me feel uncomfortable, although I also find it endearing at the same time.
“Are you staying here for Christmas?” he asks, obviously curious. And really, who could blame him?
It’s clear that the holidays mean a lot to his family, and I’m sure it’s strange that it’s almost Christmas and I’m still here, poking around his land.
“Actually, I’m going to catch a flight home tomorrow night,” I say truthfully.
A few minutes after Katherine left me sitting alone, I realized that I could no longer be a part of this thing between Victor and the Adams. I need to get out of here before shit hits the fan. Lucky for me, I found a flight home on Christmas Eve.
“There’s supposed to be a snowstorm coming tomorrow. I hope your flight gets out,” he says, seeming concerned. “I imagine you have family to get back and see.”
He doesn’t mean to hurt me with his assumption, but it does. Lucky for me, I have one helluva poker face, and I keep the pain hidden.
“Yeah,” I say, selling it as best I can. “What about you? What’re your big plans for Christmas?”
Even saying the word burns my throat, but I desperately need to take the attention from me and put it on him. And as sweet as he is, he seems like the type of guy who would love to talk about himself.
“Same as every year.” He grins. “We go to my parents’. Mom makes way too much food. We play some card games, watch a movie, eat more food, and then call it a day.”
He says it like it’s no big deal, but in reality, I can’t imagine what it would feel like to have that sort of stability, where you know that your family is going to get together for the holidays.
And not only that, but you know your mom is going to do everything to make it special for you, even though you’re a grown-ass man.
“Nice.” I plaster on a polite smile.
Riley knows my reason for being here, yet he doesn’t go out of his way to make sure I know he hates me. I’m not sure this guy could hate anyone though. Unlike Ridge, who is downright mean.
And really good in bed.
While we wait for the tow truck, Riley puts on some music, and I keep thinking that by tomorrow, I can put this entire trip to Maine in the past.
Forever.
Merry freaking Christmas to me.
“That might have sucked, but it was worth it, boys,” I say to the guys while they sit on the bench in the wheelhouse.
Both play on their phones like zombies, and between the three of us, I don’t know if we have enough left in us to unload the lobsters we caught today.
“Sucked isn’t the word for it,” Connor says, yawning. “I don’t even wanna drive home; I’m so tired.”
“Drink another one of those girlie energy drinks; you’ll be fine,” I tease him, keeping my hand on the ship’s wheel as I sit in the captain’s chair.
Today was one of those rare days when there wasn’t anyone else out. Typically, I don’t like to put my crew in a position to be out on the ocean when there aren’t any other boats around, but we really didn’t have a choice. My brothers decided to be lazy, and I couldn’t do that.
Besides, the guys don’t know it yet, but when we get in, I’ll give them their Christmas bonus. Though they probably do know it’s coming because I do it every year.
Steaming into the bay, I’ve never been more excited to see my house from the water. As corny as it may sound, I always love looking up and seeing my house sitting among the trees. I think I like the view of our land from the boat more than anywhere else.
Taking a sip from my Monster, I yawn. It’s been a long day. It’s been windy as fuck, which means the sea has been building all day, making this sail into my wharf painfully long, and I’m beat.
Just like I have on the days out to haul ever since she’s been here, I nonchalantly look at the house where Stella is staying. And every day her car is still there, I’m more surprised.
Only today … her car isn’t there.
Instead, my fucking brother’s truck is pulling in.
Riley, you motherfucker.