Chapter Four
A week later, Britt knew that Chad hadn’t been kidding when he’d said she’d earn her paycheck.
She was exhausted, but in a good way. Every day, something new seemed to pop up that needed doing.
The first guests of the season had arrived, and her experience in retail came in handy, as they seemed to have a hundred questions every day.
She’d given them her cell phone number—a cell phone that had been provided by Otis, who’d told her she should be reachable at all times, now that she was working and living on the property.
And the guests hadn’t been shy about using it.
They wanted to know the best time to go kayaking, where the nearest Starbucks was located (about an hour and a half away, in Brunswick), and recommendations on where to find the best fresh lobster.
She’d also worked really hard before the guests arrived, ensuring the houses were as comfortable and clean as possible and making them look luxurious, at least at first glance.
The more time she spent there, the easier it was to see the work that needed to be done.
Work that Chad was doing his best to take care of.
But as with her, something more important always came up that demanded his attention.
A tree coming down in a windstorm one night, emergency repairs to the heat pump in the two-bedroom guesthouse, boats that needed to be prepped for pickup by their owners. Lobster Cove was a busy place—and it was more than obvious why Chad was excited for his brothers to arrive today.
Britt was nervous. Even though they all knew about her, about how she’d come to be working and living at Lobster Cove, meeting the rest of the Young brothers seemed daunting.
She was sitting on the front porch having coffee with Evelyn when a blue Ford Explorer pulled up in front of the house. Evelyn let out an adorable little squeak and lurched out of her chair, hurrying down the newly repaired steps.
Britt stood and stayed where she was. Part of the reason she was nervous was because if Chad’s brothers protested her being here, she’d be out. She had no doubt about that. And the longer she was here, the more she wanted to stay.
Evelyn was everything she’d ever wished her own mother could be, and Lobster Cove was possibly the most beautiful place she’d ever seen in her life.
If she hadn’t been keeping Evelyn company while she waited for Zach, Britt would’ve been on the back deck, watching the sunrise.
It was one of her favorite things to do.
It was chilly in the mornings still, but she didn’t care.
She bundled up in a blanket and sipped coffee while watching the world come alive.
She’d also never seen a loon in her life before coming to Maine, and now she could recognize their distinctive call and tell the difference between the eider ducks and the loons that swam around the cove.
But it wasn’t just Evelyn and the view and the wildlife ...
It was Chad.
She was appreciative of his help, of his kindness. But the longer she was around him, the more she realized gratitude wasn’t the only thing she felt for him. They had a type of chemistry that she’d never experienced with a guy ... ever.
She’d been pissed at Cole for leaving her, but not devastated like someone who was deeply in love with a partner would’ve been.
She’d moved with him to Maine not because she couldn’t live without him but because she wanted to get out of Georgia.
It was a crappy reason to move halfway across the country with a man, and she wasn’t proud of herself for using Cole in that way, but even with the trouble she’d had .
.. she didn’t regret going outside her comfort zone and upending her life.
With Chad, she didn’t feel as if she had to put up a front, to pretend to be someone she wasn’t.
He’d seen her at her worst that day in the parking lot of the lumberyard, and he hadn’t been turned off.
She could still recall the way her hand felt in his as he gave her that original tour of the property.
Walking with him had simply felt ... right.
As if he’d brought her exactly where she was meant to be.
She’d tried to turn that feeling off since then, but it was impossible.
Even when things went wrong, or when she messed up, she didn’t feel as if she was about to be fired or like anyone was upset with her.
Around Lobster Cove, shit happened, same as anywhere else, but everyone rolled with the punches.
It was a nice way to live ... not to be on tenterhooks, worried that she might be kicked out without a chance to defend herself.
But now that the other Young brothers were arriving, she’d be the outsider once more. They had every right to say who could and couldn’t live here, and if she did anything they didn’t like, they were sure to side with each other and give her the boot.
Britt opened a local bank account this week the second Otis presented her with her very first paycheck, and it felt really good to see a balance that wasn’t so close to the negative. But if she had to leave, the money she’d been paid so far wouldn’t last long.
Those thoughts were swirling around in her head when the door to the house opened.
Turning, she saw Chad step out. He was wearing a pair of blue jeans, a black T-shirt, and black work boots.
His brown hair was wet; it was obvious he’d just gotten out of the shower.
He’d been up before dawn that morning, working on a lawn mower down in the body shop before Walt and Barry arrived.
Instead of walking down the stairs to greet his brother, Chad stopped next to Britt. “Morning,” he said quietly.
For some reason, goose bumps shot down Britt’s arms at hearing his low, gravelly voice. “Morning,” she replied. When he didn’t move, she asked, “Aren’t you going to go greet your brother?”
“When Mom’s done fawning over him, he’ll come up here. I saw him not too long ago and talked to him last night on the phone. He stayed in Boston overnight. That’s why he’s here so early. He’s a morning person, which is annoying.”
Britt couldn’t help but chuckle. “Um, I hate to break it to you, but you’re a morning person too, Chad.”
He turned his head and grinned at her. “Yeah, but Zach’s really a morning person.
He used to have to get up around oh three hundred to start cooking when he worked for the Navy, and even now he gets up at the ass crack of dawn.
Leaving his hotel before six in the morning is nothing out of the ordinary for him.
Even as a kid, he was always the first one up .
.. used to drive my parents nuts, especially on holidays when he wanted everyone else up with him. ”
Britt loved hearing stories about when Chad was younger. Evelyn was constantly talking about her sons and husband and life at Lobster Cove. They had such an amazing legacy here, and she was so happy for them.
“There’s no need to be nervous, you know,” he said almost nonchalantly.
Britt glanced up at him.
“They’re not going to kick you out.”
She had no idea how he knew she’d been worrying about that exact thing. “I’m a stranger you picked up off the street. I’m guessing they’re going to be a little worried about my intentions and whether I’m a danger to your mom.”
“You aren’t.”
Britt huffed out an annoyed breath. “True. But they don’t know that. For all they know, I’m hoarding the silver in my bags and I’ll abscond with the goods in the middle of the night.”
Chad laughed, and the sound rumbled through Britt, making her uneasy with how much she loved hearing pretty much any sound from this man.
He didn’t get a chance to respond, because Zach was making his way toward them.
“Good thing you got here early. I want to get up on the roof to check out how bad it is, so I know how much time we have to replace it. I could use some help,” Chad said.
Zach rolled his eyes but didn’t hesitate to give his brother a hug. “Not even a ‘Hey, how was the drive?’ before you start cracking the whip?”
“Hey, how was the drive?” Chad deadpanned when he pulled out of the short brotherly embrace.
Zach punched his brother in the arm. “Introduce us,” he ordered, turning his attention to Britt.
Forcing herself to not fidget, Britt smiled at Chad’s youngest brother.
He was tall, even for her. She knew he was six-six and got his height from his dad.
He had hazel eyes and a square jaw. His lips were full and currently curled into a friendly smile.
His dark hair—not quite black, but not a true brown either—was cut in a military style, short on the sides and a little longer on top.
He had on a pair of khaki pants, a polo shirt, and sneakers.
He looked more like a preppy stockbroker than the master chef she’d heard about.
“Zach, this is Britt. Britt, this is my annoying little brother—well, one of them—Zachary.”
“It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you,” Zach said formally.
Which could mean just about anything. Not that Britt thought Chad was talking bad about her behind her back—and Evelyn certainly wasn’t—but she was still worried. “Same,” she told him.
“How do you like our little homestead?” he asked, waving a hand around to indicate Lobster Cove in general.
Now that was a topic Britt was comfortable talking about. “It’s amazing. Like a dream. So beautiful.”
“Until a foot of snow is dumped on us and we have to dig everything out,” Zach said with a chuckle.
“Oh, I bet it’s even prettier with snow!” Britt exclaimed.
“Come on inside,” Evelyn ordered as she joined them. “Why are we standing around like heathens on the porch when we could be eating breakfast?”
“Please tell me you made your special waffles,” Zach begged.
“Are you gonna leave if I say we’re having Greek yogurt with strawberries and low-fat bagels?”
Zach scrunched up his nose, clearly letting his mom know what he thought of that menu.