Chapter 6
HANNAH
The weather is warm for a late January afternoon, some strange pattern off the coast from the south that has carried sub-tropical winds, and I don't mind.
The boat rocks gently in its mooring as I flit around, trying to get everything perfect.
With two party consults this afternoon, I want everything looking perfect.
I have to prepare for the chance that Mrs. Reyes comes back to shut us down.
As it stands, her assessment three days ago left me in limbo.
She needs to take soil samples and bedrock measurements, which means another inspection at least, if not two.
But if she comes back saying pier two is down for the count, I know pier one is at jeopardy too.
And Luke doesn’t seem in any rush to fix it.
He may be able to lose the revenue and keep going, but Brooks Party Boats and Rentals won't.
My back is to the door as I fluff a few pillows on the couch that wraps along the inner wall of the salon.
I'd show them the sky lounge but the weather is so unpredictable in February that if they wanted an outdoor party it would have to be a last-minute decision.
It's best to steer clients toward indoors until the harshest moments of southern Oregon's winter have passed.
"Excuse me?" I hear, and I whip around, startled, half expecting to see Luke standing on my boat. But it's not Luke at all. It's that charming Mr. Dorsey who so willingly offered up his funds to support my cause. It brings a smile to my lips as he steps into the salon and straightens his tie.
"Mr. Dorsey, it's so good to see you." I glance at my watch. I still have a few minutes before the Rayburns get here to have a tour. I can indulge whatever reason he's here to speak to me.
"Ms. Brooks, your boat captain said I could find you in here," he says, walking toward me.
He smells like expensive cologne, and I can see he's had his hair recently cut.
He's handsome, but not in that rugged way that makes my pulse zing.
And he's older, so not entirely my type.
But I take his tanned hand and shake it.
"What can I do for you? I assumed you'd be hunting me down at some point." I gesture at the sofa and he nods, following me where we sit down.
"Well, I came to see how progress was going. At the town hall I hoped to catch you, but you slipped out afterward so quickly." He unbuttons his suit coat and crosses one leg over the other, making himself comfortable.
I sit neatly with my ankles crossed and my feet tucked under the bolted-down armchair, then cross my hands on my lap.
"Well, things are going just fine." I know this is about the festival, but I'm not sure exactly what "things" he's wondering about.
All I know is he's willing to give me hundreds of thousands of dollars and I have to be polite and entertain him.
"Good, good…" He looks around lazily, taking in the interior of my yacht.
It's one of two I've mortgaged in order to use for my business.
The other one is more of a fishing boat with large benches around the hull along the railing so customers can get a good view of the shore on tours.
This one is a full-blown yacht that hosts up to forty people at once, with bedrooms and a fully stocked kitchen.
When his eyes land back on me, I feel strangely nervous. I'm not scared to be alone with him. He doesn't intimidate me like that. But I feel awkward, not knowing what to say. The man clearly has some money if he can throw five hundred grand away on a festival for a town he doesn’t live in.
"This Maddox character," he says, pausing to lock eyes with me.
"Has he reconsidered the festival placement?
" I watch as his eyes move past me to the window behind my back that overlooks the entire harbor and river's inlet.
It's a beautiful view, but he's not admiring the scenery.
It appears he's watching ships on the water or people on the docks.
I know Luke has a few men taking measurements today.
I sigh and shrink into the chair ever so slightly. "No, he hasn't. I came out with Mrs. Reyes, the city’s safety inspector, and he had his own engineer out here. I can tell he's making repairs, but not for the festival. And he still refuses to—"
"I see," Dorsey says, cutting me off. I don't think it's rude, but it's definitely not that polite.
Still, he's the one with the money to make things happen.
If he'd rather speak than listen, I'm all ears.
"I think maybe offering him that incentive we talked about at the meeting might help.
I'm sure a struggling business like this would jump at the chance for free money. "
"Oh, the marina's not—"
"And if," he says, cutting me off again before I can tell him the marina really isn't struggling. It's just rundown. "If he still refuses my offer of cold, hard cash to get this thing running the way it should be, then we can apply more pressure with the inspections."
I feel tense. Bullying Luke isn't going to work. I know him. When he gets set on something, there is no changing his mind. That's something about him that has never changed, not since we were kids, and this tactic to use the city inspections to force his hand will only make him dig in.
"I just think…" I start, fully expecting Dorsey to cut me off again, but he lets his eyes drift lazily back to my face as he runs a hand over the back of the suede couch. "I think if we give him time…"
"Yes, that's all he needs." The calmness in his tone coupled with his half smile is a bit unnerving, but he's such a kind man for offering his funds.
"We just know how much better this business could thrive if he takes the money, right, Ms. Brooks?
" He lifts both eyebrows at me, waiting for me to acknowledge him, and he's not wrong.
"Mr. Maddox could repair his docks, build more buildings out here for more businesses, like the ones I want to bring in, and by next winter, he could double his gross income. "
"Yes," I admit, "you're right." Luke doesn't deserve that break, but Dorsey is a good man, regardless.
His generosity would mean a fresh start for a business that's seen better days.
And if Luke is wise, he could even build a third pier out here in deeper water to host bigger boats.
It's just what the city would need, and all the profit would be his. I can't see how he'd say no.
"Good, well, if he remains hesitant, let me know.
I may be able to help him see how beneficial this would be for him too.
" He stands, smoothing his slacks before buttoning his coat and tucking his tie in.
"I'll get out of your hair, but you let me know as soon as you’re ready to sit down and discuss budget issues. We have a bit of time yet, but I’m ready when you are. "
I stand with him, following him to the door and then on to the deck.
Mr. Dorsey walks across the passerelle to the pier and I watch him.
To Luke, all of that would sound horribly manipulative, but to me it makes sense.
It's a win-win no matter what anyone else thinks.
Luke could do so much with that money, and it's free for the taking.
The Rayburns appear at the entrance to the main docks, moving past my offices as my eyes sweep across the whole marina, hoping to spot Luke somewhere.
I want to make sure he hasn't left, because before I leave this boat today, I want a chance to level with him and see what he thinks about Dorsey's idea.
Only, when my eyes land on him, it makes my stomach flip. He stands on pier two next to Mr. Whitaker working on the moorings, and he's not wearing a shirt.
Thick, corded muscles ring his abdomen and chest under a light sheen of sweat. Thick swaths of dark ink decorate his skin, and when he works with his arms, the flex of his biceps makes my heart palpate. I can't stop staring. He's gorgeous.
I mean, I knew when I first saw him in that dark T-shirt and jeans that he wasn't the same twiggy teen I crushed on years ago, but I didn't expect this. Luke Maddox is ripped, and I mean a body chiseled by God himself, and decorated in such a way to make my jaw drop and my panties wet.
My body suddenly feels warm, though the outdoor temperature hasn't changed that much. It's a nice day, probably sixty degrees, which is well above normal for this time of year, but not hot enough to make me fan myself. But I find myself fanning and staring and practically drooling.
"Ms. Brooks?"
The voice snaps me to attention as I look up to see Mr. Rayburn helping his wife across the passerelle. She's wearing a beautiful blue dress that matches his tie, and both of them are smiling.
"Mr. and Mrs. Rayburn, welcome to The Mariah.
" I nod and offer a hand to Mrs. Rayburn as she steps down onto the deck, but my eyes drift back to pier two, where Luke's back is to me now, crouching as he works a power tool.
Holy Christ, what's wrong with me? I'm staring at and drooling over a man I'm supposed to hate.
"Thank you for having us," she says, brushing some hair out of her face. Her eyes follow my line of sight until she grins and nods. "They're doing some repairs, then?"
Is my staring that obvious? God, I hope my drooling isn't. I step back and suck in a cleansing breath before I say, "Yes, Mr. Maddox and his crew are fixing things up over there."
"Ah, so the festival is going forward?" Mr. Rayburn jerks the hem of his suit jacket, tugging the shoulders into place, but his eyes are on me, not the other pier where his wife is staring, maybe gawking at that God-like eye candy I feel sucking me into its gravity.
"Not exactly," I say politely, probably too stiffly. "Mr. Maddox realizes his piers are in need of some help and he's fixing things up. But we'll keep working on him. We have some time to get him to agree."
I gesture, wanting to move away from the deck and into the salon where we can discuss their party and not my festival. "Shall we go inside and have a look around? I'll show you the salon and galley, and perhaps a few of the cabins."
Mrs. Rayburn pulls her eyes back to this boat and follows her husband through the doorway, but I can't help but steal one more glance at Luke. Now he's having a drink, letting the water run down over his chest as it dribbles from his mouth, and I can't fucking breathe.
Why is he so mesmerizing? He's supposed to be a total ass, completely repulsive. But he's not. He's a work of art.
And I'm going to have to try to forget what I just saw, or it's going to ruin my ability to speak with him about serious things.
God, what's wrong with me?