Page 75 of That Time I Kissed My Beachfront Boss

He lifts his gaze to meet mine again. His lids are half-mast now, like he’s about to enter a dream, and I’m the star of the show. “I can drop you at your grandmother’s house if you want.”

I shake my head, as my pulse starts to race. “No, I want to go back to The Beachfront with you. To help,” I rush to add. “There’s so much to do.”

His eyes lock with mine. “Are you sure?”

“Positive,” I say, as a crack of thunder splits the sky.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Hudson

The donation bins and ballot boxes are already loaded in the back of Ford’s truck, so he offers to hitch a ride home with Three. That way Olivia and I can drive his truck back to the inn. As we make our way across the bridge, the skies continue to darken. The lake below us ripples in the wind, and raindrops plink, plink, plink on the windshield.

“Definitely a summer storm,” I point out.

Great. Now I’m morphing into Captain Obvious. But Olivia ignores how ridiculous my statement is and leans forward, peering up through the window at the looming clouds.

“Do you think we’ll be able to get the books moved inside?”

“Nope.” I flash her a quick shoulder hitch. “The groundskeepers have the day off, and without your cousins around to help, you and I don’t stand a chance of lifting those donation bins ourselves. We’ll just have to leave them in the truck until things dry up. But the library keeps them outside year-round, so the bins must be waterproof. I can wrap some tarps around them when we get to the inn, just to be safe.”

“I’ll help you,” Olivia says.

“No need for both of us to get soaked. You stay inside and look over the suggestions for new pub names.”

“As long as I’m useful.”

“Are you kidding? You’ve already done the most for the inn.”

“I guess,” she says softly. As we reach the end of the bridge and turn toward the docks, I look over at her just in time to catch her tugging at the tie on her bathrobe.

“You’re still in your bathing suit,” I say. Captain Obvious strikes again.

“My mom took the beach bag with my clothes back to her place.” She shrugs, but she’s also chewing at her lip. “I got so busy rushing around trying to get things done before the rain started, I didn’t even think about changing.”

“No problem.” I pull up to the inn, past the main buildings, and onto the grassy property between the new guest wing and the storage shed. “I’ve got some sweats up in my room you can pick through,” I say. “They have drawstrings. Hopefully you’ll find something you can tighten enough.” I cut her a glance, arch a brow. “Good thing you’re used to borrowing clothes that are too big on you.”

“Don’t remind me,” she groans. But a huff of laughter bursts from her. Then she hops out of the truck and dashes across the grass into the back entrance of the inn. Meanwhile, I collect the ballot box from behind the seats, so I can meet her inside the lobby.

“I’ll go deal with the tarps,” I tell her once we’re both inside. “You go head up to my room. 216. It’s unlocked. Feel free to dig around in the closet.” I pause for a beat, and my mouth twitches. “Just stay out of the underwear drawer.”

She lets out a snort and her face flushes. “You don’t have to tell me twice.”

As she skips off to change—in her white robe with her cheeks all pink—Olivia McCoy might as well be dragging my heart along with her. Still, we’ve got work to do, and limited time to finish it. I can’t stand around admiring her, wishing her job here didn’t have an expiration date.

Keep your heart all the way out of it, Hudson.

That’s the hard part for me, though. Because the bottom line is, my heart wants to be attached. I just don’t know how to be in love. I think it must’ve skipped a couple generations in my family.

Family.

Another thing I don’t know how to have.

My phone buzzes in my pocket. It’s Gerald Johnson. He took Robin to Vermont this week for their first real break they’ve had since the renovations.

“Hey, Mr. Johnson,” I say, accepting his call.

“Hudson! How’s it going, there?” His voice is just the reminder I need that found family can be as good as the one you’re born into.

---