Page 10 of One More Time

“I’m under contract to buy a house, but in the short term, I need a rental. It doesn’t really matter as long as it’s a month-to-month lease.”

“Um, okay, that makes sense.” For fuck’s sake, how many times was I going to start a sentence with um? “Um, we’re pretty flexible. We have some small houses available month to month right downtown.”

“Can I see one?”

“Of course,” I practically chirped. I took a slow breath.

“Tell me when and where.”

I gazed at the clock on the wall above my office door. “How about in half an hour? It’s right off Main Street. Just go past Spill the Beans Café and take the next left toward the harbor. You will see four houses in a row that look the same on the outside. Park in front of them, and I’ll meet you there.”

“Looking forward to seeing you in a half hour,” Jack said, his voice all gruff and rumbly.

My hormones were convinced he was looking forward to seeing me for more than just a rental and went a little wild. My body felt like the inside of a pinball machine.

As soon as I hung up, Haven’s eyes whipped up from her laptop. “Wow. I think you might like Jack Hamilton.”

“Haven,” I warned.

“What? You deserve to like someone. It’s fun.”

I let out a small sigh. “I don’t date.”

“I’ve noticed,” she said pointedly. “What’s that all about?”

“Seriously? Anyone interested in me in this town wants a connection with my family. I don’t have many other reasons, but that’s enough.”

Haven studied me briefly before she shrugged lightly and graciously let me off the hook. “I understand. Don’t get me wrong, I love Rhys. But there’s so much pressure in the world to find love. Maybe you have the hots for Jack Hamilton, and he sure is cute.” She waggled her brows. “But no pressure from me on dating.”

“You try dating with older brothers,” I offered wryly. That was another easy excuse.

There was more to this, but I didn’t want to discuss it. My brothers assumed I was cynical, but they didn’t even know the whole story. It was deeply personal. Even though we were tight as siblings and we all collectively adored our mother and missed our father, our father’s early death had led to a series of events that created lots of pain and damage in the family.

“Where are we with these plans?” I asked Haven, eager to change the subject. “Let’s settle on this before I leave.”

Haven shifted around the edge of the conference table, sliding her laptop closer to me.

“What do you think?” Haven was a graphic designer and an artist. She did handmade invitations and the like, but she also handled all the graphics for our corporate events. It was such a relief to have someone truly creative who I trusted.

I studied what she had on her screen. The cheerful and whimsical graphic had, of course, our telltale fireweed woven along the edges of the design.

“It’s perfect.” I beamed at her.

“I’ll polish it up and send the final version to you before tomorrow.” She paused, a sly gleam entering her gaze. “Now, go crush on Jack Hamilton for a little while.”

I rolled my eyes as I stood up. “I can enjoy the view.”

Chapter Seven

McKenna

I zipped up my coat as I walked down the sidewalk, careful to step around the few icy patches. February in Fireweed Harbor was usually the coldest time of winter. In another month, the cold weather would ease up. We couldn’t count on spring until April or May, but we got glimpses of warmer days. I loved the contrast of winter and enjoyed how pretty the landscape was.

I breathed in the crisp, icy air. My pulse picked up when I turned onto the street where Jack was meeting me, and I mentally insisted it was only because of my brisk pace.

A black truck was parked ahead, and I watched as Jack stepped out. I managed a shallow breath and ignored my racing pulse. He rounded his truck and waited on the sidewalk for me. My hormones stood and clapped, letting out a raucous cheer at the sight of Jack with his dark hair and impossibly blue eyes. Stopping before him, my gaze traced along his angled cheekbones and strong, square jaw.

He dipped his chin. “Good afternoon.” His lips kicked up at one corner.

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