Page 13 of Hooked on a Feeling

John laughed at his sister and shook his head. “Good analogy, and I promise I do like it. It’s just that this is a big fucking deal, and we need to make sure we present the board with the perfect logo that they will have no choice but to say yes to.”

“I know.” She grabbed the folder off his desk and left the paper. “Which is why this one is it.” She winked. “If you think of something else, let me know.” She walked out of his office, leaving him to stew about the design she’d created. She wasn’t wrong. What she’d come up with was basic enough that it screamed luxury. It held an unspoken promise that you knew you’d made an exquisite choice.

John leaned back in his chair, hands steepled beneath his chin. Two years ago, he’d brought up the idea of creating a new logo for Blue. He had pretty much been shot down by everyone on the team, including some of his siblings. After he’d gotten over his anger and what had felt like betrayal, he realized that introducing a new logo at that time could have very well hurt their company. It was a time when yacht sales were down, the yearly yacht convention that was a big deal for them had been canceled, and they’d lost two longtime employees in the shipyard. One had passed away, and the other guy had lost his wife, so he’d packed up his three kids and moved to Kentucky, where his family lived.

But now, Blue was in excellent shape. They’d just held yearly reviews on all of their longtime employees, bonuses were set to go out within the next month, and they’d landed the contract from New York, which had the offices and the yard brimming with anticipation. If only he could get his dad to re-fucking-tire. Even though his mother had told him that his dad was going to announce his retirement, it didn’t feel very real. John had heard time and time again of his dad quitting and leaving John at the helm, but he’d heard it so many times that, honestly, he wasn’t sure if it was going to happen.

Guess he’d find out on Sunday. One of the best things about having so many siblings was that there was at least one who was nosy as hell. In this case, he had two—Jersey and Reed—and he could count on them to ask about their dad’s retirement.

If what his mom said was true, they were going to have to plan a party for the old man. John knew everything there was to know about Blue, so it wasn’t like he would need special training. Hell, he would bet that he knew more about Blue than his father did as of late. Just give it up, Dad.

“Who put that sad look on your face? Our new neighbor?” Judge strolled into John’s office and took a seat across from him. “You’ve seen her out there with the three Wright brothers, haven’t you?”

Jealousy spread across John’s chest, and he stood quickly, marching to his window to peer down at the marina. Sure enough, Starr was down there with the three brothers. Their big, obnoxious Wright Construction truck sat in the parking lot.

“Oh, you didn’t know?” Judge sneered.

John folded his arms over his chest and glanced back at his brother. “What the hell are you doing?” John knew full well that Judge was trying to make him jealous over other men showing interest in Starr. “I’m not her guy.”

The look on Judge’s face seemed to counter John’s words. “Is that so? Then why did you jump up like a fucking nutcase when I said she was with the Wright brothers?”

“Let’s get this out in the open.” John watched one of the brothers touch Starr’s arm, and her head tilted up to the guy. John swallowed. “I am attracted to her. But it couldn’t possibly go anywhere. She’s Harold’s granddaughter, for fuck’s sake. Not to mention the fact that she lives in Colorado. I’m sure as fuck not going to date anyone who lives in another state, let alone one that far away.”

“She fixing the place up?” Judge wouldn’t take no for an answer.

“What she can afford to fix. But she has a business in Colorado. She can’t stay here for too long.”

“What kind of business?”

Irritation flowed through John’s blood, and he sucked in a deep breath. Judge might be annoying him about Starr, but he wasn’t asking anything that was out of line. “She owns a yoga studio.”

The two of them shared a look, and John knew his playboy brother was thinking the same as he was. Flexibility like that was convenient in the bedroom.

“She gonna sell?” Judge asked.

“I don’t know. Why are you so curious about her and how I feel about her? You know as well as I do that Dad would hate the idea of any one of us going near that family. He’ll be a hard one to please if I bring her around. I’m surprised he hasn’t found out yet that I’ve been talking to her, as nosy as our family is. Not to mention, I want him to retire. This is something I could see him holding over my head and not giving me the position.”

Judge was already shaking his head. “The feud is stupid, first of all. It was our grandparents’ war, not ours. And your fucking talent speaks volumes. Not the fact that you’re the oldest son.” Judge shrugged, and his lips curled into a grin. “Well, maybe that a little bit. But you deserve it based on other merits, and Mom is chomping at the bit to go on a long trip.”

John knew this. Judge knew this. Christ, all his siblings knew this. It was a matter of time. And it was easier said than done. “Well, I appreciate the vote of confidence, but you’re preaching to the choir. I’ve told Dad a million and ten times to retire already. So has Mom. All of you guys have done it at least half a million times. The Davenport stubborn streak doesn’t know when to quit.”

Judge gave him a pointed look, and his eyes flitted to the window. No, John didn’t like any of the Wright brothers, and he sure didn’t like the thought of any of them flirting with Starr. John could only hope Starr wasn’t as enamored with them as she seemed to be with him. But just in case she could be easily swayed, he found himself snatching his phone off his desk and checking his calendar. No one would notice if he stepped out for a short walk.

“I’m coming with you.” Judge stood from his chair. “It’s only fair I get to meet the woman who has sent my oldest, most refined, and most responsible brother into a frenzy.”

“Get real. I’d hate to see what I’d look like if I’d fallen in love. I feel normal right now.”

“Says the one who can’t stop checking out the marina.” The two of them strolled down the hallway together, and truthfully, John was happy to have his brother come along as a sidekick.

“Whoa, two of my boys trying to walk out of the office together at eleven in the morning?” At the sound of their father’s voice, John and Judge stopped dead in their tracks, both looking at one another like what the fuck.

John turned around. Their dad didn’t look like he was in his early sixties. He looked as if he was late forties, with barely a hint of gray in his mostly dark hair seeming to sparkle in the light. He was tall and broad shouldered, just like the two of them. “Judge and I were just going to get some fresh air and talk about the upcoming yacht convention.”

The only thing that hinted at his father’s age was his gait. He moved slowly, his knees bothering him way more than he wanted to admit. But they all knew how badly their father needed knee surgery, and it was like beating a dead horse to get him to agree.

“What’s there to discuss? We have everything in place, don’t we, Judge?” John’s father looked at Judge for confirmation.

“Sure do. But since the word on the street is that John is going to be taking your position in the next month, I want to cement that fact in the minds of a couple folks who have made it a point that they are clearing their schedules to come to the show. I can’t be selling boats to people and ignore the turnover of our head guy. Can I?”

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