Page 2 of Hooked on a Feeling

John stilled at the offer. “This is unexpected. And too good to be true.”

“What would be too good to be true would be you leaving the family business and coming to Benetto. You run it the way you guys do Blue, it would put you in a class of your own.” He chuckled. “Financially speaking.”

“You’re serious about this?”

“I wouldn’t call if I wasn’t. Think about it. I’ll call you in a few days. Wife and I have family to entertain, and then I’ll be back in the office. But I could use a guy like you. You’re smart. You hustle. You know what this business is about and play the politics well. I’m willing to pay you your value.”

“I’ll expect your call. Thanks, Dom.” John’s gaze landed on the Emerald Port Marina and Yacht Club. He hung up. Man, the place had really gone downhill. How could those people not care about the family business? Not care about all of the surrounding buildings and how they all do their parts in keeping the harbor looking classy, clean, and up-to-date? It was sad, really. Not to mention the freaking goldmine of an opportunity it was. Why wouldn’t they just sell it?

He would love to buy it. The main building—home to the marina office, The Beach House, and the restaurant, The Shipwreck—was shaggy, worn. It had been obvious from his first glance that both the house and office building needed a new roof and a fresh coat of paint. As time went on, the boat slips emptied out and weren’t leased.

Just a few boats remained in the slips. John knew for a fact that one of them was the houseboat of Lyle Thinner—groundskeeper, maintenance man, or whatever role someone needed him to fill regarding the property—even though he didn’t live on the boat itself.

Had Dom really just called offering him a CEO role? It was crazy. Blue Horizons and Benetto had both been in the shipbuilding industry for over fifty years. They’d shared a mutual respect but nothing more. Still competitors at heart. But to offer him a job? Such an important role in their company. It was unbelievable. Maybe he’d be enjoying celebratory sex sooner than he thought.

John jogged closer to the marina, the wooden slats vibrating under the soles of his shoes. To his right, the Gulf of Mexico shone like the beautiful diamond she was. Birds chirped along the harbor, and a few ducks waddled across the path in front of him before they went into a full-on frenzy and flapped their wings to get out of his way.

John could feel in his bones that everything in his life was on the right path. Admittedly, Dom’s proposal was intriguing. Maybe sending John on the right path had nothing to do with Blue but with another company entirely.

* * *

Starr Young followed the throng of people out of the airport and into the pickup lane. Lyle had assured her that he would be waiting when her plane landed. Ugh. It was humid in Emerald Port, already adding bounce to her meticulously straightened hair. She liked Emerald Port, but now she was second-guessing her decision to list her grandparents’ beloved Emerald Port Marina and Yacht Club for sale for her parents. That was all she came to do. Pack up the house, donate their belongings, and make sure the property got sold so her parents could squander their inheritance. All but the five percent they promised her once the property sold.

Her mom and dad refused to spend the money to travel to Florida even though this was their deal. Dangling the money in Starr’s face worked in their favor. She needed more money to expand her yoga studio. With the bay next to hers open and her lease coming up for renewal, she had sixty days to commit to renting the additional bay and remodeling it to align with her current space. Shit or get off the pot was where she was at. Five percent of the property in a real estate market like today’s would double the size of her studio and allow her to take on more clients.

Plus, she felt bad. She couldn’t ignore her grandparents’ legacy like her parents could. It was important to her. Coming here was the least she could do, for the money of course, but also for her grandma and grandpa. She hoped they would be proud. Grandpa sure as hell had to be rolling over in his grave because of his son and daughter-in-law.

The Shipwreck, once bustling with locals and tourists looking for fine dining, was shut down. The Seaside Store that kids used to count on to find snacks and boats to fill up on gas was no longer the go-to place because there wasn’t anyone to run the marina. With her parents’ lack of interest in the marina and cottage, or the very desirable land it was situated on, any human would be questioning what was up her parents’ ass.

Money. That was what. That was the only thing they cared about.

“Starr! Over here.”

She turned at the sound of Lyle’s voice. Sweet and gruff. Lyle Thinner had been the caretaker of the marina since her grandfather had run the place. His slow gait toward her reminded Starr that as much as she didn’t want to be here, it was better that she was. Most people Lyle’s age would be retired by now.

“Lyle. It’s so good to see you.” She pulled his small body into a big hug. His frail arms were stronger than they looked, practically stealing the air from her lungs when he hugged her back.

“Been too long, kiddo,” he said. It had. Two years ago at her grandfather’s funeral, and before that, it had been the previous year when she’d flown down with just her dad and Summer to her grandmother’s funeral. “Where are those parents of yours?”

Starr let go of Lyle and looked into his eyes. When a man as old as Lyle—older than her father was—seemed to be getting around just fine, she hated to talk about her dad and his myriad of health problems. Problems she wasn’t sure were severe enough that her parents couldn’t have come down here themselves and handled the marina. But that was always the excuse—health and money problems. “Dad’s knees have really been bothering him. Think he’s going to get knee surgery soon. And Mom is Mom. Has to take care of Dad.” And by “take care,” Starr meant making sure the two of them had an ample amount of marijuana for them to smoke and plenty of time to watch TV. Lyle took her suitcase, and she followed him back to his truck, where he hoisted her luggage into the back of his truck bed. She hopped into the passenger seat, and he went around the front and got in.

Lyle was kind enough to just nod when he got into the driver’s seat and slowly pulled away from the curb. “Well, I suppose someone has to help him out. He has back problems, too, doesn’t he? I remember years ago they came down here to visit your grandfather, and Doyle couldn’t help with the bumpers for the dock because of his back.”

“Yeah, he still has back problems. Knees. And then, of course, his COPD and all that.”

“How’s your mother’s health?”

Starr shrugged, thinking of her mother’s latest complaint. “Good. As far as I know she’s doing fine. Still smokes like a chimney.” Cigarettes and marijuana. “How have you been? How is the marina?”

“Oh, it’s seen better days.” He looked across the truck before taking the interstate toward Emerald Port.

Starr got the feeling that Lyle wanted to tell her more, but she pressed her mouth shut and stared out at the ocean. The drive from the airport to Emerald Port was twenty minutes, making Emerald Port a hot spot for tourists and locals. In the two years she’d been gone since her grandpa’s funeral, the landscape had already changed so much. Old businesses were no longer present, and new condominiums had been built. But one thing remained the same, and that was the glorious greens and blues of the Gulf Coast.

“I swear the ocean gets prettier every day,” Lyle said, “but maybe it’s just my eyesight diminishing that makes me think so.”

Starr shook her head, loving the way the water made her feel weightless. Happy. Like she had life in the palm of her hands. She wouldn’t trade her home in Colorado and her yoga studio for anything, but there was something magical about the water that made her feel content. “No, I think you’re right. The ocean gets prettier every time I see her.” Waves crashed along the beach, which was filled with quite a few people. It didn’t matter what time of year it was, the beaches were always flooded with tourists and locals, only slowing down around August. The kids would soon be out of school, too, making the beaches that much more packed.

“You miss it here?” Lyle asked.

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