Page 42 of Hooked on a Feeling

His lady. She tilted her head back and gazed into his eyes. He looked tired. “What happened with your dad?”

He held his hands out. “He fired me. I’m looking for a new job. Are you hiring?”

She laughed and then bit it back when he didn’t smile. “You’re not joking.”

“Nope. He was waiting for me when I got in. He isn’t happy about us, and he sure as fuck isn’t happy that I got arrested. I thought he wasn’t going to name me CEO. I didn’t think he was going to fire me.”

“Can he do that?”

John shrugged. “He can do whatever the hell he wants. He owns the company.”

“Oh, John. I’m so sorry.” Guilt weaved its way through her entire being. “This is bad.”

“It’s not. I actually got a job offer from a guy I know. I wasn’t super interested in making the move and going to Benetto, but I may have to.”

Her phone started ringing, interrupting the moment. “Let me get this real quick.” It was Deanne. “Hello?”

“Hey there. Thanks for the paperwork. Have you read it all?”

Starr pursed her lips, trying to recall what she’d sent Deanne. “No. I mean, I’ve skimmed it. I’ve read the stuff from my parents.”

“Right. That’s what I thought.”

Starr shook her head at John, who was looking at her like he sensed there might be something wrong. It did feel like Deanne was going to give her bad news. “What’s wrong? We can’t sell the property?”

“I’m not a lawyer. But I scheduled a meeting with your grandfather’s attorney. We’ve got an appointment at one tomorrow. Hopefully, he can clear some things up. He’s a smart guy, well-known around here.”

“That urgent?”

“You’re going to want to meet with him.” Deanne paused. “Trust me. He’ll be there at one.”

Deanne ended the call, and Starr was left staring at her phone, sort of pissed off and sort of apprehensive. “That was Deanne. She said it’s important but gave me zero details.”

“Why?”

“My grandfather’s attorney will be here at one tomorrow to talk about the trust. Not sure what that’s all about, but Deanne made it very clear that I need to speak to him.”

“You think there’s something wrong preventing you from selling the property?” John asked.

“What else could it be?” She brushed a hand over her face. She hated her parents, and she sure didn’t like the predicament she was in. “You know what they say. No good deed goes unpunished. I should have never signed up to help my parents. I should have spoken to the heavens and let my grandparents know that this isn’t my battle and I wasn’t going to help.” If only they hadn’t dangled the perfect carrot in front of her.

John cupped her chin. “But that’s not the kind of person you are. It’s very clear you loved your grandparents. We’ll get through this.”

We’ll? Her heart flip-flopped inside her chest at his words. God, no wonder she loved this man. He was kind and generous. He wasn’t afraid to make her problems his. If only she could tell him.

“What can I do around here? Since I’m jobless, I can help with whatever you need.”

“This whole situation feels wrong. You working for another yacht-building company seems wrong. Not working at Blue seems wrong. Which is where you really need to be. That’s where your heart is.” When he didn’t deny it, she went on. “How can I fix this?”

John gave her a cheesy grin and winked at her. “You could show me your tits. That would perk me right up.”

“I bet it would.”

Deanne had emailed her regarding the paperwork. Starr was tempted to read through it but figured she would wait to go over things with the attorney. No sense in trying to read it now when John was there to keep her entertained. The night was young.

She stood and wrapped her arms around John, who was staring at the Blue building across the harbor. “Hey you.”

“I thought I would always have my dad’s support. No matter what. Even if he is a grumpy bastard.”

---