Page 31 of Summoning my Grumpy Demon Boss

I wave her goodbye and hop in my truck feeling like I’m riding the biggest wave I’ve ever caught. In the last twenty-four hours I’ve done things to Mia I’ve been dreaming of for the last ten years and now she’s coming to Sunday dinner. She’s going to love Mum and Dad. Everyone loves them. My mum could cheer up Eeyore. And Noah’s cooking is amazing. His attitude, not so much, but hopefully he can keep his mouth shut for a few hours. Now all I need to do is make sure I treat her like a princess and pray Noah and Jack don’t fuck this up for me.

When I get home, I pull out my phone and shoot a message to my brothers.

Luke: I’m bringing a friend to family dinner tonight. Don’t be morons OK?

Jack: Friend as ingirlfriend?

Noah: No way. Lukey’s going to be a monk his whole life. I bet he’s still a virgin. He’s too hung up on that stuck up Sydney chick to actually get a date.

Luke: Mia isn’t stuck up. For once in your life could you do me a favour and just try to be nice, Noah?

Jack: LOL you’re assuming he even knows how

I get back to Mia’s place at four fifty-five on the dot. When I ring the doorbell, she answers almost immediately. I can’t help wondering if she’s been anticipating this as much as I have. Onegood thing about being around Mia is I haven’t spent all day worried about Dad. In fact, I spent it thinking of other things I could convince Mia to do with me while she’s here in Kraken Cove.

There’s a beautiful walk out to the old lighthouse around Emerald Point. I wonder if she’d go with me next weekend. Unless she’s gone home by then. My heart swoops into my boots when I realise I don’t actually know how much time I’ve got. Not beyond the week she’s taken off. I’ve gotta make every day count. Grab every opportunity, so she knows just how good I’d treat her.

Mia hands me a bottle of wine in a gift bag while she turns to fiddle with the key in the lock. It sticks a little and she has to jiggle it up and down to get the door to lock. I frown. “I’ll replace that for you tomorrow. Maybe I should do the whole door?”

She nods. “Yeah, I’d like that. I’d love to replace these window panels as well with something decorative. Maybe a stained glass pattern. Oliver would hate it, but you know what? I just don’t care anymore.”

I grin and open the door of my truck, offering her my hand to help her up into the high seat. She’s wearing a long floaty sort of sun dress with thin straps and buttons all down the front that make me think of undoing each one slowly. She must be cold. I’m wearing my good flannelette shirt over a clean white T-shirt and my best jeans. I probably should have told her not to worry about dressing up for dinner.

Can’t say I’m sorry about it, though. She looks amazing.

I hurry around to the back of the truck and pull out my denim jacket from the backseat. “Here, you want to borrow this? You’ll get cold with no jumper.”

“Aw, thanks.” She puts the jacket over her lap and I shut the door, trying hard to suppress the grin tugging at the corners of my mouth.

Everything about this feels so right. I want Mia in my truck every weekend. I want her at all the Wilson family dinners from now on. I want her tobea Wilson...

I’m getting carried away again.

When we pull up at The Snapper, Mia looks around at me. “I thought you said it was just a family dinner. Nothing fancy! If I’d known we were going to a restaurant, I would have dressed up.”

I blink at her. “This isn’t dressed up?”

She shakes her head. “No way. I don’t even have any makeup on.”

I shake my head. “You don’t need it. Trust me. You look beautiful. Besides, it’ll only be us in the restaurant. It’s not officially open.”

She relaxes a little. “Well, OK. If you say so.”

We get out and she stops at the front, looking up at the main building of the bed and breakfast. The reception faces the street and the building looks a little outdated. It was Kraken Cove’s first motel other than the rooms above the pub on the main street, and it’s showing its age. The rear of the main building extends back onto the pier. Most people don’t know, but my parents also had an access hatch and a ladder built so they could secretly sleep underwater, all the while making it look as if we were everyday residents of Kraken Cove.

There’s a covered walkway from the front doors. My mum hung fairy lights along the awning years ago and it’s a part of my fond childhood memories walking along here in the dark to have our big celebration dinners in the restaurant on special occasions. Birthdays and Christmas lunches, and Noah’s engagement party. They were all held here. Even after we officially closed the restaurant for guests. Tall windows overlook the water. We’re right on the inlet and because the Inlet Views is right on the pier, the restaurant feels almost like a boat, like you’re floating on the water, particularly at night when the stars from the sky swim in the dark water as well and the soft sounds of the ocean lull you into feeling like you’re being rocked on the waves.

It’s just getting dark now and as we walk under the roof, the lights flick on as if the place was waiting to welcome us.

“Your family owns the Inlet Views?”

I nod.

“I’ve always loved this place. It’s beautiful.” My jacket is tucked around her, the sleeves rolled up several times to keep from hanging over her hands. She pulls it tighter and I’m struck with the desire to put my arm around her and hug her close to keep her warm. I don’t think I should, though. So, I shove my hands in my pockets and smile. “Yeah. It is. Needs a bit of a facelift, though.” I point to where the paint is chipping around the windowsills.

Mia shrugs. “Just has a bit of character. I know you’ll do a great job if you do it, but don’t do too much, OK? There’s such a thing as natural beauty.”

I give her a wink, thinking of my words to her before about not needing to wear makeup. “Oh, I know.”

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