Page 30 of Kraken Cove

Behind me, Luke clears his throat. I flush as I turn. He’s leaning against the doorway watching me. “Look, it’s none of my business, but...”

Oliver’s voice in my ear sounds peeved. “Who is that?”

I pull the phone away and concentrate on Luke. “But what?”

“Well, there’s got to be something up if he doesn’t want to have you every fucking day.” This time his voice is pitched low. There’s no way Oliver could have heard him. He takes a step closer to me and I shiver all over at the way his look eats up my body from foot to head. I feel like he’s touched me more with a look than Oliver has in months.

“Is there a guy there? Mia, do you have a guy there?” Oliver’s voice is practically screaming through the phone. I put it back to my ear. “So what if I have? Don’t you trust me?”

“I...I...” He’s got no retort. For once, the guy who’s always got a comeback has nothing to say.

“It’s a bit different when the shoe’s on the other foot, isn’t it?”

“Mia, you’re being ridiculous.”

No, my head is clear now. I can’t believe he nearly talked me out of believing Tegan. I inject my tone with all the confidence I can muster. “I don’t think I am. I’ve cancelled the wedding, and I’m staying in Kraken Cove until I’ve sorted out what I want to do about the house and the apartment, and everything else. Please, don’t call me. I need time to work out how I’m feeling. Alone. I’m not going to marry you, and I’m not goingto let you twist things around into making me feel like I’m the bad guy here.”

“Mia, that’s not—”

I look up at Luke, who’s watching me, an encouraging smile on his face. It gives me the strength to cut Oliver off. “As of last night, we’re done. You’re free to do whatever you want. I just hope you’ll be honest with me about it when we next talk.”

I hang up without giving him a chance to reply. Then I stare at my screensaver of the park outside my window at home behind the cracks on my screen.

It’s probably my imagination, but they seem a little smaller today than they did yesterday and the night before. I’m pretty sure I know whose solid, comforting presence I have to thank for that.

ELEVEN

Luke

I finish the grout on the feature wall, thinking the whole time about Mia’s phone call with Oliver. I hope Mia isn’t mad at me for butting in and saying what I said. Not that I would do anything differently if I could do it again. There’s no way I could have stood there listening to her second guessing herself, knowing he was trying to gaslight her without saying something. Her reactions to me tell me this is a woman who hasn’t been told often enough how beautiful and sexy she is. How desirable she is.

Oliver is an idiot because he might have missed his opportunity.

I promise myself again I won’t make the same mistake.

After the phone call, Mia disappeared and she hasn’t been back upstairs since she got home. Packing up my gear, I head downstairs and find her in the kitchen, with an easel set up in the only well-lit spot in the house. Her hair is pushed back from her face with a rainbow knitted headband, and she’s wearing a pair of old jeans and a large T-shirt covered in splotches of paint. She’s concentrating on the canvas, but when I come past she looks up. “Hey, what time is it?”

I glance at my phone. “Four. I was just about to wrap it up, just thought I should say bye.”

“You’re going already?”

I hesitate. She’ll probably turn me down, but I have to try. Time to begin my plan to win Mia Sinclair. The long game. Part one is simple: meet the family.

“Yeah, but I was thinking, it’s nothing fancy, but my brother is an amazing cook and he’s making family dinner tonight. Would you like to come along?”

“Oh!” Her eyes widen and there’s that smile I was hoping for. “That sounds lovely, actually. Are you sure they won’t mind?”

“Not at all.” They’ll give me hell. I never bring girls home. No one has ever felt right. I’ll have to make sure my brothers know not to say anything stupid. The last thing I want to do is freak Mia out by coming on too strong. If I was recovering from a shock like she’s just had and all alone away from home, I wouldn’t want to be all alone like this.

“Then I’d love to. Thank you. What can I bring?”

“Nothing. Just yourself. I’ve got to take a shower and get changed, but I’ll swing past in an hour to pick you up?”

“Oh, That’s OK. I can drive.”

“Uh uh. No way. I’ll pick you up.”

She grins. “Well, in that case, I’ll see you at five. Thanks.”

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