Page 27 of The Seascape Between Us

“Did replacing the roof piss you off?” I asked.

“Of course not.” Daniel shook his head and then pushed the sweat-dampened hair back out of his face. “It needed to get done, and it probably wouldn’t have if left to me.”

My insides twisted sharply. Why was Ialwayssuch an asshole? “I realize what I said was shitty—”

“Yeah, it was, but it doesn’t make it any less true.”

Had Daniel just agreed with me? I’d been acting like a complete dick. “It’snottrue.”

“I’ve been running this place on my own for nearly twenty years, and in just two weeks, you’ve done more than I ever have. You’re better at this than I am, and now I don’t know where I fit. I feel superfluous.”

Shit, I’d really screwed this up. There was no point in pretending otherwise. I’d wanted to stick it to Daniel for choosing Ryan over me seventeen years ago and lying about it now, but I hadn’t wanted tobreakhim. Not really. I needed to back off and stop pushing. I needed to let go of the past and mean it if we were going to have any chance of making this hotel a success.

“You took this place over when you were still a teenager, and you were taking care of your stepmother and her health issues. Not many people could have done what you didandkept this place going for almost twenty years. Needing help doesn’t mean you failed.” He opened his mouth as if he meant to argue with me, so I pushed on. “You do everything. You take care of your staff, the guests love you, and you bring groceries to seniors every week, for God’s sake. Daniel, you are theheartof this hotel. I’m just a wallet.”

Daniel swallowed hard, ducking his head. “You’re more than a wallet.”

“Maybe, but not more than you. Let’s start over, put the past behind us.”

Daniel’s mouth opened to reply, but at that very moment, he leaned back against the vanity. Maybe he’d forgotten that he’d loosened it from the wall.

“Wait!” I took a step towards him and reached out, but it was too late. An ear-splitting crack cut through the stagnant air, and Daniel was there one moment, then crashing to the floor the next as the vanity collapsed under his weight. He landed hard, tipping backward, his head hitting the tiled wall with a solid thwack.

Chapter Eleven

Daniel

Sharp pain bloomed at the back of my head, and a high-pitched whine filled my ears. Distantly, I thought I heard Grey call my name, but I couldn’t be sure. His voice sounded muffled and far away.

What the hell had happened? One second, I was standing talking to Grey, the pity in his tone and soft expression making me will the floor to open and swallow me whole, and the next, I was falling. For a split second, I thought my wish had been granted until my ass landed hard on the floor, sending a bolt of pain shooting up my back, and my head bounced off the wall.

I reached back to feel for the damage and felt something wet trickling down my arm.

“Daniel!” I heard Grey clearer now. The ringing in my ears must have faded, or he’d raised his voice.

I blinked up at him while he shrugged out of his suit jacket. His olive skin had visibly paled, and his dark eyes looked wild and panicked. He squatted next to me and gently took hold ofmy wrist, turning my arm so I could see the long gash running nearly the full length of the side of my forearm.

“Shit,” I whispered.

“Shit is right.” Grey positioned my arm over his jacket spread out on his lap, as if he meant to wrap it around the bleeding injury.

I snatched my arm back, small crimson drops spattering my jeans. “Are you out of your mind? You can’t wrap my arm with that!”

Grey shot me a pointed look. “We’re in a construction site. Options are limited.”

“There’s a first aid kit in my office—”

“First aid kit?” His eyes widened, brows disappearing behind the messy wave of air falling over his forehead. “A first aid kit isn’t going to cut it. You’re going to need stitches, a hospital.”

“I’ll be fine,” I said, wincing a little. The more we talked about my arm, the more it stung. “I can just bandage it up.”

“Look. At. It,” he snapped. “You’re bleeding all over yourself. You need stitches.” He glanced around the partially gutted bathroom. “And probably a tetanus shot. Now, give me your arm. I’m going to wrap it up with my jacket, then I’m taking you to the hospital if I have to throw you over my shoulder and carry you myself.”

I shot him a wry look, hoping it clearly conveyed I'd like to see you try. “Why don’t we use my shirt?”

“What is the issue with my jacket?”

“It’ll take a month’s pay to replace it, for starters.”

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