Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 91286 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91286 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
And yet he dove in feet-first and wearing that signature smirk. “Was this a bad idea?”
“No.” His mood grows somber instantly as he shifts to free an arm. Reaching up, his fingers are gentle as he strokes strands of hair off my face. “This needed to happen.”
“Why?”
“Because Henry is …” His words fade as his eyes dart behind me, I assume to Frank. “Just because.”
Ronan’s subtle threat hangs in the air. “What do you have on him?” Because he clearly has something.
“Nothing he wants out in public. Look, I’ve gotta go deal with the fallout from this. It’s messy.”
“You’re coming here later, though, right?”
“Yeah. I’ll be the one on foot, carrying all my belongings.”
“Oh my God.” That’s right. He just lost everything. His home, his job, his car. Everything.
For me.
“I’m sorry.”
“Nah, don’t be. Didn’t like it much anyway.”
“Liar.”
He leans in and kisses my forehead. “It might be a bit busy around here today.”
“How bad?”
He pulls away and walks backward toward the cart. “There’s about thirty teams coming through and reporters in the mix.”
“What about them?” I point upward at the banners. I’ve been to plenty of town council planning meetings. I’ve spoken to Gayle Anderson and Theo Wilson on numerous occasions. They smiled and nodded and promised that my concerns were valid and would be considered, that the council wouldn’t allow Mermaid Beach to be taken over by big corporation. All while their kids and grandchildren will be camping under the stars and planning trips to Paris, on Henry Wolf’s dime. “You let them say what they want. Trust me, none of them wants this to go to court.”
I watch him drive off. Is he right?
“Lover Boy really just torched his life for you.” Frank sounds impressed, which is even rarer than getting him to smile.
“Was it for me, though? Or was this about them?” Ronan has never hidden his dislike of Henry, and after what I learned last night, I’m beginning to think it has more to do with Abbi than anything else.
Is he still in love with her?
“Nah, Parker, I think this was all about you.”
I frown as I peer at Frank. “Since when do you defend any guy I’m seeing? And since when have you ever thought my crazy signs are anything but crazy?” When he saw the banners this morning and learned of our scheme, I expected him to climb up the ladder and cut them right down. But instead, he sided with Ronan and abandoned his Sea Witch responsibilities to plant himself in a chair out here, like a sentry.
“A lot of changes are coming.”
“Yeah, no shit. It’s my womb that’s hosting a surprise invasion.”
“That’s not the only invasion.” He gestures to the folding camp chairs, signaling for us to take a seat. “There’s no good time for you to find this out, but there’s something you need to know.”
23. Ronan
“Well … fuck.” Connor smooths his palms over Darla’s steering wheel as we wait for Britt and Dani to emerge from the airport’s front doors. One positive to my newly unemployed status is that my calendar is suddenly wide open.
It took me the drive to the airport to fill him in on everything that’s been going on. I got to this morning’s grand finale as we were pulling in.
“So, like, you’re finished here, at Mermaid Beach?” he asks.
“I’m guessing all Wolf Hotels.” I can’t see how going back to Miami’s Outdoor Crew is an option anymore.
“This sucks!” he explodes. So far, Connor is showing more emotion than I have.
“Yeah. It was a good run while it lasted.”
“What am I supposed to do? I came here with you.” The wheels are churning in his brain. “Dude, we live in his fucking house!”
“Sloane has a trailer you can use.”
His flat look makes me chuckle.
“Hey, we slept in bunk beds in a cabin with four other guys for an entire summer. It was basically camp. Don’t get all bougie on me now.”
“Of course I could handle that. There were hot women sleeping all around us up there.”
“Well, perfect, then, because there will be two smoking hot women in trailers next door and the ocean fifty steps away.”
“Huh.” Connor tips his head with renewed consideration. “Okay, that could work.”
“Yeah, I thought so.” No need to mention Frank yet. “Look, I’m sorry if this fucks up things for you. I had to do something, though. What Wolf is about to do to Sloane isn’t right.”
“Yeah, I hear ya, man.” Connor drags his tongue over the fading bruise on his lip.
I’m about to ask what Belinda did to him when the glass doors slide open and Britt steps out, wheeling her too-large suitcase behind her as she scans the area, looking for a red Bronco.
“There they are.” I hop out and jog forward.
Britt’s chocolate-brown eyes light up with her squeal. “I didn’t think you were going to make it!”