by C. Morgan
“Stanley, if you are worried about her leaving you or cheating on you, she’s no good for you. Dump her. Cut and run.”
“Hey now,” he grunted. “I didn’t say that but there is nothing wrong with me getting in shape.”
“As long as you are doing it for you.”
“When did you become such an expert on this shit?” he asked.
“I’m not an expert. I just think that when you have found the right woman, you shouldn’t have to change for her. She wouldn’t want you to change.”
He rubbed his belly. “I don’t want her to wake up, roll over, see my naked ass, and cringe. It isn’t going to hurt for me to lose a few pounds. I’ve been saying I was going to do it for years. Now is the right time.”
“All right, then I’ll support you in any way I can,” I told him. “I’m not much of a diet and exercise guru but I can try.”
“I appreciate that.”
We drank our beer, staring at the fire. The flames were hypnotizing. I could feel the kink in my back relaxing. My feet were no longer throbbing. A campfire was magical. I wondered if Amara liked camping. She didn’t seem the type, but I had learned not to judge her by her appearance. She was a lot tougher than she looked. I could see us sitting by a fire, drinking and talking. And then maybe other things.
Just me and her with no cell phones to distract either of us. I felt I knew her pretty well, but I wanted to know her better. I wanted to know everything. I wanted to know where she grew up and whether she had any siblings. There were so many questions and I hoped she would one day give me all of the answers.
“Why are you sitting here with me instead of with your lady?” he asked.
“Because my lady is probably working.”
“Probably? You don’t know?”
I grimaced, knowing I had been a little neglectful. “If you don’t remember, we’ve been working sunup to sundown the last couple of days.”
“You haven’t even called her?”
“I sent her a text,” I said defensively.
“Are you guys officially a thing?” he asked.
“No. I don’t know. Do we have to say the words?”
“Fuck if I know, but I think the ladies like that,” he said with a laugh.
“I can’t believe I’m actually asking you for advice.”
“Like I said, I watch a lot of TV. That’s the best place to get advice. You get to learn from all of their mistakes. And you learn how to woo the ladies.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Woo? Did you woo Amber?”
“Of course, I did. Didn’t you woo Amara?”
“No, I don’t think I did.”
“How did you get her to be with you then?”
I grinned. “My sex appeal, I guess.”
“Gross.”
“You asked.”
“I’m not sure why you are sitting here, but you need to get your big ass up and go see her,” he said. “If you haven’t called her in a couple of days, you’re probably in the doghouse. All the sex appeal in the world isn’t going to help you.”
“You don’t know the power of my sex appeal,” I joked.
He groaned again. “Oh god. You are so arrogant.”
“I’m speaking the truth.”
“If you were, you wouldn’t be here. You’d be using all that sex appeal to get her in bed. I think you’re scared.”
“Scared of what?”
“I don’t know. Her? The idea of being in a relationship? All of it?”
“I’ll call her later,” I told him.
“Oh, I think you are beyond the phone call to fix things,” he warned. “You need to go see her. Ask if you can fix something for her or something. That should help ease you back into her good graces.”
I looked at my watch. It was after the dinner rush and there was a good chance she would be able to leave early. “You’re right.”
“Are we going out tomorrow?”
I groaned, rubbing my hand over my jaw. “I think we have to.”
“I’ll be up for it.”
“I’m not sure I will be.”
“Don’t stay up too late,” he warned. “You’re getting old. Actually, I don’t think it will be a problem at all.”
“What won’t be a problem?”
“You staying up too late. I bet you ten bucks you’ll get home and fall asleep before you even get a chance to give her any loving.”
“Trust me. If she comes home with me, there will be no problems. And I will still get out of bed in the morning.”
“Ten bucks. Let’s bet on it.”
“Whatever. That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” I got out of the chair. All the aches and pains I felt before I sat down returned. I arched my back, stretching my arms above my head and worked out the kinks.
“I’ll see you in the morning,” he said.
“Yep.” I walked to my truck.
Before I got in, I glanced down at my clothes. I was dirty and had been sweating for the better half of the day. I probably stunk. It didn’t matter. I was sure she would be happy if I stopped by.
I would offer my help to fix anything that might be broken but I was secretly hoping she wouldn’t take me up on the offer. Not today anyway. I would be more than happy to spend a couple of days hanging out with her. I wouldn’t even have to worry about the no-fishing aspect with the haul we made the last few days. We were set.
Chapter 32
Amara
I looked around the nearly empty dining room. There had been a decent dinner rush, but it wasn’t going to keep us open if that was all we got. I needed more. I had to be patient. I needed to wait for the success to hit. I just hoped it hit soon. My servers were bored.
When the door opened, we all perked up. When I saw it was my dad, the excitement of a new customer evaporated.
He looked at me and laughed. “What was that about?”
“What was what about?”
“You looked at me and smiled, and then when you recognized me, you looked like I popped your balloon.”
“I’m sorry,” I said and stepped forward to give him a hug. “We all thought you were a customer.”
He looked around and then back at me. “Still slow?”
“It was okay earlier but it’s slow now.”
“What time are you closing?”
I looked up at the clock. “Not for another hour. Someone might pop in for some pie or something like that.”
“Did the contractor fix that electrical?” he asked.
I forced a smile. I should be grateful for the help. It was a hard pill to swallow. I hated relinquishing some of my control, but I reminded myself it was my dad. He wasn’t expecting anything in return. “Yes, I’ll show you.”
I led him to the back room and pointed out some of the repairs his guys had made.
“Good,” he said. “I’m glad it is safe in here now. I’m sorry I didn’t check it out better before I bought the place.”
“It’s okay,” I told him. “You gave me something important and I appreciate that.”
“I told you, I’m here to help.”
“But Dad, I want to do this on my own. I want to show you that I can do it on my own.”
“I have no doubt in my mind that you can, but when you have available help, you should take it. I’m not asking for anything in return. You never really let me give you anything. I’m going to do this.”
I sighed, knowing it was pointless to argue. “Dad, I’m glad for the help. I really am but this is very important to me.”
“I know, which is why I want to help. We should talk about that dining room.”
“What about the dining room?”
He made a face. “It could use a little updating.”
“Yes, and I will update it when the time comes. Right now, I’m focusing on the business side of things. We’ve already made plans.”
“We? Who is that?”
“Nothing, no one.”
“Look over here,” he said and
made his way to the kitchen.
I inwardly groaned. My dad was a powerful man. He was not used to hearing the word no. Usually, I would never say no to him, but damn if I didn’t feel like he was messing around in my sandbox. “What is it?”
“We need to update this equipment.”
“It’s fine,” I told him.
“Fine isn’t what is going to put you on top. You have to give your customers an excellent experience. You can’t do that in a dingy dining room with substandard equipment.”
He might as well have slapped me in the face. “It isn’t a dingy dining room. We painted and added a lot of new touches. It looks nothing like it did.”
“Of course, it does, sweetie.”
It felt like he was giving me a cursory pat on the head. I debated rolling over and waiting for him to toss me a treat. “I don’t want to redo the dining room. I need to be open. When I’m ready to do it, I will.”
“You will?” he asked with a small laugh. “All by yourself?”
“No, but I have help.”
“Let’s go look at that dining room again.”
I saw an opportunity, and against my better judgement, I took my chance. “You know, I do have some ideas. Can we go in my office to talk?”
“Absolutely!” he said with enthusiasm. He wanted to help. I knew he did. I was okay with that.
I gestured for him to sit down while I took the seat behind my desk. I pulled out the restaurant equipment catalog some company had sent me. I set it aside with no intention of purchasing anything new, but it was exactly what I needed for my plan.
“I’ve been looking at a few things,” I said and handed him the book.
“Good. You need to look at these things as investments for your business. Your employees will appreciate the new equipment. No one likes to work with busted machines. What did you have your eye on?”
“I highlighted them,” I told him.
He opened the catalog, nodding occasionally. “Very good,” he said with a proud smile. “You have been thinking ahead.”
“You doubted me?”
“Of course not. I was just worried you were going to dig in your heels and show off your stubborn streak.”
I had to laugh. “I get that from you.”
“Which is why you are going to be great at this as soon as we get this restaurant off the ground.”
“Thank you for your vote of confidence.”
He put the catalog on the desk and crossed one leg over the other. That was his serious pose. He was about to say something important. Something that I had a feeling I was not going to like.
“Amara, I know we have been at odds lately,” he started.
“It’s fine, Dad. You have opinions and I have opinions. Those opinions are not always going to be the same.”
“True, but I know you, and I know I upset you.”
“It’s fine,” I said.
“Can I ask you something?”
I knew I wasn’t going to like what he said next. “Sure.”
“Are you still seeing that man?”
“What man?” I feigned innocence. We both knew I knew exactly who he was talking about.
“I know you are upset about what I said about him. I was probably a little out of line, but it doesn’t mean it isn’t true. You come from the kind of family that people like to prey on. It’s important you are careful. Granted, I don’t know this man, but I have met plenty like him.”
“That’s a pretty prejudiced statement,” I told him.
“Maybe. Probably, but again, it’s true. I want what is best for you. That man is not best for you.”
I shrugged. “That’s your opinion. If you have any thoughts about setting me up with Nick or someone like Nick again, let me dissuade you from doing that. If you want to date Nick, you go right ahead. Mom might have an issue with it, but I won’t stop you.”
“Ha, ha,” he said with a smile. “Very funny.”
“It’s no different from you telling me who I should date.”
“I hope you followed my advice and broke things off with him,” he said.
“There was nothing to break off.”
He cleared his throat. “I’ve spoken to another supplier. He said he would have someone reach out and discuss ordering.”
I had to bite my tongue to keep from saying anything that would piss him off. I wanted the money he was willing to give. I had plans for that money. Plans that involved a new lobster boat. A newish boat. “I don’t need a new supplier.”
“Amara, sweetie, you have put a lot of time and energy into this business and I couldn’t be prouder of you. I don’t want you to get distracted. You’ve always done a great job keeping your eyes on the prize. Don’t lose that focus. Getting sidetracked by a man that is only using you is not a good idea. This business is all you have time to worry about.”
I wasn’t five. I wasn’t fifteen. I wasn’t studying for the SATs or finals or anything else. “I’m absolutely focused on my restaurant.”
“Good. I hope it stays that way. We’ve talked about this many times before. When you first mentioned this idea, I told you how much work it would be. I didn’t support the idea at first because I wanted you to have fun and enjoy your youth. You are the one who insisted you were ready for this. When you commit, you have to fully commit. I will always support you but only when you give it your all.”
“I’m giving it my all,” I told him. “You never have to second-guess that.”
“Good,” he said and uncrossed his legs, signaling the end of the serious discussion. “Now, what does it take for a man to get some food around here?”
I laughed and got to my feet. “Lobster cakes?”
“You know it.”
I walked him back to the dining room. “Do you want to have them here or to go?”
“Oh, I should probably get them to go. Your mother should be getting home soon, and I promised her we would watch that singing show she loves.”
“I’ll send a double order.”
“Amara, what about you? Are you eating at the restaurant? Do you have money for groceries?”
That was my dad, always taking care of me. “I’m doing okay.”
“Well, just in case, I transferred some money into your personal account this morning.”
“Dad, you didn’t have to do that,” I told him. “Thank you but I’m not a little girl.”
“You will always be my little girl.”
How could I be angry with him when he was just trying to help? He loved me and I loved him all the more for it. “I know, Dad. I know. I’ll be right back.”
I went into the kitchen to put the lobster cakes on order. I took an extra minute to drag in a deep breath. I was trying to be patient with him. His stern, overbearing advice came from a place of love. He was looking out for me, and while I had always appreciated it, I wanted to be treated like an adult. I wanted him to trust he had raised me right.
I waited until the cakes were done. Then I put them in a bag and walked back out front. I was truly grateful he said he wanted them to go. If he stayed, he would expect me to sit down with him. It would be more lectures and advice about what I should do.
“Here you go,” I said and handed him the bag. “I put in extra sauce.”
He smiled. “I’ve missed your cooking around the house. Your mom is a good cook, but you took her recipes and made them so much better.”
“Don’t tell her that,” I teased.
“She knows,” he said with a laugh.
“Thank you for coming by and for all of the help.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll make some calls about that equipment you were looking at. I might be able to get a deal from a friend that owns a restaurant chain. He’ll put me in touch with who he uses.”
I pasted on my best smile. “Thank you.”
The door opened. I glanced up and then had to do a doubletake. Oh, this was not going to end well. It was like watching a train speeding along tracks and heading direc
tly toward a bridge that was out. I was on the train. I looked at Fulton and prayed he would just turn around and walk out.
I hated that I thought that, but it was the truth. I didn’t want my two worlds to collide. I didn’t want Fulton to meet my father and learn who I really was.
He had clearly been out on the boat today. His dark jeans were faded and torn in spots. They were legit distressed. He looked exhausted. I wanted to go to him and give him a kiss before I stuffed him with a hot meal.
He looked like a man dead on his feet. When he saw me, he smiled. I loved that smile.
I just hoped it wasn’t the last time I got to see it.
Chapter 33
Fulton
It took me a second to place the man I saw talking to Amara. My brain was a little sluggish, but it quickly came back to me. He was the man that had helped me with the engine. I stepped forward, giving Amara a nod and a smile before extending my hand to the man. He looked at my hand like it was contaminated.
Clearly, he didn’t remember me. I wasn’t going to take it personally. I probably looked pretty rough. I turned to Amara. “It looks good in here,” I told her.
“Thank you,” she said in a tight voice.
I got the feeling I was interrupting something. I didn’t know what was going on, but something was off. “How has business been?”
“Fulton, this is my dad, Hank,” she said, looking incredibly nervous. “Dad, this is Fulton.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” I said.
“What exactly are you doing here?” he asked in a low voice.
“Uh, I wanted to stop by and see how things were going,” I answered, doing my best not to get defensive.
“Why?”
I looked at Amara. “I stop by on occasion.”
“I think you misunderstand your place,” Hank said.
I flinched, my spine stiffening. “My place?”
“You’re the guy who delivers lobster, right?”
I nodded. I was waiting for Amara to chime in. She wasn’t. I felt like I’d walked in on something. I was an outsider. I took a second to size up the situation. “I am the guy that delivers lobsters,” I answered.
