the following day as he entered the apartment above the tattoo shop. He looked tired, yet content. As if a night on a trawler, in the company of one of his brothers, had somehow made him happy.
“A raise?” he teased.
“A name. Clarice Oates. Clarry, as she likes to be called.”
“Who is she?”
“Apparently, around thirty-one years ago, she was your mother’s best friend.”
Nash slumped onto the stool beside the kitchen bench and regarded her warily.
“I also have it on good authority that if you want to go and see her, she’ll have no problem reminiscing about the past. Beryl says she’s good at it. Call first.”
“You got her number as well?”
“I did. I’m thorough when I sleuth.” She fished the piece of paper with the name and number on it from her pocket and handed it over. “You could see her tomorrow. We could be out of here by the weekend.”
“What about Cutter?”
Mia couldn’t help the smile that bloomed on her face. “That darling man is absolutely as advertised . It was an honor and a privilege.”
“No repeat performance?”
“Maybe one or two. He runs on quite the schedule and I promised not to derail him.”
“You promise a lot of things.”
“Do I detect criticism?” She did. She hated when Nash called her on her bullshit. “Okay, yes, I promised I was going to leave him alone and I didn’t. I put my needs before yours and his. It was a stupid, selfish move on my part and you know what the worst of it is? I still can’t bring myself to regret it.” Mia dropped her gaze and scratched at a mark on the bench. “It’s the weirdest thing.”
“You like him a lot.”
Mia nodded, without looking up. “Pretty sure I’m one of many.”
“Ever thought of keeping him?”
She really hadn’t. “No.”
“Why not?”
“I just don’t think it’s likely. He’s all about family. I’m not that way at all.”
Nash held up the piece of paper she’d just given him. “You take care of me. You’d be just as fiercely family-minded as he is if you had any family worth keeping. You could create one with him.”
“Not what he’s offering.”
“You don’t know what he’s offering.”
“I know it’s not that. This is a short-term thing.”
Nash snorted. “Yeah. That’s why he’s risking my wrath if he hurts you, and his father’s rage for taking up with you in the first place. For a fling that he can get any time from any one. Do you really think he’s not fully invested in you? Since when has self-delusion been your thing?”
Never.
Never had self-delusion been her friend. “Okay, I’m waiting to see what he wants from me. Maybe a long-distance relationship of some kind. Maybe fishermen have off-seasons.”
“Would you be happy with that?”
“Got a feeling I’d be happy with table scraps when it comes to him,” she admitted quietly.
“Mia.” Nash sounded disappointed in her. “If you want more, ask for it.”
“You think he’ll give?”
“More than anyone I know. Look at what he does and what he shows.”
“You’re just saying that because you’re his best bro.”
“Stop it.” Nash gave her the big brother stare. “Enough with the flashy backchat because you don’t want to address the real issue. Tell him what you want from him. Don’t sell yourself short.”
“I know. I just—how do you do it?” she asked quietly. “How do you want something huge and go all out for it and open yourself up to rejection like that?”
“You have to believe that what you want is worth it. And that you’re worth it.” Nash hit her with the shadow of a smile after that. “And you have to be prepared to fail.”
* * *
A date with a woman wasn’t exactly a rarity for Cutter. Taking Mia to the houseboat was. Although ostensibly for the use of the entire family, Cutter considered the houseboat his sanctuary. He guarded it religiously.
If he needed any more proof that Mia wasn’t like other women, this was it.
Eli was
“A raise?” he teased.
“A name. Clarice Oates. Clarry, as she likes to be called.”
“Who is she?”
“Apparently, around thirty-one years ago, she was your mother’s best friend.”
Nash slumped onto the stool beside the kitchen bench and regarded her warily.
“I also have it on good authority that if you want to go and see her, she’ll have no problem reminiscing about the past. Beryl says she’s good at it. Call first.”
“You got her number as well?”
“I did. I’m thorough when I sleuth.” She fished the piece of paper with the name and number on it from her pocket and handed it over. “You could see her tomorrow. We could be out of here by the weekend.”
“What about Cutter?”
Mia couldn’t help the smile that bloomed on her face. “That darling man is absolutely as advertised . It was an honor and a privilege.”
“No repeat performance?”
“Maybe one or two. He runs on quite the schedule and I promised not to derail him.”
“You promise a lot of things.”
“Do I detect criticism?” She did. She hated when Nash called her on her bullshit. “Okay, yes, I promised I was going to leave him alone and I didn’t. I put my needs before yours and his. It was a stupid, selfish move on my part and you know what the worst of it is? I still can’t bring myself to regret it.” Mia dropped her gaze and scratched at a mark on the bench. “It’s the weirdest thing.”
“You like him a lot.”
Mia nodded, without looking up. “Pretty sure I’m one of many.”
“Ever thought of keeping him?”
She really hadn’t. “No.”
“Why not?”
“I just don’t think it’s likely. He’s all about family. I’m not that way at all.”
Nash held up the piece of paper she’d just given him. “You take care of me. You’d be just as fiercely family-minded as he is if you had any family worth keeping. You could create one with him.”
“Not what he’s offering.”
“You don’t know what he’s offering.”
“I know it’s not that. This is a short-term thing.”
Nash snorted. “Yeah. That’s why he’s risking my wrath if he hurts you, and his father’s rage for taking up with you in the first place. For a fling that he can get any time from any one. Do you really think he’s not fully invested in you? Since when has self-delusion been your thing?”
Never.
Never had self-delusion been her friend. “Okay, I’m waiting to see what he wants from me. Maybe a long-distance relationship of some kind. Maybe fishermen have off-seasons.”
“Would you be happy with that?”
“Got a feeling I’d be happy with table scraps when it comes to him,” she admitted quietly.
“Mia.” Nash sounded disappointed in her. “If you want more, ask for it.”
“You think he’ll give?”
“More than anyone I know. Look at what he does and what he shows.”
“You’re just saying that because you’re his best bro.”
“Stop it.” Nash gave her the big brother stare. “Enough with the flashy backchat because you don’t want to address the real issue. Tell him what you want from him. Don’t sell yourself short.”
“I know. I just—how do you do it?” she asked quietly. “How do you want something huge and go all out for it and open yourself up to rejection like that?”
“You have to believe that what you want is worth it. And that you’re worth it.” Nash hit her with the shadow of a smile after that. “And you have to be prepared to fail.”
* * *
A date with a woman wasn’t exactly a rarity for Cutter. Taking Mia to the houseboat was. Although ostensibly for the use of the entire family, Cutter considered the houseboat his sanctuary. He guarded it religiously.
If he needed any more proof that Mia wasn’t like other women, this was it.
Eli was
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