Chapter 11

Kenna

"Oh my God, Ashley is the worst manager in the history of bad managers," Liz moaned the second I answered my phone.

I couldn't help the satisfied bubble of laughter. That was probably the first time I'd heard Ashley's name and didn't shiver in revulsion. Maybe it was the physical distance, or maybe it was simply embracing the fact that the life I'd led in San Francisco was gone, but it felt good to let all that drama go.

"Well, good morning to you too, bestie. You're at work early."

Liz groaned in my ear. "The new boss is a task master. I need you to come back and threaten to genital everyone. That was the highlight of my professional life."

I winced, wandering around the living room, trying to find where I'd left my flip-flops. I swore the plants ate things at night if you left anything within their greedy grasp. When I found them, I slid my feet in and gave myself a once-over in the mirror hanging on the far wall. At least my hair looked good. I'd put some anti-frizz cream in it that Char had given me, blow-drying it into submission but letting it retain a slight wave, something I never did in San Francisco. Once Char picked me up and we went shopping, maybe my clothing style would improve too.

"Sorry to disappoint, Lizzie, but I'm busy becoming a boating mogul. I don't have time for genitaling geriatric bosses right now."

When she replied, her voice was so loud I had to pull the phone from my ear. Like this was a believable work phone call. My girl needed acting lessons. "I just need to approve the mockup and we'll be moving forward."

I snorted, heading for the kitchen for the coffee maker and the last of the creamer. I'd have to beg Char to stop by the grocery store before she dropped me off at home. And I really needed to think about buying a used car. Not a Ferrari or a truck with a gator head.

"How do you not vomit every day working there?" I replied. Look at me. Just a week away from the office and I was already a new woman.

Liz's voice dropped to a whisper. "I need to come see you now that I know you'll be gone a full year. I'm due a vacation and I've heard Florida is nice right now."

"You heard wrong." I took my first sip of coffee and gave myself a moment. I'd found at least a two-year supply of Italian coffee beans in the pantry. God bless Aunt Maeve and her expensive coffee tastes. "It's hotter than Satan's asshole out here."

Liz choked. "Jeez, Kenna. Your descriptions are a little too descriptive these days."

I smiled, taking my coffee and heading to the glass slider in back. The view of the sun sparkling off the surface of the water was spectacular in the morning. The swim I'd taken out there last night would be the first of many, I'd decided. Even the damn plants were growing on me—no pun intended.

"I certainly won't stop you from visiting though. I've got four extra bedrooms you can stay in."

"And a hot neighbor." Liz managed to add a healthy dose of flirtation to her voice even as she maintained the whisper.

My face went hot, remembering him in just a towel. "Yeah, he's nice too, but I don't think he's as excited about the boat club as I am."

"Of course not. He's not you. You see a project and jump right in, knowing you can make it into an overnight success. Why do you think you were top dog here for so long? You made Morgan Dudly a ton of money over the years."

"Fat lot of good it did me. In came Ashley with her tight dresses and suddenly I'm out of a job, dealing with a divorce, and wearing a flamingo on my boob."

"Should I be worried about the flamingo?"

I laughed, liking how Liz never underestimated me. She believed wholeheartedly that I could handle all the bullshit that had been piled on recently. "I have to thank you. Your little pump-up speech turned me around."

A car horn out front had me rushing to put my coffee cup in the sink. "Gotta go, Liz. My ride's here."

"Sexy neighbor? Yeah, girl. Ride it all day long, baby." Liz cleared her throat. "That one line in the book is entirely inappropriate for the kindergarten level. Please remove it."

I rolled my eyes. "Book the flight and let me know when you're coming." Then I hung up, grabbed my purse, and ran out the door to Char's waiting car. It was a purple sedan with stickers all over the back bumper, but it had air-conditioning.

"Hey!"

Char threw her arms around me when I slid into the passenger seat. "Hey, beautiful! Let's go get you some clothes."

Char took me to every clothing store in a five-key radius, making me try on half the stock at every stop. She had an eye for casual clothing that I didn't have. Nine years of working in an office for more hours than I was home and I'd somehow lost the ability to dress myself for anything other than a board meeting. Today I was whipping out my credit card at a pace that would certainly have Justin's lawyers reaching out again about a spending freeze, which only made me buy more.

By the time we stopped at the grocery store, her trunk was so full we didn't have room for my groceries. We both took a try at rearranging the bags but to no avail.

"Maybe they can fit on my lap?"

We eyed the grocery cart filled to the brim.

"Damn. I really didn't think this through."

"Did you ladies need some help?" a male voice asked from behind us.

We both turned around and Char squealed, cuddling up to the handsome stranger. He was about Dec's height, but thicker. The kind of guy you wanted to cuddle with in the rain. Why that image came to mind, I didn't know, but he was nice to look at. Did Florida put something in the water besides gators? Men were built differently out here.

"Harley! I haven't seen you in ages." Char was something else with the flirting. I felt the wind from her eyelashes fluttering all the way over here. I could probably learn a thing or two from her.

"I just saw you on Friday night at the Watering Hole," he drawled, flashing me a wink.

"Oh! This is Kenna Ryan. She's new here in Sunshine Key." Char let go of Harley with one hand and pulled me closer.

Harley extended his hand and I shook it, surprised by the calluses I felt on his palm. Justin had never done much work with his hands. His palms had been baby smooth. Also surprising was the way Harley's friendly smile made me feel at ease. Like I could tell him my deepest, darkest secrets and he'd make me feel like I wasn't crazy. There also wasn't a ring on his left hand, which was surprising. He looked about my age. Then again, I wasn't wearing a ring any longer either.

"You must be Maeve's niece?"

I dipped my head, my hand still wrapped in his. "That's right."

"Well, I heard you were sticking around for a bit, but no one told me how beautiful you are."

I laughed, the compliment making me happy but not stirring anything in my gut like when I looked at Dec in a towel. Too bad, really. Harley was cute in a laid-back, funny-guy-of-the-group sort of way. He gave my hand back, but kept that smile aimed my way.

"Quite the charmer, Harley." I pointed to my cart. "We miscalculated the trunk space."

He eyed the situation for a split second before tilting his head toward his truck. "How about you put your groceries in mine and we'll follow Char back to your place?"

Char gave me a thumbs-up, her gaze darting between Harley and me. Dear Lord, she was probably trying to sniff out another romance potential where there was none. Harley wouldn't let us help, unloading all the bags into the back of his truck while Char got in her car and I climbed in the passenger seat of Harley's truck. I would have gone with Char, but she pushed me toward the truck with a look so stern I didn't dare argue. Harley climbed in and off we went, following Char's dilapidated sedan to my house.

"So, tell me about yourself, Kenna Ryan."

"Well, I'm going through a messy divorce and I now own a boat club. Well, half own one. Dec Boggs owns the other half."

Harley had one hand on the wheel and the other on the gear shift. "Ah yes, Dec Boggs."

"You know him?" I asked.

"I do. He's the grumpiest guy on the key, but he sure knows how to fish."

I laughed. "Yeah, he is a bit on the grumpy side, but once you get to know him, he's actually quite nice."

Harley shot me a look I couldn't identify. "So I need to give him more than the twenty years we've known each other?"

My jaw dropped open. "Oh. I didn't realize you two knew each other."

"I'm just teasing you. Yeah, we're best friends actually. From before we both moved to Sunshine Key."

Huh. Someone who knew Dec for most of his life? I suddenly had so many questions I wasn't sure where to start. "What does he do for a living anyway? He seems retired."

Harley's smile faded and I felt like I'd kicked his dog. "You'll have to ask him that."

"Okay…" Why would no one talk about Dec except for how handsome he was? Certainly there was a whole story there. How did a forty-ish-year-old guy own prime real estate on the water while being retired already? "Any ex-wives I should watch out for?"

That got a bark of laughter out of Harley. "Oh, hell no. Dec with a wife? He'd have to actually date a woman to get her to marry him."

That made me ridiculously happy for some reason. The idea that a man existed who didn't date the first woman to pay him attention. Unlike Justin, it looked like there were men who didn't have more than one woman at a time. What a novel idea. I opened my mouth to ask yet another question about Dec, but we'd arrived at my house. Char pulled into my driveway and Harley parked at the curb. We all climbed out and Char popped the trunk of her car. Harley hip-checked me out of the way when I tried to grab a handful of groceries.

"Go help Char. I got this."

I put my hand on his arm, feeling like I may have made yet another friend. "Thanks, Harley. You're good people."

"What the hell is going on out here?"

Dec's voice had us spinning around. Harley smiled, despite Dec glaring at his friend.

"Just helping out Kenna here," Harley said, lifting his hands full of grocery bags.

"Give me that," Dec snapped, grabbing the bags out of Harley's hands and marching to my house. "Grab the rest, Harley."

I made a face at Harley. "I take back what I said about him being nice."

Harley's laugh was full and deep. "I think I like you, Kenna Ryan."

"Right back atcha, Harley." I left to help Char with the clothing purchases. After we brought it all in, I caught Char before she stepped back outside. We could hear the guys bickering in my kitchen.

"I really appreciate this. Your one day off and you spent it on Sunshine Key's latest charity case."

"Oh, please. I just want to see Dec's face when he gets his first look of you in those cutoff denim shorts," Char whispered.

There went my face again. "He'll probably gripe about them somehow. Besides, I'm?—"

"I know." Char cut me off, stepping back. "You're still married and you have no time to flirt with anyone. I heard you the first five times you told me, but I still don't believe it. Dec is hot and so are you. The two of you together could light this town on fire."

I shook my head even though I appreciated her thinking I had anything a man like Dec wanted to see. "You need to stop reading all those romance novels."

Char started to climb back in her car. "And you need to quit burying your head in the sand like a flamingo."

I frowned. "Don't you mean an ostrich?" But she had already closed her door and eased out of my driveway.

Dec and Harley were still arguing when they stepped out onto my porch. I gave both of them a quick hug goodbye. And I was right. Hugging Harley was nice. Hugging Dec made the contents of my stomach turn to flapping butterfly wings.

"Thanks for the help, gentlemen." I made it to my front door when Harley piped up.

"Hey. Has Dec taken you out tubing yet?" Harley turned to me.

I shook my head. "Nope. Generally, unless it's an office sport, I probably haven't tried it."

"Office sport." Harley tossed his head back and laughed. "Bug this old man to take you out on the boat. Sunshine Key has a lot to offer in terms of water sports."

Dec was glaring a hole in Harley's head, but I thought his idea was excellent. "I'd love that."

"It's a done deal, then." Harley shot me one last wink and then he was gone, whistling as he walked to his truck.

I turned back to Dec to give him grief for being so irritable, but he held out a manilla envelope. "Found this on your doorstep."

A quick glance told me it was from Justin's lawyers. "Ugh. I doubt I want that."

Dec shrugged, trying to force me to take the envelope. "Would you rather stay married?"

I snatched it out of his hands. "You're right."

He leaned closer, his hand coming up to cup his ear. "I'm sorry. Say that again?"

I whacked his chest with the envelope while he chuckled, the sound of his laugh making my lungs need more oxygen. "Step out of the way, salt life. I need to call my lawyer." I breezed by him into the house, intent on hiring Mel Cheatum and being done with all this back-and-forth with Justin's lawyers. Plus I needed to tell Mel that I was officially staying for the year.

"Hey, Kenna?" Dec called from the doorway.

I turned to see him hesitating there. "Yeah?"

"Don't date Harley."

I blinked. I had to have heard him wrong. Walking back over, I squinted up at the man. He was leaning against my doorframe, looking all kinds of hot with his hands jammed into his jeans pockets, making his arms flex indecently. I could just make out the black cord around his neck and the tan skin leading to the neckline of his T-shirt.

"Excuse me?"

Dec lifted his head, those whiskey eyes pleading with me. "Just don't. He's not right for you."

I held the divorce papers in my hands from one man who had tried to tell me what to do. And I had. I'd changed who I was to conform to what he wanted as a wife. Look where that got me.

Poking Dec in the chest with the corner of the envelope, I stood a little taller. "I'll date who I want, Mr. Boggs."