Chapter Three

Lola

"If that's how you want to start our friendship," I say, folding my hands together on the countertop in front of me, "then fine. Let's get this over with ."

Perry, as I'm referring to him in my mind despite his reluctance to allow me the liberty to say it out loud, gives me the worst kind of side-eye. "Our… friendship ?"

"Correct," I respond smugly, knowing I'm getting under his skin.

He shifts in his seat, a low rumbly growl reverberating through him. "You are hiring me to do a job for you and your team. We aren't—and won't be—friends."

I tilt my head toward him and bat my lashes as best I know how. "Well, not yet, silly. We've just barely met. And personally, I feel like the two of us got off on the wrong foot."

One dark eyebrow raises up to his hairline—his very disheveled hairline now that he isn't wearing his hat. "If by the wrong foot you mean you walking onto my boat without an invitation, then yeah, I'd say we did."

Irritation sparks inside me, despite my best efforts not to let it. I smile wider, refusing to allow him the satisfaction of knowing how abrasive he's been. "If you didn't have your eighties hair metal music up so loud, I wouldn't have had to walk onto your boat uninvited."

At that, he turns toward me fully, knocking my knees with his as he does. His expression drains of every emotion except disdain. "What do you have against eighties rock?"

"Nothing." I shrug. "I'm a fan, actually. But when I have an appointment with someone, I don't play my music at an ear-splitting decibel. You know…just so I'm able to hear them approach."

Perry's eyebrows lower, and it's impossible to miss the way his fists clench over top of his jean-clad thighs. "We didn't have an appointment."

"And yet," I say, feeling a mild sense of victory, "you admitted to receiving my message. In which I stated that I would be arriving in Willow Cove today. At that exact time." Again, I smile sweetly, driving home my air-tight point. Sure, I'm probably grating on his nerves way more than necessary, but this guy is prickly .

Cactus level, really. Like, prickly to the point that even his smooth parts carry barbs that'll get stuck in your skin if you get too close. It's maddening. Good thing grumpiness doesn't deter me.

Perry's jaw works back and forth. "You said your boss would contact me, and he never did. Plus, I never called you back. At the end of the message, you said to please call you. I didn't. I thought that meant you'd only be coming if I responded."

Finally, we're getting somewhere.

"I told you in the message, Mr. Ford. Prater's shipwreck is my summer assignment. I told you I'd be leading a team and investigating the Sirene Dansante . I said to call me to confirm simply as a courtesy."

Tossing up his hands, Perry says, "Why offer me the courtesy if you're just going to barge into my life like some sort of wrecking ball anyway? What's the point?" His raised voice garners the attention of some nearby patrons. I clear my throat to ward off the sudden awkwardness hanging in the air.

Clearly, I was wrong to push him. But his downright horrible attitude got to me, and I let my desire to be right outweigh my good sense. Maybe killing Perry with kindness and playing by his rules is the only way to get back on neutral territory. I can't keep pestering him and expect him to like me.

I lower my voice, maintaining eye contact. "I apologize for walking onto your boat without your permission. And I appreciate you being willing to be our water taxi for the next few weeks. You've been very…" I close my eyes and pause, giving myself permission to lie. "Accommodating. I have no desire to barge into your life. I simply want us to come to an amicable working agreement."

And I do. All true. But I also don't want the captain of the boat we'll be taking out to the shipwreck site every day to hate my guts. There's never been a person I haven't been able to charm, never a grump I couldn't win over. But Perry is giving me a run for my money.

He watches me carefully, probably wondering what my angle is since we've already discussed terms, yet I'm not hurrying off like he wants me to.

"And," I hedge, taking care to keep my voice level, "I'd like us to be friendly with each other. Even if you'd never consider me a friend , it's important that we maintain a hospitable environment this summer. For all parties involved." Since the money he'll get paid for doing this job is obviously important to him, I add, "I'd hate for us to have to call it quits before we even get started."

The frustration seems to drain out of Perry when he lets out a long sigh. "Fine. You can…stay. And eat."

Fighting the urge to pump my fists in the air in victory, I suppress my smile and say, "Excellent."

I'd love to sit here and chat with him about all that Willow Cove has to offer, but I'd rather not upset the balance we seem to have found. Right now, it's probably best to keep our topic of conversation on work. Once I've tried the salad and determined it's decent for a small-town diner, I take out my small notebook and pen from my pack.

Perry watches me closely with that single eyebrow raised, like I'm some sort of circus spectacle. Maybe, to him, I am. I know I'm quirky. Weird, some may even say. But I happen to like who I am, despite the gorgeous grump eyeing me like I'm an alien.

I flip open the notebook and lower my pen to the page. "How about we discuss what time we'll need to be out there? Does nine a.m. work for you or will that conflict with your…fishing schedule?"

He blinks twice before answering. "It won't interfere. I'm usually back at the dock by eight thirty."

"Perfect." I jot that little tidbit down in case I forget. "So, like I said, I'll have two other team members helping me with the excavation. One pretty much stays on the boat the whole time to monitor our dive. Will that cause any issues for you?"

He purses his lips and looks away, as if he needs to think this one over. "Don't think so."

"Good. And will it be a problem for you to go over the safety rules with us tomorrow morning?"

His entire expression immediately pinches with irritation. "Don't you already know what to do on a boat? Investigating shipwrecks is your job. You should have all this stuff down by now."

I'd roll my eyes if I wasn't so nice. But since I am nice, I take a deep breath and say, "Yes, Captain, I actually do know what I'm doing on a boat. However, each boat that ferries us is different. For instance, we've never been on one as old as yours before. There could be specific things we'll need to know. Also, yours is a fishing vessel. That's new to us too."

His eyes narrow as he looks me over. "How long have you been doing this?"

" Doing this ?"

"You know." He waves a hand over me. "Marine archeology."

I ignore the way he says it like he's doubting my abilities and focus on getting to talk about my first love. "For about five years. Professionally, I mean. I was an intern at the museum while going to school."

"And have you always been interested in…the ocean?"

I bite back a giggle and nod. "Yeah. Growing up on the coast really ignited that interest for me. My dad is a historian, my mom an admiral's daughter. Guess I got caught somewhere in the middle there." A nervous chuckle escapes me when I realize I'm rambling. I fork another bite of salad in my mouth to keep it shut for more than three seconds.

"Interesting."

That's all Perry says before finishing the last few bites of his sandwich. Since he asked something personal about me, it only feels right to do the same to him.

"And have you always wanted to be a fisherman?"

He straightens before tossing his napkin onto the countertop. "I like to fish."

I wait for him to say more, but he doesn't. "That's it?" I ask. "You just…like to fish."

He nods once. "Yup."

"Hm."

Without any sort of preamble whatsoever, the big man gets to his feet and tosses a twenty next to his plate. "Well, if that's all…" He turns toward me, features and shoulders taut. Like he's a fish out of water just waiting for me to release him back to the big, wide ocean.

I sigh. Maybe I'll make a little more progress tomorrow. "That's all, Captain. See you in the morning."

With a dip of his chin, he bends to scoop up Bertie, then heads for the door, calling a goodbye to Fran as the doorbell jingles with his departure. And I'm left wondering if winning Perry Ford over will be possible after all.