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“Hi.” Luke waved. “How are you?”
“Not bad.” Hannah wandered over toward him, her hands tucked into her back pockets. “Just a regular summer day. Things are pretty crazy over at The Crab. We almost ran out of some things, so I had to come here to pick them up.”
“I’m not surprised that you’re busy. The food is so good.”
“Thanks.” Hannah smiled, glancing at the computer. “What are you up to?”
“Just trying to fix the computer. It’s probably just a software issue since the problem is happening on more than one computer, but the way the fans are going on this thing makes me think everything might be an issue.” He pointed downward, where the main part of the computer was. “It sounds like it’s about to take off like a rocket, at least from where I’m standing.”
Hannah snorted, leaning in. “Ah, now I hear it. Yeah, that does sound pretty bad.”
“It should be an easy fix if it’s something with the computer itself.” Luke gripped the edge of the counter so he wouldn’t scratch at his beard, a nervous habit of his. “I just have to open it up and take a look at some things.”
“How did you learn how to fix things?” Hannah asked, tilting her head to the side and studying him in a way that made his face heat even more.
“A lot of trial and error. And electronics taken apart, to my parents’ chagrin.” Luke shrugged. “Luckily people in my neighborhood growing up loved yard sales, so I picked up old stuff and starting figuring out how it works. Technology has seriously advanced, but I’ve found a method to figure things out.”
“That’s really cool.” Hannah sounded genuinely impressed, making Luke’s chest expand with pride.
“We’re really lucky to have Luke here for all of our tech issues,” Sandy said, returning from the back weighed down by several paper bags. “If only for the summer. Blueberry Bay doesn’t have a tech genius on demand.”
“Blueberry Bay doesn’t have a lot of things,” Hannah said, her tone abruptly dry. “Thanks for this, Sandy.”
“No problem, hun. See you around.”
“See you. Bye, Luke.” Hannah gave him a half smile and left.
Luke pushed down his disappointment that she’d left so soon and went back to fixing the computer.
CHAPTER SIX
Dane came home to the scent of something delicious wafting from the house. He smiled—Alissa had a key and had told him not to pick up any dinner since she had it covered. Coming home to little surprises like this was one of the many reasons why he loved her. Sometimes she surprised him with something she baked and he returned the favor by surprising her with a book. He’d never been with someone who made such an effort to make him feel good.
He unlocked the door and the sound of hula music floated to his ears.
“Alissa?” he called, kicking off his shoes next to the door.
“The kitchen!”
He followed the sound and the smells of Alissa’s famous (to him) creamy chicken, finding her where she said she’d be. But instead of cooking, she was dancing, swaying her hips to the music with a huge grin on her face. Her smile always filled his chest with butterflies, even though they’d been together for a while now.
“Hey!” Alissa danced toward him, extending her hand. “Dance with me.”
Dane rubbed the back of his neck, which was quickly heating. Just the thought of dancing made him feel uncomfortable in his skin. “I don’t dance.”
“Come on, not even a little?” Alissa danced around him, resting her hands on his shoulders as she passed behind him. “Not even a little head bob?”
“Not even. Trust me. I don’t want to hurt your eyes.” Dane kissed her forehead when she came around his front again.
“Oh, fine.” Alissa squeezed both of his arms. “The food will be ready in a second.”
“Okay. Let me change and I’ll be right back.”
Dane changed out of his tailored dress shirt and slacks into sweatpants and a t-shirt, something he’d never wear out in public. When he returned to the kitchen, Alissa had set the small table over in his breakfast nook.
“I got this white wine. I have no idea if it’ll be good or not, but the person at the store said that it would go well with the chicken,” Alissa said, squinting at the wine bottle’s label for a moment before attempting to open it. After failing to pop the cork, she smiled sheepishly and extended it toward Dane.
Dane took the bottle and corkscrew, popping it open with ease and filling her glass, then his. They sat down at the table together, their knees brushing together.
