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“Hi, sweetheart. What are you up to?” Johanna asked.
“Not much. Just getting dressed to have dinner with Alissa.” He was bursting to tell his parents—and the world—about the engagement, but he held back. He wanted to tell his parents with Alissa there.
“Oh.”
Dane waited for his mother to elaborate, but she didn’t. So he asked, “What do you mean by that?”
“I just mean that it’s not the best idea to get involved with someone there,” Johanna said. “I didn’t realize you two were still seeing each other.”
“Why?” Dane paced into his bedroom, then out to his living room. “Who else am I supposed to get involved with? Someone who doesn’t live here?”
“No, of course not. I’m just saying that you’ll want to come back to the city soon and you’ll have to end the relationship,” she said. “It sounds like a lot of trouble.”
Dane squeezed the bridge of his nose and tried to push down the irritation that was threatening to bubble over.
“Mom, I’m not moving back to the city. This place is my home now. I have the paper and the magazine. I have Alissa. I have friends.” Dane sighed.
“Mm.”
Dane had no idea how Johanna packed so much weight into just a small sound, but she did. But the basic gist of it was clear—she didn’t understand him, as usual. She saw Blueberry Bay as a vacation town, the kind of place you visited and found quaint, but never a place where people lived full time.
“Why is it so hard to believe that I’d want to stay here?” Dane finally asked. “Or have a relationship with someone I love here?”
“Because I know you,” Johanna said, even though Dane felt the opposite. “You love the city. And your past relationships have been with women who also love the city. Didn’t Alissa leave the city because she didn’t like it? It doesn’t feel like it’s long-term.”
Dane bit back the temper that his mother always said was an issue. But he couldn’t let his mother go on without defending Alissa first. He was just irritated enough to let the news he’d intended to keep close to the vest free.
“I love Alissa and know we’re going to be together. We’re engaged.”
The line went so silent that Dane wondered if his mother had hung up. But eventually, she cleared her throat.
“Dane, did you say you’re engaged? You proposed to Alissa?” Johanna asked.
“Yes, I did. Two days ago, through the paper.”
“Are you sure? You need to be certain before you take such a huge step. So you don’t make a mistake.” Her voice came out strangled.
“I’m very, very sure. It’s not a mistake.”
Johanna sighed, her disappointment clear. “I suppose you know what you’re doing. When am I going to meet her?”
“I don’t know.” Dane checked his watch and went back to the bathroom to comb his hair. “We have a lot going on with the newspaper and magazine, so I don’t see us traveling to the city any time soon.”
“Ah. That’s a shame.” She clicked her tongue against her teeth softly, then added, “Well, in that case, I’ll have to come to you. I have some time off soon, so I’ll book a trip to Blueberry Bay.”
“Wait—”
“I’ll let you know of my plans. Have fun at dinner.” Johanna hung up.
Dane stared down at his phone, his mouth agape. Had that really happened? When his mother got an idea in her head, she wasn’t going to let it go. So he just had to sit back and wait for her visit, whether he wanted her to come or not.
CHAPTER TEN
Caitlin stepped onto the cruise ship behind Michael, taking in the huge project she’d just purchased. Michael had shown her around before, of course, but the ship somehow seemed like it was in worse shape than before. It had an old scent to it, mostly covered up by the salty smell of the ocean, and some of the metal areas—she wasn’t sure what they were called—were rusted.
She stood on the deck, pressing a hand to her forehead as she looked around. Had she bitten off more than she could chew? She had a good grip on the food and service aspect, but the boat was the most important part. And she didn’t know much about boats at all, besides what she’d researched in putting together her business plan.
“You’re sure it’s possible to fix this up?” Caitlin asked.
