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Josie and his mother were equally shocked, the silence in the room tense.
“I won’t stand for you treating Alissa that way,” Dane finally said.
Johanna took a deep breath, her expression unreadable. “I’ll see you later, Dane.”
His mother left, but the tension in the room hardly lifted.
Dane raked his hand over his face. “I should go find Alissa.”
“Maybe you should give her a second to gather herself,” Josie said.
“You’re right.” He sighed heavily. It was barely noon and he felt like he’d gone through an entire week.
It pained him not to go find Alissa immediately, but going after her when she was so overwhelmed might only make things worse for her.
After holding back for a few moments, Dane finally couldn’t wait anymore, so he went out to look for her. Since it was around lunch, he headed toward The Crab first. His instincts were right—Alissa was sitting at a table in the corner, an untouched sandwich in front of her. She stared off into the ocean, the emptiness in her gaze hurting his heart.
The ache in his chest ran deep. He went over to Alissa and gently rested his hand on her shoulder, startling her.
“I didn’t mean to startle you,” Dane said, sitting next to her on the bench. “Come here.”
He pulled her into a hug. She went lax in his arms and buried her face into his chest, her breath shuddering. Dane ran his hand up and down her back until she calmed down.
“I’m sorry my mother was like that,” he said. “So rude and dismissive.”
Alissa sniffed, sitting up but taking one of Dane’s hands. “I understand how all of it must look to her. I can’t blame her for thinking it’s small town entertainment.”
“Hey now.” Dane squeezed her hand gently. “We both know it’s not just ‘small town entertainment’. We’ve gotten some serious traction, even from outside of the region when it comes to the magazine. We’ve devoted a lot of time and energy into it.”
“I know.” Alissa wiped her eye with the back of her finger. “But does that change how she sees me? Does she still see me as some small town girl who isn’t enough for you?”
The wave of protectiveness that came up in Dane startled him. It must have shown on his face because Alissa’s eyes widened.
“It doesn’t matter what she thinks, Alissa. And you not being ‘good enough’ for me is the furthest thing from the truth that there is,” Dane said, softening his voice despite the intensity of his love for her. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me by far.”
Alissa finally smiled, just a little bit, and it meant the world to Dane.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“You guys doing okay?” Michael asked the baristas working the counter at Tidal Wave Coffee.
“Yup!” One of the baristas gave him a thumbs up.
“Good.”
Michael liked to pop into the shop when it was slower in the afternoons, just to catch up on some paperwork and orders. Plus, it was the perfect time to make himself a pick-me-up. Since there weren’t any customers lined up, he slipped behind the espresso machine and made himself a latte.
Right as he finished, the bell above the door jingled. It was Caitlin. Michael’s chest warmed and it wasn’t just his latte. Caitlin’s shy, sweet smile made his own broaden.
“Hey,” he said, coming around the counter. “What are you up to?”
“I was just doing some more work on the ship,” she said. “The rooms are really starting to shape up. I can actually envision guests seated in there.”
Michael gently squeezed her shoulder. “That’s great. I’m really proud of you. It’s going to be filled with guests every night.”
“Thank you.” Caitlin’s cheeks flushed pink and her eyes brightened. “I just wanted a pick-me-up since I’ve been at it all day and I need to pick up Pearl in a bit.”
“What can I get you? An iced coffee?” Michael went around the counter again. “Whole milk?”
