“You know what I’m saying, Stella.” He’s almost hissing now. Not in the way a snake does, but like a twenty-four-year-old man who has been on his mother’s tit since he was born. “And if I’m being honest with you, if you’ll quit this easily on something, I’m not sure you’re the right fit for us anymore.”
Pompous motherfucker.
Thoughts of being homeless again flash through my mind, and even though I’ve done nothing but pig out all day, I almost feel that hunger in my stomach from when I was a kid with no money to buy a snack and no parents to care if I had one. I can’t lose this job. So, even though I want to call him a douchebag and tell him to pound sand, I’m not in a position to piss him off. Not yet anyway. Someday, I’ll have enough money that I won’t need to take his shit, but until I’m ready to start my own company, I need to lie low. So, instead of ruffling any more feathers, I exhale.
“No, I’m not giving up. I just … I didn’t want to be here, wasting money and time on a project that will never happen.” I plop down on the couch, dragging my hand down my face. “I’ll see what I can find.”
“I knew you wouldn’t let me down,” he says, suddenly chipper. “We’ll have you back home before Christmas—even if you’re flying back Christmas Eve!” He barks out a laugh, and before I can tell him that I don’t care if I fly home on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, he says, “Talk soon!”
When he ends the call, a sick feeling fills my gut because I know that no matter what, something bad will happen. I’ll either lose my job or I’ll have a hand in the Adams losing what they love most.
And despite Ridge’s hurtful words, I really don’t want that.
“Wind is gonna gust up to thirty knots tomorrow, you know,” Jake says as we finish loading bait on for tomorrow. “Guess the sea is supposed to build to eight-foot swells by noon.”
I slam around a few crates, irritated that this is at least the fifth thing he’s mentioned today about tomorrow’s weather being shit. I know that means he doesn’t want to go, but that sucks to be him because he’s going anyway.
“Well, we haven’t been in almost a week, and we’ve got to get out one more time before Christmas because that always fucks up the schedule,” I grumble. “The weather isn’t supposed to turn until afternoon, so that’s the point of leaving at one a.m. instead of three thirty tomorrow. Get out, get in, call it a day.”
“Jake is just being a little bitch,” Connor says, popping around the corner. “Ain’t nothing we can’t handle. Especially on this bad bitch.” He pats his hand against the washboard of the boat.
I’m in a terrible mood today. Just like I have been the past three days. I keep trying to tell myself it’s just the stress of winter fishing, but I’ve been pissy ever since the last encounter I had with Stella, when I dropped her off at her place and she told meshe was going to fuck my brother. Since then, I’ve tried to keep all my brothers busy with work around the wharf so they are never free because, fuck no, I’m not letting them near her.
Through the woods this morning, I could still see Stella’s car at the rental house. But with Christmas being three days away, I don’t understand why she’s still here.
We set the last barrel of bait in the boat, and I move some shit around before tossing new bait bags into the bait box.
“Be here by one in the morning,” I say. “Go get some rest. It’s gonna come early.”
“Aye, aye, Captain!” Connor calls out.
Meanwhile, Jake sighs. He hates getting up earlier than normal, and I can’t blame him. Our normal time is early for most people, but leaving an hour after midnight? It downright sucks.
I hate hauling in the middle of the night, but I need to make my guys a paycheck, and I also need to tend to my shit. So, this one time, we all need to suck it up and do it.
Besides, it’ll keep me busy so I’m not tempted to go see a certain mean redhead who I can’t seem to get off my mind.
“Thank you for meeting me,” I say, holding my hot cup of coffee in my hands, looking across the table at Mrs. Adams. “I really appreciate it.”
Katherine smiles, nodding. “Of course. Though I feel like I owe you a thank-you for distracting me today. I hate when the boys go out when it’s rough. And I really hate it when they leave so early that it’s basically night. But do you know what I hate the most?”
I frown, not knowing what she’s talking about. “What?”
“I hate when only one of them goes out.” She shakes her head. “It’s not safe not to have another boat nearby on rough, cold days. And so that’s three different things that I hate that my son has decided to pull today.”
“I don’t—” I stop, still not following all the way. “Which one?”
She gives me a look and rolls her eyes. “Ridge, of course. My child who is as stubborn as a goddamn bull. He left at one a.m., which means he’s got to be wiped out by now, and he still isn’t in yet.”
It shouldn’t bother me, thinking about Ridge being out there on a day it’s not nice out. He was rotten to me the last time we saw each other. And even if he hadn’t been, we don’t even get along. Well, aside from the one day we got along a little too well and then ended up having sex all night.
“Oh, wow.” I take a sip from my coffee. “That’s not good. I don’t blame you for being worried.”
When the fearful expression on her face intensifies, I set my cup down to reach across the table and pat her hand. “But he’s been fishing for most of his life, right? So, I’m sure he’ll be fine. Besides, he seems like the … extremely cautious type to me.”
She sighs, relaxing slightly. “Yeah. You know what? You’re right. I’m being dramatic. That boy always has a plan for a plan. He’ll be fine.” Though I can tell she’s still worried, she attempts to give me a relaxed smile. “So, what was it you wanted to see me for?”
I’ve spent days thinking about the last conversation I had with Victor. Something in his voice told me that he wouldn’t stop pushing until the Adams’ property was his. Despite my desire to climb the ladder at work so that I can gain more experience, I genuinely don’t want anyone to come between this family and their legacy. In a way, I envy what they have here. It’s rare, and they don’t deserve to have it threatened or taken away. Because of that, I knew I had to meet her today.
