“Oh, so that’s the reason for the look.” He gestures to my face as he jumps the railing and closes the distance between us.
“What look? There is no look.”
“Oh, there’s most certainly a look.” He smirks. “Now tell me what Randy had to say.”
“She’s toast. He thinks it’ll cost substantially more to fix her than she’s worth.”
“Something we already knew.” He needlessly points out.
“Knowing it and having it confirmed are two different things.” I run a hand through my overgrown, dark hair that’s in desperate need of a trim.
“So what are you going to do?”
“Haven’t decided yet.”
“But you know what youshoulddo. You should scrap it and use the money to do some maintenance and repairs on the other ships that are worth saving.”
“I told him I was going to wait and see what the numbers look like once we get someone to fill in for Janet while she’s gone.”
“You already know we can’t afford it. Even if business is booming, some things are just out of reach, and this is one of those things. I know you want to hang onto her for sentimental reasons, but Dad wouldn’t want you sitting on a ship that’s not worth the money it would take to fix her. You know that, right?”
“I still think it’s worth taking a look at the books and seeing if it’s possible.”
“Your company, brother.”
“No, it’sourcompany. I’m just the idiot who thought he could run it.”
“Oh, come on, even you have to admit that you’re made for this. When you look at those numbers, why don’t you also look at how we’ve made more in the last six months than Dad did in his last two years.”
“Luck.”
“That’s not all it is, and you know it. But I don’t know why I’m wasting my breath. Broody Penn can’t take a compliment to save his life.”
“I am not broody.” I snort out a laugh.
“Yeah, okay.” Alec dramatically rolls his eyes in response.
“There is something else.” I consider whether or not I actually want to tell him, but given that he might run into her in town, I think it’s best he hear it from me. Otherwise, the second he sees her, he’ll be calling me, losing his mind.
“Well, don’t leave me in suspense, cupcake.”
It’s my turn to rollmyeyes.
“London’s back.”
“What do you mean London’s back? Like back in Wren Cove?”
“She came home today. According to Randy, she’s staying for the foreseeable future.”
“Well, hell.” He blows out a breath, his eyes assessing. “How do you feel about this?”
“I’m fine with it. What she does is no longer my business.”
“Now remember who you’re talking to and tell me the truth.” He gives me a knowing look.
Out of my two brothers, Alec has always been the one who can read me best. And given that we’re only two years apart, he was old enough to pick up on how much I changed after she left. He had a front row seat to the implosion of my life, whereas Walker was only twelve and too self-absorbed to even realize something had happened. Not that I blame him. What twelve-year-old isn’t.
“I’m okay. Seriously.”
