Page 155 of At First Catch

I turn.

And immediately, every thought in my head warms, like sunlight on my skin.

Hadley walks toward me carrying take-out containers and two beers while the evening wind lifts her hair around her shoulders.

There she is again.

My favorite person. My safest place. The woman I love standing beneath marina lights looking for me at the end of the day.

The feeling that crashes through my chest physically hurts.

God.

I’m never recovering from her.

“I was working,” I say weakly.

Hadley narrows her eyes.

She reaches me a second later and hands over one of the beers before leaning beside me against the dock railing. Close enough that warmth spreads through my entire body.

The ease of that reaction still amazes me. Like my nervous system rewired itself entirely around her presence.

“You okay?” she asks.

“Yeah.”

Her brows lift.

“That sounded fake too.”

I laugh under my breath.

“You know me too well.”

“Mm.” She bumps her shoulder lightly against mine.

I look out across the darkening marina.

“I had a real estate agent call today.”

Hadley stills beside me. Not dramatically. Just enough that I feel it.

“About what?”

“The property behind the marina.”

Silence settles between us while waves lap gently against the docks below.

The property behind the marina. An old weather-worn coastal house sitting on a strip of land overlooking Back Bay. It’s too much work. Too expensive. Too permanent. Which unfortunately means I’ve been thinking about it constantly for weeks.

I stare out toward the dark water before continuing.

“They want to sell before hurricane season.”

Hadley stays quiet. Listening.

“I almost called back.”