Page 35 of At First Catch

“No,” I say honestly.

Walter glances over.

“I think I can make it better.”

For a long moment, he says nothing, then he nods once, slow and thoughtful.

“Good answer.”

Walter’s truck heads into town, vanishing from sight. The paper bag is still warm in my hands. I stand here longer than necessary before realizing nobody has ever brought me dinner because they thought I might have forgotten to eat.

Back inside the office, I eat one biscuit standing over the desk while reviewing dock repair estimates. Then another because I can’t seem to help myself.

The inspection reports blur after a while. My attention keeps drifting toward my phone. Toward Hadley. Toward the ghost of a smile that touched her lips earlier when I admitted I already loved this place. She looked at me like she understood.

That’s the part I can’t stop thinking about. Most people hear ambition when I talk about projects. Business. Investment. Expansion. Hadley looked at me like she understood loneliness instead.

The phone buzzes.

This time, my mouth curves before I even pick it up.

Hadley

For the record, I’m excellent at permits. Terrible at warnings.

A soft chuckle drifts through the deserted office.

Me

That seems inconvenient.

Hadley

For who?

The answer rises immediately.

Me.

For me.

For every ounce of self-control I had before you walked back into my life wearing a blue sweater and looking at me like maybe I mattered.

I type it.

Delete it.

Then stare at the screen for several long seconds before settling on:

Me

Probably both of us.

Her response takes longer this time.

Long enough for me to imagine her reading the message somewhere cozy and warm. Maybe curled up on a couch. Maybe barefoot. Maybe biting the inside of her cheek while she decides how honest to be with me.

Hadley