Page 7 of I Wish You Were Mine

“Sounds like a plan.”

Excitement zips up my spine as I head that way exactly ten minutes later. I cannot wait to meet Katie.

I also can’t wait to caffeinate. I was up late again, slogging through the semester’s first paper. It’s still eighty-five percent garbage, despite me spending hours trying to fix it.

Tension creeps into my shoulders and stomach. I’ve always been a great student. My parents didn’t have the besteducation, so they made sure I did. I was a straight-A student all the way through high school and college.

School and cheer were mythings. The stuff I excelled at, and got attention for. Especially from my parents, who were always so proud of me for acing my AP exams, or getting accepted to the prestigious honors program at Chapel Hill.

So it made sense that, after graduating from college, I decided more school was the answer. I enrolled in a program to get my master’s in education with the goal of eventually become a teacher.

It all seemed to be working out beautifully. Until I actually tried teaching and, well, hated it.

The velvety smell of coffee hits me the second I step into the kitchen. Tuck is standing at a gleaming espresso machine on the counter, his back to me. He has an earbud in, and it doesn’t take me long to figure out he’s leading a meeting.

“Twelve Row Boat Row should be the model,” he’s saying. “But we scale it down for more affordable iterations. Yep, right, Chris, that’s it exactly it—same level of craftsmanship, same architectural style. If you look at the plans for the renovation of the inn, you’ll see what I’m talking about. Amanda, you lead the charge on this. Chris and Laura, I want y’all to do some digging on those covenants. See if there’s not some language there about the kind of structures we could build on those lots.”

Tuck turns, a cup of steaming coffee in each hand. Our gazes collide and he draws up short. My heart does that thing where it skips a beat.

Could the man get any more handsome?

Any hotter with his smooth, easy confidence? And that deep rumble of a voice, it’s as big and beautifully made as the rest of him.

What’s his story?With women, I mean. He’s divorced, I know that much. Does he have a girlfriend? I imagine there’sno shortage of women lining up for a date with him. He’s gorgeous. Successful.

And the tats. They’re just... God, chef’s kiss.

“All right, y’all, Katie’s about to be home so I’m gonna run.” Tuck holds out one of the cups. I take it. “I’ll be in the office shortly. Okay. Great. Great, yes. Thank y’all. Oh, and don’t forget Riley and I will be in and out of the office Wednesday through Friday, thanks to our friends Cooper and Goldie’s wedding.”

He taps the earbud, ending the call, and looks at me. “How do you take it?”

Any way you want to give it to me.

“My coffee?” I blink, willing that thought to disappear. “Just milk, please.”

He pours a good bit into each of our cups. I sip. He sips. The coffee is delightfully strong, more silky than bitter. Silence settles between us. Is it just me, or does it feel charged?

Definitely just me. The guys I’ve dated in the past are... not at all on the same level as Tuck. He’s way,wayout of my league, and much older too.

There’s not a chance in hell he’s attracted to me. I’m the nanny, for crying out loud. His employee, just like Amanda and Chris and Laura.

Nothing more.

“I’ll make dinner tonight,” Tuck says. “Usually have it on the table by six. You okay with shrimp?”

“I love shrimp,” I say. “You cook?”

He nods. “Every night. My dad taught me. He’s a fisherman here on the island.”

The alarm system chirps, and a commotion sounds from downstairs.

“Daddy!” a little voice cries out. “Daddy, I’m hooooome!”

Immediately Tuck’s eyes light up, his mouth moving intoa handsome smile. “Kathryn Dear?” He sips his coffee again before setting it down on the counter. “Is that you?”

“Cute nickname,” I say.

Tuck shakes his head. “That’s her actual name—Dear is an old family name I wanted to use, so it became Katie’s middle name.”

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