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“Good thing you caught so much. A big order came in last night.” Sammy grabbed the handle of the cooler and wheeled it toward the dock. “Better start chopping.”
“By the way, I’ll be doing earlier shifts for a while.”
Sammy paused and eyed him. “Oh, that’s right. Your girl comes back today.”
Dean’s voice was husky as he shot back an answer. “She’s never been my girl.”
“That’s because you gotta man up and tell her you like her.”
If only Sammy knew how much Dean had tried to convince Emilie to stay and finish her senior year of high school. He’d never forget the haunted look in her eyes when she told him she was moving in with her dad in Pittsfield. Short of telling her how he really felt about her, he tried everything, but she was dead set on leaving.
Sammy swiped at the sweat on his forehead. “It was a coincidence you met up with her a year ago.”
More like luck. A year ago, he’d been delivering fish to the same restaurant where she happened to be eating. “Right place at the right time. I’m just glad she asked me to help on the repairs for her house. Thanks for that again, man.”
Sammy wiped more sweat from his face with the back of his hand. “Think she’ll like the renovations on the basement?”
Dean worried the most about that. He and his team had spent weeks renovating the ‘dungeon’ in hopes it would allow her to make new memories. “We’ll have to see. If not, I’m not changing things back to what they were. That basement was a disaster.”
His friend chuckled. “We finished the job months ago. What’s taken her so long to move back?”
The truth was it had taken her a year to even decide to move back, but that was not his story to tell. Dean studied his friend and decided to tell him a half-truth. “She was on tour with her dance company, and I’ve been fixing up the other parts of the house. I really only have one room left, but I’m waiting for her approval. Now, come on. Talking about this makes me anxious to see her.” He grabbed the keys and headed to the docks, pausing only as Sammy lifted the cooler onto the cutting table with his strong arms.
“I’ll make sure the boys don’t party too much when you’re not around.”
Dean gave him a sly smile and laughed. “You a boss? Do you ever stay on task when you’re not cutting up fish?”
“Never.” Sammy’s grin widened. “Now, go shower. You smell like seaweed.”
* * *
Usually, when Dean drove home from work, he took a detour down Emilie’s street. It was a roundabout way to get to his house on the corner of Prospect, but the route helped him feel close to her when she wasn’t around.
Today, he had to claw the side of his leg with his free hand to keep from driving past her house. If she were home, he wouldn’t be able to pass up the opportunity to stop and see her. The last thing he wanted was for her to get a whiff of the fish on his hands and clothes.
He pulled into his driveway too fast and hit the rock his dad planted in front of the left side of the garage to remind Dean not to park there. He growled to himself. Who was he, a teenager? As he backed up a few obligatory feet, his phone rang with a call from his dad. He checked for a spy camera in the truck, but of course, there was none.
“Yes, Dad?” he said in a singsong voice.
“You’re home early? You didn’t park on my side of the garage, right?”
Dean rolled his eyes, not caring that it was immature. His parents hadn’t lived at home in over a year. “How could I? Your precious Mustang’s parked there. If it’s so precious, why did you leave it behind?”
His dad chuckled. “We’ve got enough cars here. How’s the fishing?”
Dean shrugged and climbed out of the truck. “Pretty good. Lots of orders came in this morning, but I left early.”
“That’s exactly why I’m calling. I knew you’d be anxious to see Emilie now that she’s home. Son, before you go greet her with open arms, listen. I heard some news the other day.”
Dean climbed back into his seat and closed the door. “You and Mom don’t even live in this town anymore. How do you hear about anything?”
“The deed is still in my name. We’re just…vacationing and visiting grandchildren, which by the way, would bring us back to visit you sooner.”
“I have to find a girl first,” Dean said wryly. An image of Emilie popped into his mind. If things didn’t work out with her, he wasn’t sure what to do about his love life.
“I heard a rumor Emilie’s not sticking around.”
Dean stilled. When his dad didn’t follow up with any more information, he released his breath with a huff. “What are you talking about? She’s opening the dance studio and fixing up her house. Who would put that much work into a place just to resell it? She told me she’s staying.”
