“Do landlubbers ever listen?”
“When Trent yells at them to get out, they usually do.”
His brow wrinkles. “Usually? Are there customers who refuse to leave? They don’t attack you, do they?”
My heart warms at his concern for me. It’s been a long time since someone was concerned for me. I wave away his concern before my heart can get used to the feeling. This is Zane. He becomes nauseous whenever anyone uses the word relationship.
“It’s all fine. We have a baseball bat behind the bar, and Dave claims to know martial arts.”
“Dave? The bartender who used to hide in the boys’ bathroom at school to avoid gym class knows martial arts?”
“He…” I trail off when a yawn hits me.
Zane nudges me toward the hallway. “Go. Get some sleep. I promise to keep this little terror quiet until the morning.”
He says little terror, but the way he’s staring at Adele has my heart melting into a puddle of goo on the floor. Puddle of goo? There will be no puddles of goo where Zane is concerned.
I hurry to my bedroom before I do something I regret. Such as fall head over heels in love with the least available man on Smuggler’s Hideaway.
Chapter 13
“Jumped out of a plane today. Still not as terrifying as changing diapers at 3 a.m.”
Zane
“You’re certain this is okay?” I ask Sloane.
She rolls her eyes. “For the millionth time, get out of here. I’ve got this.”
I know she does. She’s the one who taught me how to change a diaper when I realized I couldn’t phone my mom every time Adele needed changing.
“Okay. I’ll be back before dinner.”
She waves me away. “Don’t worry about it. I have the night off fromRumrunner.”
Guilt stabs me in the chest. She works full-time at the bar. She shouldn’t be spending her day off babysitting for me.
But this is the deal we made, I remind myself. She gets a place to live for free, and I get a nanny for when I need to escape the island.
“Thanks.”
She salutes me. Damn, she’s cute and sexy and beyond sweet, holding my baby in her arms.
“Now, go jump out of a plane or go boarding down the side of the mountain or do high jumps with a motorcycle or whatever it is you’re going to do.”
“Just skydiving today.”
“Just skydiving.” She scoffs. “Just another boring day at the office.”
My days at the office are extremely boring. But I don’t complain. If it weren’t for Eli, I’d be forced to find a job away from Smuggler’s Hideaway and probably have to – gulp – wear a tie. No thanks.
“Go.” She shoos me away. “You’re going to be late.”
Late? I’m never late when it’s time to do an extreme sport or catch a flight out of here. But when I check my watch, I notice I am indeed running late.
I kiss Adele’s hair. “Bye, baby girl. Behave for Sloane.”
I hesitate on the porch and Sloane shoves me. “Go.”
