Page 70 of After You Returned

“Please. Somewhere private,” Miles pleads.

I snort. “First of all, there’s nowhere private enough on this island to keep your family from eavesdropping.”

“Not fair,” Zane claims while he rocks Adele in his arms. “I don’t eavesdrop when it’s adult time.”

Pearl tugs on his jeans. “What’s adult time? Mom and Dad take naps during adult time. But I’m not allowed to join them.”

“Pearl.” Rhett rushes to pick her up while Dakota’s cheeks darken until they’re bright red.

I ignore all of them to glare at Miles. “Did you or did you not ask Hudson to give me a pity job?”

“It’s not a fucking pity job,” he grumbles.

“Swear jar, Uncle Miles!”

Rhett covers Pearl’s mouth with his hand. “Sorry.”

Henry, Harper’s dad, wheels his way toward us. “What’s going on? I was promised a burger and fries.”

Harper glares at Kai. “Who promised you a burger and fries?”

“It won’t kill him to eat a burger and fries oncein a while.”

Harper throws her arms in the air. “I give up!”

“If you’re done discussing what I’m allowed to eat, can someone tell me what the holdup is?” Henry asks.

I point to Miles. “He went behind my back to get me a job at the resort.”

“I didn’t go behind your back.”

I spit daggers out of my eyes at him. “Did you tell me what you were doing? No. You did not. You snuck off to speak to Hudson about me.” I slam a hand on my chest. “About my career without consulting me.”

“I wanted to give you options.”

“I can’t believe you. You ignore me for years.”

He growls. “I never ignored you.”

He so did. I get all up in his face. As much as is possible, considering I’m several inches shorter than him.

“You ignored me for years except when you were drunk and horny. And when I’m finally getting my career on track and have an awesome job opportunity with a VA hospital, you decide you can’t handle it and stick your big, fat nose in my business.”

“I do not have a fat nose.”

I growl. His nose is not the point and he knows it!

“Never mind my nose,” he quickly backpedals. “You told me you would stay on Smuggler’s Hideaway if you had a job here.”

“So you went and got me a job.”

“I don’t want you to leave.”

“I don’t care!”

“Yes, you do,” he grumbles. “You don’t want to move away from Smuggler’s Hideaway. You want to stay. What’s the big deal? Hudson wouldn’t hire you if he didn’t think you could do the job. He was impressed with how you treated Caleb.”

“None of this is the point.” I stab him in the chest. He tries to capture my hand but I step backwards before he has the chance. “You can’t control me. This is my life. My career. I make the decisions. Not you.”