Was it wrong to feel so alive at his obvious frustration? His jaw locked as he stared at her, as if he was trying to decide where to fit her on the shelf of categories he kept in his mind. “This is ridiculous. I pay for services rendered. If it’s about not coming to Waikiki Beach, I accepted those terms.”
“She’s a kid who needed someone to show her how to stand up on a board. That’s not a service. It’s a favor.”
He narrowed his gaze. “You’re doing me a favor?”
“I’m doing it for her. I told you I don’t want your money.”
Everett crossed his arms. She refused to notice how his dress shirt stretched to accommodate those broad shoulders. How the hell did he keep so fit stuck in an office all day and night? “You don’t like money?”
“I don’t like what people think it buys.” She deliberately paused. “I’m not for sale, Mr. Hale.”
“Everett.”
His name fit him. The idea of saying it aloud and feeling all the secret places it would hit kept her stubborn silence. The air pulsed and stretched between them. Something flared in those dark eyes, then was quickly extinguished.
And then the intense moment broke. Suddenly, Everett looked down and froze. “What is that thing doing here?”
She followed his gaze. Bagel sat at his feet, staring up at him. No blink. No mercy.
“Bagel’s part of the staff,” Rowan said. “He supervises.”
The rabbit sniffed his pant leg and gave a single, decisive thump.
Everett stiffened. “Did he just—”
“Yeah. That’s his way of saying you’re not welcome. Be super careful and don’t move.”
“I’m six two,” Everett muttered. “He’s twelve inches. I should be in charge here.”
“Size doesn’t matter. He runs the place. I wouldn’t get on his bad side.”
Oh, she was awful, but it was worth watching the unease skitter across his carved features. Kelsey bounded out. “Bagel! Did you come to say goodbye? What a sweetie you are!”
Bagel hopped over and melted under Kelsey’s hands, blissful. Everett frowned like it was a personal betrayal.
“I dislike livestock. Just a suggestion, but you’d have more customers if you kept that thing home.”
“Bagel’s smart. He keeps the negative energy out of the shop.”
Everett’s mouth firmed, but she caught a tiny glimmer of amusement in his dark eyes. “You’re real subtle.”
Her response was interrupted by Kelsey. “Dad, I need to change! Can you wait a few more minutes?”
Rowan watched him glance at his expensive watch. “Okay, but hurry it up.”
Silence fell between them. He stood near the counter, hands in his pockets, looking around like he was conducting an inspection. “What do you do here?”
She couldn’t help herself. “I have a lot of responsibilities, but my most important task is making sure the sunscreen is stocked up. Oh, and the ice pops. Keeping all the flavors everyone wants is kind of stressful.”
He stared at her with suspicion. “You’re messing with me, right?”
Her shoulders lifted in a shrug. “Well, it is one of my tasks. I don’t like firing people.”
His shoulders snapped back in defense. “I don’t either, but that’s what running a successful business requires. Not all of us can live without responsibility.”
“And not all of us can live with a clear conscience,” she said cheerfully.
His fists clenched. Then slowly uncurled. The air between them stretched and tightened. The scent of his cologne—a rich woodsmoke—drifted to her nostrils. He shifted his weight and the floorboards creaked under his expensive shoes. How were they still immaculate despite the sand? Everett picked up a bar of surf wax from the display, turning it over in his palm like he was examining evidence.
