Page 208 of At First Catch

Because there it is. The thing she’s been afraid of for weeks.

I’m considering it.

“Nolan.” Her voice stays soft, and that makes this infinitely worse.

“I’m trying to keep the marina alive,” I say quickly.

Emotion flashes unexpectedly across her face. “I know that.”

“Then why does it sound like you think I’m betraying something?”

The question leaves me rougher than intended.

But the awful truth?

Part of me already thinks that too.

When Hadley finally speaks again, her voice hurts more than anger would have.

“I think you’re so scared of losing this place that you’re starting to forget why you loved it in the first place.”

The words hit hard enough to physically still me.

She’s right. Not necessarily about the deal itself, but about me. About the fear.

I stare at Hadley across the bookstore counter while storm clouds darken outside the lighthouse windows.

And for the first time in weeks, I realize fear has already started changing me.

Hadley’s words follow me out of the bookstore like a wound I can’t stop touching. I don’t head straight back to the marina. Instead, I wander toward the public docks, letting my feet decide where to go while my brain refuses to quiet down.

The town feels painfully ordinary around me. Kids race down the sidewalk carrying melting ice cream cones. A couple argues good-naturedly over where to eat dinner. Someone down the block strums a guitar outside one of the restaurants.

Life keeps moving. Mine feels like it’s holding its breath.

“Thought I might find you out here.”

I turn.

Dean leans against one of the weathered pilings with a coffee in one hand, dressed like he just left the inn after another meeting instead of a billion-dollar office.

“You stalking me?”

One corner of his mouth lifts.

“Coral Bell Cove isn’t exactly New York.”

Fair.

I lean against the railing beside him, looking out across Back Bay. Neither of us speaks for almost a minute. The silence doesn’t feel awkward.

Dean finally breaks it.

“Lark mentioned the restoration costs have gotten ugly.”

I glance toward the water before answering.

“I’ve talked to three banks. One wanted enough collateral to put the entire marina at risk. Another wouldn’t touch a seasonal business this close to hurricane season. The third offered terms that would bury us before the first payment came due.”