Page 56 of At First Catch

Hadley snickers, her shoulders rising and falling with each breath.

God, that sound. Every time she cracks up around me, something in my chest loosens unexpectedly.

“You’re good with them,” she says after a moment.

“The kids?”

“Mm-hmm.”

I dry another plate. “I like them.”

“No,” she says softly. “I mean they like you.”

The words catch me off guard because there’s genuine warmth in her voice. As if the fact that her niece and nephew like me matters to her.

Hadley reaches for another plate at the same moment I do, and our hands gently collide. This time, neither of us pulls away.

Water runs in the sink while warmth spreads through my hand beneath hers. The contact is enough to completely alter the air between us.

Hadley’s breath catches, and mine nearly does the same. By instinct, I look down at her and find she’s already looking at me. And suddenly, the rest of the kitchen fades into a blur of noise around the edges.

I could kiss her right now. Not just want to.

Need to.

Something about Hadley standing beside me in this warm, crowded kitchen, with dish soap on her hands and laughter around us, makes the urge almost overwhelming.

Then Holt appears beside the fridge and the moment snaps. Hadley jerks her hand back first, while I step away.

Holt’s eyes narrow almost imperceptibly as they move between us.

“Beer?” Holt asks me casually.

“Sure.”

He tosses one toward me from the fridge.

I catch it automatically, thankful my hands aren’t soaked like Hadley’s or I’d drop the glass.

Meanwhile, Hadley suddenly becomes extremely interested in rinsing silverware.

Holt leans against the counter beside me, gaze fixed on the kitchen chaos ahead of us instead of directly at me.

“You settling into the marina okay?”

“Yeah.”

“People bothering you yet?”

“Constantly.”

A grin tugs briefly at Holt’s mouth. “Means they like you.”

I glance sideways toward him.

“You all weaponize friendliness around here?”

“Pretty much.”