Page 84 of At First Catch

For the first time since buying this place, it doesn’t just feel like a project. My jacket is still hanging on the back of the office chair. Yesterday I would’ve taken it home. Today...apparently, I expect to be back in the morning.

My phone buzzes against the desk, and I snatch it like the new addict I am.

Hadley

You still working?

The warmth that spreads through my chest at seeing her name now feels so immediate it’s almost alarming.

Me

Pretending to.

Three dots appear.

Hadley

Productive pretending?

I glance down at the contractor spreadsheet currently untouched on my desk.

Me

Not remotely.

I huff a quiet chuckle.

Because the truth is, I haven’t been able to think straight since the bookstore.

Not after finally kissing her. Not after feeling her melt against me like she’d wanted it just as badly.

And definitely not after realizing how naturally she fits beside me.

The way Hadley slides into my life like she’s been there longer than a week of marina coffees and late-night texts should allow.

My phone buzzes again.

Hadley

So the marina survives another day despite your emotional compromise?

I lean back in the office chair, smiling helplessly toward the ceiling.

Me

Barely.

I suck in a deep, lungful of air.

Hadley

I keep replaying the bookstore.

The breath leaves in a whoosh.

Me

Favorite part?