Flirting with Sunshine (Fun For the Holidays) by J. Sterling

Author:J. Sterling [Sterling, J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Inspire Magic
Published: 2023-07-31T18:30:00+00:00

TRYING TO KEEP IT TOGETHER

AVA

I’d been off all day. Elise had called and texted multiple times. She’d been doing it since last night actually, and I’d basically been ignoring her, trying to placate her with one-worded answers. She was eventually going to show up at my place if I kept putting her off, but I was too busy freaking out to talk.

When Tony hadn’t been at the docks this morning, I had gotten nervous that he might have left. I was pretty certain he didn’t fish because he had to even though I had no idea if that was true or not. But still, a part of me had assumed he didn’t even need the money at all. Which only made me more unsettled. There was nothing and no one tying him here to Port Rufton, no matter how much I wished that weren’t true.

Can’t I be the reason he stays?

I had known that I’d make myself sick with worry if I didn’t at least go check on his house. So, when I walked far enough up the road to where I could see his truck and noticed that nothing was packed in the back of it, my fear had settled slightly.

Tony was still here.

He might be avoiding me, but at least he hadn’t bailed.

Not yet anyway.

I wasn’t naive enough to believe that Tony would stay put if he grew too uncomfortable. The man could pick up and leave at any time. The notion didn’t seem all that far-fetched. He liked to run. And he did it without warning.

My nerves reappeared and stayed that way all day long. No one had heard from him, and he hadn’t been out on the water or gone out to check on his boat. Apparently, for a fisherman, that was a rarity.

The bell jingled over the door, and I glanced through the kitchen window to see my mother walking in. She was always so put together and beautiful, and today was no exception. Seeing her made me smile. Her eyes caught mine as she weaved through the crowd and made her way toward me in the back.

Wiping my hands on my apron, I moved away from the prep table right as she walked through the swinging doors.

“Hola, mija,” she said in Spanish.

I watched as all the men in the kitchen practically melted at the sight of her. Everyone loved this woman.

“Hola,” I said in response as we gave each other kisses on the cheek in greeting.

“Can we talk for a second?”

My mother never showed up at my job, wanting to chat, so I knew it must be important or time sensitive.

“In private?” I asked, and she nodded.

I waved my hand toward the back door, signaling that we should go upstairs to my apartment, and she immediately started walking.

“I’ll be right back. The fish on the counter needs to go in the oven,” I directed, and the guys instantly moved to take care of things. They seemed to be picking up my slack a lot these past few days.

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