He attempted a smile. “I think I disturbed their sleep.” It was crazy. A thirty-something guy shouldn’t hurt when his parents treated him like shit;. It shouldn’t matter at all. And yet his heart ached at the memory of that phone call. Another rejection to add to the already-long list.
Frank clucked his tongue as though he didn’t know what to say. Then Deenie hugged Griff again, her arms barely reaching around his waist.
“They love you,” she said softly. “Even if they don’t show it. Who could stop themselves?” She smiled up at him. “You’re adorable.”
It was a strange echo of Autumn’s words from that morning. Yet it didn’t soothe the pain completely. It was always there, like a low-level sound. A constant hum that reminded him he wasn’t wanted by those who should love him the most.
“I should go,” he told them. “Mike is waiting for me.”
“Of course.” Deenie nodded. “Would you like to come over tonight? Or I can bring some food to you if you prefer.”
“Can I have a rain check?” He gave her a gentle smile. “I have plans.”
“I bet you do,” Ally said, laughing.
He lifted his eyebrows at her, and gave Deenie a hug, then shook Frank’s and Lorne’s hands. Walking outside, he let the warm California sun wash over him, heating up his bare arms and face.
A wry smile lifted his lips. Maybe Autumn was right. He was loveable. His friends’ concern certainly seemed to confirm that.
But right now, the only opinion he cared about was hers. What did she think of him?
Because after last night, he was pretty sure he was falling in love with Autumn Paxton.
22
“I have an offer for you,” her dad said, as she switched her phone onto speaker. Autumn leaned back in her chair, staring out of her office window at the sapphire blue ocean.
“What kind of offer?” She frowned, tracing her finger around a knot in the wood of her desk.
“A monetary one, of course. We’ve found a buyer for you, and you’ll actually make money on it. Isn’t that great?”
“We?” Autumn repeated, her body tensing. “Who’s been helping you?”
“A friend. He located a buyer in California. He already owns three piers up and down the coast. I sent over the details and he stopped by to take a look.”
“When?” She pressed her lips together. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I didn’t know if he’d be interested. But he is.”
She didn’t like the thought of a stranger looking the pier over without her there. It felt invasive, like somebody rifling through her underwear drawer. “I told you before I’m not interested in selling. Not yet.”
“I know that. But that’s because you wanted to make it profitable first so you could get a better sale. But the buyer doesn’t need you to do that. In fact, it would be a waste. They have plans of their own, including ripping a portion of it apart and rebuilding it. Your efforts would be a waste of time.”
“They want to rebuild?” she repeated, ignoring the pulse thrumming in her neck. “What about the businesses here? That would affect their trade.”
“They’d be given notice. His plans for the pier don’t include them. He wants to build a casino there. It’s been lucrative for him in his other locations. Isn’t that a great idea?”
She sighed. A few months ago she would have agreed. From a pure business perspective, changing the use of the pier would be a savvy decision. Maybe one she might have made herself, if she hadn’t spent so much time here in Angel Sands.
“I don’t think a casino would work here,” she told him. “Angel Sands isn’t that kind of town.”
“Well he says it can. He thinks he can work out a deal with the resort there. It’ll be ideal for us, and that’s what counts.” His voice lowered. “I need you to think about it, okay?”
“I like the pier as it is.” Her voice was firm.
“Autumn, sweetheart. You’ll want to come home soon. It’ll be impossible to manage the pier from New York. And you said yourself it’s going to take years to make it profitable. You’re a real estate developer and agent. A businesswoman. I know you’ve been through a lot lately, but it’s time to get back on the horse. Come home. Let me help you.”
“I can’t,” she whispered. The thought of getting on a plane to go back to her old life made her feel sick. “I’m staying here.”