“I just came over to see if I could give you a hand and I wanted to see how Admiral is doing.” I stood in the same spot, intentionally blocking her sun. “You look like you could use another set of hands.”
“Do you even know how to swing a hammer, Mr. Hawthorne, or were you suggesting your crew would come help while you give orders?” She basically growled at me.
“I’m quite capable, Miss. Campbell,” I growled back at her. “I’m also stronger, so perhaps you could let me get that board for you. Please?”
“Fine, if it makes you feel better about pushing me in the water, then go ahead and get the board loose.” She stood and gestured toward the board with her hammer. “But if you get hurt, you should know I can’t afford to pay for medical bills.”
“I won’t need you to pay any medical bills and, speaking of medical bills, you didn’t answer about your father.” I knelt down and started prying the board loose. “I enjoyed chatting with him. I’m sorry he was injured.”
“Mr. Hawthorne, we’re back now, whenever you’re ready.” Marcus called out from the other dock. “Do you need any help over there, sir?”
“Thanks, Marcus. I got it.” I gave one last pull on the board. “Jade, watch out.”
“I’m trying to help you pull it,” she snarled as the board we were both pulling on broke free, and we both flew backwards into the water. “Oh, come on, no!”
Deja vu washed over me as I surfaced to the top. Jade popped up a few feet away, splashing and already yelling as her face broke through to the top of the water.
“What is wrong with you? Pushing me again!?” I interrupted her yelling at me.
“Me? You definitely…
“No! You definitely pushed me that time.” I pushed my hair off of my face. “I didn’t need your help.”
“Seriously, you’re going to play thepushed mecard again?” Jade pulled herself up on the ladder. “You didn’t want me to help, so you pushed me out of the way, probably so you could look cool in front of your crew.”
“You didn’t want me to get the board loose before you so, yeah, you pushed me out of the way.” I dragged myself up onto the dock behind her.
“You’re the most ridiculous man I’ve ever met.” Jade paced on the dock, looking into the water. “Now you lost the board and I don’t have any more.”
We were both looking at the water. I saw the board float by at the same time as she did, and I jumped back in seconds before her. It was childish but, clearly, neither of us wanted to give in. I got to the board first and tossed it up on the dock.
“There’s your board. It’s not even a good piece of wood.” I pulled myself out of the water. “Do you need help up?”
“No, I do not need your help. And I suppose I pushed you in just now, too?” She climbed the ladder and plopped on the dock.
“You do see you’re finally admitting you pushed me in before.” I smiled behind her, but she never saw it. “Do you need help covering the hole?”
“No, I’ll take it from here. Thanks.” She looked at me briefly with a lopsided smile. “And my father is in bad shape with a long haul ahead of him, thanks for asking. But he’s tough.”
“Again, I’m sorry. You take care now.”
Chapter 27
Jade
Mr. Full-of-Himself Hawthorne just had to come over to help. If I was being honest with myself, I needed the help, but I’d never let him know that.
The office phone was laying in the toolbox. “Hello, Paradise Cay. This is Jade speaking, can I help you?”
I can’t believe he helped with his own hands. He’ll probably brag to all his moneybag friends. Focus on the call.
No one was on the other end of the line. I tossed it back into the toolbox. Then my cell buzzed in my back pocket.
“The Admiral is starting to wake up, you might wanna get back here.” Allen texted.
“Two more nails to hammer in and I’m finished with the dock repair, then I’ll be on my way.”
I wanted to be there when he woke up. I quickly hammered in the last two nails and ran to the office, dropped the toolbox, and shot into the house to change out of wet clothes. Five minutes later, I was in the truck on my way to the hospital.