But to be honest, she hadn’t taken much notice of any man of late. What did that say about her other than she was working far too hard and didn’t have the time to date. The more she thought about it, the more she knew Ryan was right.
“Right. I’ll get back to the attic and you relax and enjoy the sea air. If you need anything at all, give me a shout.” Matt stood and left her alone on the porch.
She chose a novel from her bag and settled down on the lounger, determined to lose herself in the story. Mia opened the book and smiled at the first sentence. What is it about the ocean that makes me feel I can do anything I want, even run away, leaving all my problems behind me?
Someone touched her shoulder and Mia brushed the hand away. The person touched her again and she opened her eyes, blinked and looked around. Matt crouched next to her lounger. What the heck? She’d dozed off. She shuffled back up into sitting position and wiped her mouth, hoping she hadn’t been drooling.
“You fell asleep. Might be a good move to come inside. It’s getting cooler now.”
The light breeze fluttered over her bare arms. She brushed her hands over her face and stared out over the garden. Mia was surprised and a bit embarrassed to have fallen asleep in the middle of the afternoon.
“The sea air often does that to people.”
“Really?” She spun around and put her feet on the floor, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Wow.”
“I’m finished up in the attic for today. How about you get comfortable in the front room by the fire and I’ll bring you a drink or you can help yourself from the bar.”
“Thanks.” She couldn’t get over the fact she’d fallen asleep. She hadn’t taken a nap since she was about three years old. Why now? And why did she feel comfortable enough to let down her defenses here, where she hadn’t even wanted to be? It was nice of Matt to blame the ocean air but she could finally admit to herself that she’d been overdoing things. Never taking the time to have a breather had taken its toll. The question was what could she do about it?
Matt left her alone and she sunk back into the cushions of the porch lounger, her hand over her face. Eventually she pulled herself together and gathered her book. She’d only managed to get into chapter one before she’d drifted off. What a surprise.
“I’ll be back in a minute. If there’s anything I can help you with, let me know.” She hurried into her room and strode to the bathroom. A brief glimpse in the mirror did little to make her feel better: hair disheveled, eyes puffy, and what her mom used to call “sleepy cheeks.” Cute on a five-year-old, not so much on a woman approaching thirty.
She ran a quick brush over her hair and splashed cold water on her face before going back downstairs.
Matt stood in front of the fire with a glass of golden liquid in his hands. “What can I get you?”
“I’ll have whatever you’re having, thanks.”
He poured her a drink and handed it to her, and they clinked glasses. “Cheers.”
“Cheers.”
“I spoke to my brother Arlo this afternoon. They’d love to see us tomorrow.”
“It’s very kind of you, Matt. I can’t wait to meet them.”
“You’ll like Hilary too. Might even know of her actually. She used to own a restaurant in Seattle and now blogs about great food available in the area. Hilary also has her own supply company. That’s how she met and fell in love with Arlo. She wanted his oysters for her procurement company and wasn’t about to take no for an answer.”
“Really? And they fell in love and she moved here? That’s a big change.”
“True, but love does that to you, apparently.” As Matt raised his glass to his lips, he gave her a smile that made her insides tremble. “I’d better go and check on dinner. Excuse me a moment.”
Love. Mia had no idea what that was. She’d dated off and on, but most people were either scared off by her dedication to her job or frustrated that she didn’t have more time for them. She found it easier not to bother. The way she was going, that wasn’t likely to change any time soon.
Chapter 6
The following morning, she met other members of the Hope family. “Mia, this is Hilary. Hilary, meet Mia. She’s staying at my place for a few weeks.”
Hilary grabbed her in a tight hug, shocking Mia. She’d never been touchy-feely, but she suspected that might be tested in the next few weeks with Matt’s family being so prone to hugging.
“Welcome. It’s so nice to meet you.” Hilary glanced between her and Matt. “So. You’re staying with Matt for how long, did you say?”
“Four weeks and then I’ll go back to work.” She wasn’t sure if there was anything in Hilary’s expression or not but she didn’t want to go there.
Matt interrupted them, putting a hand on Mia’s shoulder. “I’ll go and find Arlo, have a chat to the boys. You ladies’ll be okay without me?”
Hilary laughed and pushed him away. “Of course we will. I’ve been dying to meet Mia ever since you called.”
He turned to Mia. “Don’t let her talk you into anything. Her powers of persuasion are legendary on this island and she’s only been here a year or so.”
Hilary laughed and pushed him again. “Get out of here.”
Matt headed toward the pier where Mia could see a large golden dog pacing up and down.
“Such a nice guy.” Hilary folded her arms and smiled.
Mia cringed. She knew that look. “He’s very nice to show me around, but before you get any ideas, don’t. Please.”
“You’re no fun. Come on, let’s go make coffee and find a nice sunny spot. Storms are forecast for the next few days, so I want to
