He blinked at her, watching her expression to make sure she’d heard his confession. He’d never met a woman who didn’t want to talk about it or interrogate him about his state of mind and feelings. He shivered at the thought and decided to embrace her lack of interest as a good thing. “Don’t know, but I’m thinking Dustin and Wind are perfect for each other for a few days, which works for me since I need him to stick around a little longer to help get my business up and running. Too much work for one person. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve worked hard before as a chief executive officer, but this is the first company where I’ll get to be hands-on instead of in meetings and glued to my computer all the time. If I’m being honest, I’m excited about this new venture.”
“I see,” she said in a tone that suggested she lacked confidence in him.
“I’m going to make this work. I’ll start off small, but then I’ll work up to several boats and be running a real charter business by next year.”
“That’s great.”
He didn’t know Julie well, but that was doubtful sounding in any tone. “But?”
She shrugged. “Maybe it’s not the right business for Summer Island.”
“Why do you say that?” he asked, worried he didn’t know something about the area.
She shrugged and took a bite from her hot dog as if to stall long enough to think of an answer.
He waited, giving her time to chew and then take a sip of her beverage. “Summer Island is a quiet, family-style town. Tourism isn’t booming. It’s more for quiet types and repeat customers year after year. Maybe you should go to Cocoa Beach or Merritt Island or Daytona.”
“Not an option. I bought this property for a steal. I couldn’t afford what I purchased in those areas. Not on the beach, and not with enough left over to remain afloat for a year while I build. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not destitute, it’s just that what money I didn’t spend on the divorce is tied up in long-term investments and I’d pay heavy penalties to access the money.” He eyed his hot dog, thinking about shoving it into his mouth to stop himself from being so honest with this woman. “Actually, I was in such a hurry to get away from my former life, I left my house and all that was in it to Marsha, my ex, and got out of town.”
“How long were you married?” she asked, her attention shifting from her food to him.
“Seven years.”
“Kids?”
“No.” He heard the relief in his tone and felt led to say something other than the fact he most likely couldn’t have children. That was too personal. “Not that I didn’t want them. I’m just glad I’m not putting them through a divorce and all the drama that goes with it.”
“I can understand that.” She opened the bag of chips and offered him one. “Do you miss her? I mean, are you still struggling with the separation? It sounds recent.”
Ah, he’d known it was coming. She just took longer than other women to begin the inquisition of his emotional availability. “No.” He chuckled and took a handful of chips, then eyed the ocean. Darkness spread across the sky. “You? Do you miss…”
“Joe. Yes. Not as much as three years ago, but I still do.” She took a few chips from the bag and nibbled on them. “Tell me, how big do you want to grow your company? Three or four boats?”
“In the beginning, but I hope to have a fleet by the time I’m done. I’ll run the biggest charter business in Florida.”
“In Summer Island?” She shook her head. “I told you that this is a small coastal town where families come. You won’t get that much business.”
“I plan on bringing business to this sleepy paradise. You know, mix things up a little bit.”
She stiffened, and her hand hung in the air with a chip near her lips, but she didn’t eat it. “Maybe we don’t want things mixed up around here. The residents might like it the way it is, the way it’s been for years.”
“Change can be a good thing.” He watched her squirm at his comment. This woman didn’t want anything to change. Perhaps after her divorce, she didn’t want to move on the way he had. “You’ve been through too much change already. Is that it?” Trevor understood that. He’d gone from big city to little town, married to divorced, big business to little dump all in a matter of months. But he would never let life pass him by without a fight.
“When it’s good change, I’m happy to accept it. I’m not sure that bringing in a bunch of spring breakers from high schools and colleges is a good change. Summer Island is all about community, family, and that special small beach town feel. I don’t want it to go commercial.”
“You own a souvenir shop. You should want more business.”
“It’s complicated.” She turned her attention to the beer at her side as if contemplating where the invention of a can came from.
“If you say so, but maybe if you gave it a chance you’d find that the extra business would be a good thing. You should want customers year-round instead of seasonally.”
“Now you sound like a man telling me how to run my business.” She shifted, an air of agitation showing in the way her lips tightened. It reminded him of Marsha before she lit into him about how he should be more giving like his secretary.
“Don’t compare me to your ex-husband. Not all men are the same, you know. You divorced, and now you need to move on.”
“Deceased.”
“What?” he asked, feeling shame seeping in around him.
“Deceased. My husband is dead. I’m not divorced. I’m a widow.”
Chapter
