That Secret Crush (Getting Lucky #3)(87)
“Mom told me. Said she wept on your shoulder while watching A Star Is Born . . . on a Friday night.”
“It’s getting pathetic. I don’t want to be home because I swear I can smell her all over the houseboat, and I’m too damn afraid to run into her while she’s on a date, so I go to Mom and Dad’s. That’s not a life I want.”
“Then what kind of life do you want?”
“One with Eve.”
“Yeah?” he asks, brows raised. “What are you saying?” He clasps his hands together and leans forward. “Please, please tell me you’re going to try to get her back.”
I stare up at the ceiling. “I don’t think I have any other choice. The restaurant is smooth sailing at this point. The menu is almost done and perfected, everything has been ordered, and all the marketing is underway.” I take a deep breath, my resolve solidifying. “I understand Eric’s concerns, but you’re right: he didn’t see us together; he doesn’t know how well we work together. And if Dad thinks we can handle being together while working at Knight and Port, then that’s all the validation I need.”
“Fuck, I’m so excited. So, how are you going to do it?”
“Get her back?” I ask. Brig nods. “That’s where I need your help. When we broke up, she told me she loved me, and I pretty much destroyed that love. I think I need to build it all back up. Not just the love but the trust—”
“The friendship. That’s what you need to focus on. That’s where you two thrived, and from there, when you think you’re truly in a good place again, that’s when you make your move. Do something grand, something that will take her breath away.”
I have the perfect idea for something grand, but I’m definitely going to have to work up to it.
“Don’t doubt yourself,” Brig says, growing serious. “Remember what the palm reader said—the curse won’t be broken until your mind has matured. Understand your self-worth, what you can offer her, and allow yourself to be the man she deserves.”
Well, shit, when did he become so profound? I sit up and stare, but he just smiles and shrugs.
“I’ve done a lot of reflection, and I know you better than I think you know yourself. You’re notorious for digging yourself into a hole with all your self-doubt, and from there, you sabotage everything around you. Don’t let that happen with Eve. You messed up three years ago, but you can’t keep letting the past affect your present—learn from it instead. You’ve grown, Reid. Acknowledge that and keep moving forward. Eve is the girl for you. We all know it. Now you just have to go win her heart back.” He hops to his feet and fist pumps the air.
Jesus.
Painfully romantic antics aside, Brig has cleared away the confusion that’s been clouding my head. I might not think I’m good enough for Eve. And I still have a lot of growing up to do. But one truth rings clear through my whole being: no one is going to love her as much as I do, and I want to spend every day of my life showing her just how much that is.
I’m not going to jump right into it, though. I can’t. I need to ease her back into my life until I think she’s ready, and then . . . oh fuck, and then I’m going to blow her away.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
EVE
“These floors are gorgeous,” I say, running my toe along the old, refurbished hardwood, which is stained in the same light-blond color as the Lobster Landing’s. “I can’t get over how perfectly imperfect they are. And the chairs with the basket weave seats pop against the white and red. Seriously, this place is an absolute dream.” I turn to Giselle as we walk through Knight and Port and glance down at my clipboard. “What else on the list needs to get done?”
“The kitchen still has some appliances to be installed, the tiling in the bathrooms needs to be finished, and all the fixtures need to be put in, but we’re getting close. Three more weeks and we should be ready to open.”
“I seriously can’t believe how hard and fast you worked.”
She smiles. “Mr. Knightly had an opening date set for the beginning of the tourist season, and he paid to make it happen.”
“I’m so impressed. And the loft—is the office ready?”
“Almost. We’re installing a few ceiling fans up there to push around the air, and the built-in shelves are almost finished, being sanded as we speak. Construction should be done in two weeks, and then you’ll have a week to make sure everything is in place.”
“Great. Wow.” I squeeze my clipboard to my chest. “This is . . . this is just so amazing. Thanks for meeting with me, Giselle.”
“Not a problem.” She takes a look at her watch. “I have to go meet Rogan at another property. I’ll be in touch, though.”
I give her a firm handshake, and we stride out of the restaurant. But as she walks to her car, I make my way toward the general store. The weather is starting to really warm up, and we’re at the precipice of tourist season, when hordes of people come flooding into our small town for fudge, harbor tours, and the little shops up and down Main Street. The soft opening looms before us, three weeks from today, and it will be our chance to work out all the kinks. I’ve been working really hard at getting a trio of highly sought-after restaurant bloggers to come and taste the food. It’s a long shot, but if I do manage to bring them to Knight and Port, it could be a huge boost to our presence. In the restaurant world, they’re as good as the Midas touch—whatever they recommend turns into pure gold. I haven’t told any of the guys yet because I don’t want to get their hopes up, nor do I want to make them nervous, so I’m keeping it to myself until I know for sure that they’re coming.