Seventeen Days (7 page)

Starting today, I have fourteen days to get inside her head. To break apart all her walls and help her find who she’s meant to be. Maybe it’s the fact I was almost her age when I lost my parents that I feel this need to help her. 

To know her.
To love her.
That thought surprises the fuck out of me. Love? I haven’t wanted to love a woman,
anyone
since my parents’ death. What makes Morgan special?  

Glancing at my bedside clock, I notice it’s way past time for me to get out of bed and be on my way. Thad is meeting me at the yacht in less than an hour. We have two tours lined up today and the first one leaves at seven AM sharp. Gentry and Steve will take out the second tour at nine. 

I should have exactly enough time to grab a quick shower. I’m hoping I can catch the guys before Thad and I set out for the day. I've still got to tell them about Morgan helping out around the office for a couple weeks. Let them know the no swearing rule for in front of customers goes for around her as well. They can curse like no one’s business. Morgan may have a colorful language all her own, but she doesn’t need to hear most of the things they talk about. 

They need to be warned about her being “hands off” as well. Steve is old enough to be her grandfather but the other two will hit on anything that walks. Thad can’t be trusted to not to get any ideas, and Gentry may be my best friend but he’s a dog. The way he treats women makes me question what kind of upbringing he had. If I didn’t know Steve—his dad—was such a stand-up guy, I’d never have trusted Gentry with the limited female customers we have pass through. They need to leave Morgan the fuck alone. If they even look at her wrong, I’ll go all caveman on their assess.
Possessive, much?

Growing up, my dad only had the one boat to run charters on, and two employees to help him. He opened Montgomery & Son the year after I was born. Hoping to one day share the business with me, and leave it to me when I was ready. He didn’t plan on a drunk driver taking him away before he was able to show me all the ropes. He had taken me out on tours on the weekends since I turned thirteen but never genuinely let me run anything on my own. Except for cleaning the day's catch.
That
he would let me do alone. 

While I went off to college to get my business degree, the building sat closed up, the boat in storage. At the time I left for school, I didn’t plan on opening the business back up to run one day. I had planned on selling it. Even went as far as to put it on the market only to change my mind once the first offer came in. I couldn’t sell my namesake, but I could try to turn it back into a thriving business.

So I did. And now, I plan on expanding for the second time in less than two years. 

Pulling into the parking lot at twenty minutes after six, I see I’ve beaten everyone here. Good, I can catch up on minor paperwork and make sure the coffeepot is set to brew for when Morgan gets in. So she’ll have fresh coffee and not make herself a pot of sludge. After quickly setting it to brew for her, I check the email to see if any inquires came in overnight. 

When Thad walks in fifteen minutes later, I glance up to see Steve pulling into the lot. Two are better than none. I’ll let them both know about the new temporary rules and then take Thad and be on our way. I’m sure our customers will be here in a few minutes. Good thing they’re repeat customers or I’d have to go over every rule with them … and have had them here a good thirty minutes earlier. But it’s the Henderson’s, and they go out at least once a month. 

“Hey, boss man, how’s it going?” Steve asks while walking in the door. Thad gives me a slight head nod while walking straight for the empty coffeepot. Must’ve been a rough morning. Join the club, bud. 

“Starting this morning, we have a new employee. She’ll be here for the next two weeks while Dave is off tending to his mother. If he’s not back in two weeks, I’ll find another temp to fill his shoes. Until then, no cussing in front of her, even if she cusses at you, and she probably will cuss at you. Treat her like the lady she is. Her name is Morgan, she’s Savannah’s niece from up north. I don’t want
you
getting ideas in your head—” I point directly at Thad
“—so hands off
.” 

Not leaving any place for argument, I stand up, grab my hat, and motion for Thad to follow me out the door.

“Have a good day, Steve. Please let Gentry know about Morgan; she’ll be here at eight. Introduce yourselves and be nice. She’s a feisty one, but she
should
be on her best behavior. Good luck on your tour.”

“Will do. Want me to pass along the ‘hands off’ message as well?”
Hell yes, I do.
“Knowing my son, he’ll overlook it anyway. You know how he is. Although, the one we need to worry about is the dickweed right over there.” He points to Thad to get the point across. There’s no love lost among those two, which is why Thad is always out with me or Gentry. I swear most days these guys are worse than a couple of two-year-olds fighting over the shiniest toy. If Thad wasn’t such a hard worker, I never would’ve hired him. Steve was here since Pops opened the place. Hiring Gentry was easy—he practically grew up here like me.

“Who you calling a dickweed, Salty?” He’s stopped in his tracks and is in Steve’s face. 

Walking over to step in-between them, I shove at Thad, pushing him toward the door. 

“It’s too early to hear you two go at it, plus we’re needed at the dock. Go get the coolers ready.” Shaking my head, I turn back to Steve. “I don’t know why you two can’t get along. It was over two years ago. Y’all should get over it already.”

Not waiting for him to reply, I make my way out to the dock. This day has barely started, and I already wish it were over.

Aunt Savannah wasn’t surprised in the least when I told her about the job last evening. She must’ve known ahead of time Harrison was going to offer it to me. I still wonder why he knows his way around her house like he does. He
has
to be more than merely her neighbor. 

Asking her to drive me in every morning was easier than I thought. Things are … weird between us. 

“I’ll pick you up at six, okay?” she asks as I exit her truck. We haven’t said one word to each other this morning. It’s like we can’t seem to find any common ground. Maybe I should ask her why she has never made an effort to have me in her life? I’d love to know the answer. She doesn’t seem anything like Sienna. My bitch of a mother is probably the whole reason she hasn’t kept in contact. 

“No, you don’t have to pick me up. Harrison said he’d bring me home every night so you don’t have to drive out here to grab me. Guess it makes sense, since he lives so close and all.” 

Not giving her a chance to reply, I all but slam the door in her face. 

Rolling the window down, she scolds me before taking off, “That wasn’t very nice, young lady. I
may
have had more to say. I’ll hold dinner for you. Do try to have a nice day. You should try smiling. It may make you a few friends.” 

Hmm. Maybe I should
try
to have a relationship with her. Since I decided to let Harrison in, I guess I could let her in a bit as well. It’s not like I’d give her too much false hope if she knows up front my plans for not keeping in contact once I go home. 

Harrison knows and still kissed me. Opened up to me a bit as well. It did feel good to tell him what I did, and last night was the first night I can recall where I didn’t wake up in a sweat. 

Sienna may have stolen my childhood, but she won’t steal my future. 

I’ll learn to stand on my own. 

Harrison thinks I’ve been blinded to the world around me, but he couldn’t be more wrong. I’ve seen how awful people can be. I’ve met the monsters in the worst nightmares. My mother is one of them. She’s the most awful, vile person. She’s always tried to mold me into the perfect version of her she could. She sees her flaws in me and tries to perfect them. Instead of loving me. 

Hair not the right shade of red? Dye it.

Lips not full enough? Inject them. 

Waist not a perfect size two? She’d insist on me going on a liquid diet for a week. If she knew I was now in a size eight, I think she’d have a stroke. Luckily, she stopped tracking my weight around a year ago. 

I
will not
let her win. 

I will learn to be
strong.

Walking into the office, I notice a man with graying hair out near the smaller one of Harrison's boats. It better not be a customer; I’m not fully prepared to deal with any yet.
Please let him be one of the employees.
Although, they’re not supposed to be here till closer to nine, and it’s barely eight. 

The smell of coffee surrounds me once I enter the office. I’m surprised to see a note left sitting near the coffee pot. 

“So you don’t make yourself a pot of sludge. - H”

Laughing, I grab a mug and pour myself a cup. I’ll have to remember to thank him for the coffee later. 

As I’m taking my first blissful sip, the man I noticed outside enters the office. He grabs a mug and makes himself at home at the chair in front of the desk. 

“You Morgan?” he asks.

“Yes, sir, I am. And you are?” Since he grabbed a cup of coffee and seems to be comfy here, I assume he isn't a customer, therefore I see no need to be
sweet
. Straightforward should work.

“The name’s Steve. The ugly guy out near the dock now is Gentry. He’s my son. Together, we run the smaller of the boats out on fishing tours.” Offering his hand, I reach out to gingerly shake it. 

“Pleasure to meet you, young lady.” 

Hmm. Since he was nice, I guess I
should
be nice back. After all, I did tell Harrison I’m not actually a bitch. And I meant it.
Mostly.
 

“Harrison informed me yesterday when he ‘showed me the ropes’, so to speak. He spoke highly of you.” That’s not exactly true, but he doesn’t need to know how I didn’t know his name until he told me. We never got around to him telling me who worked here and who didn’t. He barely told me how to answer the phone, how to schedule tours, the costs, and what type of fish is in season. “I’ll only be here for a couple of weeks, as I plan on going back to New York as soon as possible. Is there anything I can help with this morning? Ya know, before you go out?” 

Please say no.

“No, ma’am, we’re all set. We’re waiting on the customers to get here. I’ll go grab Gentry and have him come in to meet ya. He’s filling up the coolers with ice for their catch. If
you
need any help, keep me posted.” He stands to leave and tips his hat. “Oh, before I leave, if anyone calls and requests a tour with ‘Salty’, that’d be me.” 

Honestly? That’s his nickname?
Wonder if Harrison gave it to him, since he’s fond of giving people nicknames and all. 

“Salty? Do I want to know what it stands for? Like for instance, do you taste like salt?” Honestly can’t figure out how he’d come to be known by such a nickname.
Salty Steve
— thinking it like that makes me giggle, making sure to quickly stifle it down and hoping he didn’t see, but really …
Salty
? 

His face has turned beet red, but then a loud guffaw escapes. He’s laughing awfully hard and can barely catch his breath. In turn, it only causes him to fall back into his chair. Unable to help it, I find myself laughing along with him. I don’t remember the last time I laughed this hard. His expression, red face, and reaction make me want to laugh all morning. 

“Do I taste Salty? That’s a good one, girl.” In-between laughs, he manages to tell me how Salty is mostly a sea term used for someone who’s “grumpy”.
Good to know.
Although, he doesn’t strike me as the grumpy type. 

He’s still laughing when a man with hair almost as dark as Harrison’s walks in the back door, “Hey, ol’ man, you about ready in here? The customers are starting to pull in, and we have a couple of greenbacks in this tour who are going to need all the instru—” it’s then he notices me “—ctions,” he finishes while stumbling over his words. 

There’s no way this is Gentry, I mean, I know it
is,
but I don’t want it to be. A little warning about his drop-dead gorgeous good looks would have been nice.
And I thought Harrison was sexy.
His voice alone I'm sure has dropped panties all over this state. Add in the fact about dark hair being my downfall, and oh my. If he has light eyes, I’m a goner for sure. I may have a thing for Harrison’s dark hair, gray eyes, and cowboy hat, but this guy screams trouble, and he’s exactly the type I’d typically find myself tangled up with. Besides, did I agree to seeing Harrison? Nope, I
may
have agreed to work for him and let him in casually.
Right?
Riiiight. This dude is flashing me a megawatt smile, and it’s like a beacon telling me he’s game for a fling if I’m willing.

He should be wearing a neon sign flashing “Bad Boy”.

Salty manages to stop his laughing long enough to stand back, up. “Son, this is Morgan. Morgan, this is Gentry, my son.”  When he mentioned the ugly guy outside, I honestly thought he meant Gentry was ugly. Shit, he’s as far from ugly as can be. Good thing they can’t read my thoughts. 

“Um. Hey, nice to meet you. I’m taking over while Dave is out for a couple of weeks. His mom is sick, or something,” I mumble. Yup, I literally flat out mumbled.
Attractive, Morgan.