Page 5

She moved back from the tide line, away from the wet packed sand, and plopped down on her backside. The sand would be hard enough on her dress, she didn’t want to return to the Inn with a damp backside as well.

“Fine,” she confessed when he followed. “I’m not okay and it’s terribly embarrassing.”

She had definitely hit a new low if she was ready to spill the entire mess to this particular man. This wasn’t a simple business dilemma. Well, not entirely. And she was so frustrated. Handling it alone had been one failure after another. For a woman used to winning, it was dreadful.

Rhett was an idea man. Maybe he could help her find a solution. She certainly hadn’t found one on her own.

“My parents have been sending over qualified men.” She put those last two words in air quotes. “They are determined to marry me off this year.” Plus, they’d made it clear that until she married a man they approved of, she wouldn’t get her full share from the family business. Yes, it was her birthright, but she hadn’t been sure the strict conditions were worth it. Now, with the next man due to arrive any day, she didn’t care if they cut her off entirely.

Rhett sat down in the sand near her. Not close enough to touch her, yet his presence crowded her, invading her personal space. She would’ve sworn she felt the heat from his body.

Worse, she seemed to be enjoying it.

“Harper and I were commiserating over the situation before she got engaged to Knox. And with our fathers being such good friends, suddenly they’re convinced they know just the kind of man I need.”

Rhett frowned. “But my dad didn’t set up Harper and Knox.”

“I’m aware. The timing is the issue. My parents are convinced my biological clock is ticking and with all the focus on Harper’s upcoming wedding…”

“Oh.”

“Exactly.” She was grateful she didn’t need to spell it out in all the gory detail. “I like Knox,” she mused. “It was my understanding that he would’ve been the last person anyone would choose for Harper.”

Rhett grunted. “Guess it’s good she got to choose for herself.”

That observation struck too sharply. “Well, I think they’re good together.”

“Harper’s happier than I’ve seen her in years,” he said. “That’s what matters.” He leaned back on his hands. “It’s been years since I’ve spent any time with your parents, but this kind of pressure seems out of character. Are you sure they’re serious?”

“I am.” She swallowed against the sting of more tears. “Two candidates have already come and gone. The third will be here in a couple of days.”

He sat up. “What the hell?”

She jerked at his sudden outburst. “You were at the Inn the day the first one arrived.”

The shadows only added drama to the scowl on his face. “I need more details.”

“The first week your family had brunch at the Inn,” she said.

“Hang on. You’re talking about that guy who was following you around like a lost puppy? I thought he was an intern. His suit was too tight. Definitely over-tailored.”

She gaped at him for a beat and then cackled. “Antonio. He’d be dreadfully offended to hear you say that.” She pressed her fingers to her lips, but another giggle burst free. “Oh, but it’s simply the best. I want to tell him so badly.”

“Because you want to offend him?”

“Yes. Desperately,” she admitted. She sat up on her knees, scooted closer. “Antonio is one of the most condescending men I’ve met in my life. He’s a vice-president of something or other in the family management company.” She tucked a wayward curl behind her ear. “He was shocked that America hadn’t turned me into a troll. I can only imagine what my parents told him,” she muttered. “For three days he trailed after me giving me tips to improve our systems and efficiency.”

Now Rhett laughed. Turning toward her, he propped one hand on his knee, curling his fingers into a fist. “I was so annoyed that weekend after the arson issues at the resort, having my family turn to you for help. I stalked around town, primed to jump into a fight with anyone. Not the most constructive outlet outside of a boxing ring. If you’d given me a sign, I would’ve taken him down a peg or two.”

This was a side of him she’d never seen. “If only I’d known,” she said with dramatic wistfulness. “Somehow, I managed to dissuade him all by myself. No fighting required.”

“Too bad for me.” He laughed. “Was Bachelor Number Two more of the same?”

“Yes. He literally did a double take when he saw me.” A pinch around her heart couldn’t be ignored. “My parents mean well.” She had to keep believing that or give in to despair. “They have no idea how our generation thinks. They don’t realize that by recruiting men to date me, those same men assume there must be somethingwrongwith me that interferes with my romantic pursuits.”

Admittedly, she did have some specific trust issues that kept her single. But shelikedher life. Unlike her parents, she wasn’t convinced marriage was necessary for a life to feel complete.

“Pursuits? You sound like someone who stepped out of the past. Who talks like that anymore?”