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All morning, my stomach was in knots. I’d been with Norah. This was one of those things I couldn’t take back and if she decided to act as if it had never happened, there was a good chance I’d be completely destroyed. Naturally, this was what I was thinking about when I should’ve been concentrating on the waves. I wiped out hard, scraping my shoulder on the rocky bottom.

Spluttering and stinging from the pain, I recovered my board and paddled back to shore and ignored fellow surfers who rushed toward me to check on me. “I’m cool,” I muttered as I waved them away, making a beeline for my truck.

Since surfing hadn’t helped me at all, I decided to give up and go to work early. I might as well see what Norah had done, even if I wasn’t sure I could sit behind that desk without thinking of her. I drove home, dropped my board, showered off the ocean water, and dressed in a pair of khaki pants with a blue button-down shirt. I’d been told by other chicks I’d dated that I looked great in blue. Should Norah stop by, I wanted to be ready.

As I parked, I couldn’t help but glance at the café in the hope she might be lurking around. Unfortunately, she wasn’t and my gaze was met by her ex, Mark, who all but glared at me. Though I’m sure he imagined it would injure me in some way, it actually improved my mood. I grinned and waved as I unlocked the door to the bar.

I dragged myself to the office after grabbing a Coke. I’d been in there going through the notes Norah had made, the checklists she’d created, and the inventory sheets she’d started to make my life easier. Shaking my head in wonder, I leaned back and kicked my feet up on the desk and took a sip of my drink.

Apparently, I’d been so engrossed in what I was doing, I never heard the door, or footsteps until all of a sudden Max and my father were standing in front of me. I blinked a few times and choked on my drink. “Damn, dude.”

“Did you just ‘dude’ me?” my father asked, his perma-scowl deep on his face.

“Nah. That was all for Max.” I glared at my brother. My day was getting worse and worse.

“What are you doing here?” my brother asked.

I dropped my feet on the floor and leaned forward. “I work here,” I explained slowly.

Max sighed. “I know that. I hired you. I just don’t understand what you’re doing here now.”

“Oh.” I shrugged. “Grabbing a soda, getting some work done.”

“Why?” Max threw his hands in the air.

“Because it’s better than being dehydrated and I needed the caffeine.” I eyed him with some annoyance. “Shouldn’t you be on a honeymoon?”

He smirked. “We missed Penelope. We thought we’d come back early and check on things.”

“Right. You thought I’d mess up and wanted to come back and do damage control,” I grumbled. “Come on. Take a look.” I was still holding the papers in my hands. “As you can see, we’re keeping the place nice and neat. We could pass any inspection thrown at us…because if you have time to lean, you have time to clean.” My mind raced as I tried to share everything I’d learned from Norah.

“How the fuck did you manage this?” my father asked Max, talking completely over my head. “I could barely get him to go to work. You can’t get him to leave.” He shook his head, his frustration obvious.

Max eyed me while raking a hand through his hair. “Norah.” He reached out and snatched the papers from my hand.

“Hey!” I tried to take them back, but he turned away from me.

“I thought so.” Max grinned. “You’re smart.”

I shrugged. “She knows her stuff. I thought I’d put her talents to use.”

“Good job. Let’s see where we’re at.” Max motioned for us to follow him. He wandered around, examining the cleanliness. We moved on to inspect the stock room. He checked out the walk-ins. “What’s that?” He pointed to a box on a shelf. “That doesn’t look like it belongs here.”

I laughed. “Well, it’s only here because Hawk saved it.” I walked over and popped open the top. “This is your cake. He said you need it for your first anniversary.”

“Victoria will be pleased.” He blew out a breath. “I’m pleased.” Max nodded as he scanned the area. “I’m more than pleased. I’m proud of you, Bodhi.”

“Thank you.” I could feel my cheeks burning. “I still have a lot to learn,” I admitted quietly.

Max walked over and clapped me on the shoulder. “You do, but you know it. That’s always good. You’re open to learning. And clearly, you’re devoted to the bar.” He turned me to face him. “I’m proud of you.”

My jaw almost dropped open, but I somehow managed to hold it together. “Thank you.”

“I wonder if we could get Norah in here to help.” His brows peaked.

“I wonder too.” My shoulders sagged.

“Who’s this Norah who seems to have completely changed you?” My father wandered closer to join in the conversation.

“I don’t know.” I frowned.

“How do you not know?” my father growled.

I rubbed my forehead. “Well, I like her, but I don’t know what she is to me.”

“You just need to spend more time together. This is the perfect opportunity…working here.” Max grinned, confident he’d found the solution.

I shook my head. “She’s not sure she wants to work here.”

Max started to speak, but my father interrupted. “I know you. Somehow, you manage to get everything you want in this life. I may not agree with it, but if this makes you happy, if you want it bad enough, then you’ll find a way to get through to her.”

Inhaling sharply, I tried to hold it together. That was the nicest thing he’d ever said to me.