One year later…

Parker stood outside the massive old building and smiled. The possibilities for improving the outside were endless. Inside, well, he’d get a look at it next. But for now, he rolled his ideas over in his mind as a light rain fell in the place he now called home.

Choosing the small town of Pride to start over and open his business in, had been an easy one. He had his Oregon contractor’s license and wanted to stay in his home state. He had spent almost three months driving up and down the coastline, looking for the right place. Then one day he’d gotten a flat tire on his new truck and had to pull off the highway.

The picturesque town with its small shops and beautiful old buildings had given him plenty to do that first day as he waited for the new tire to be put on his truck. He’d walked into the grocery store and fallen in love with the place.

He’d grabbed up every real estate flyer and brochure he could find. Within a month, he’d moved his belongings into a small cottage along the coast. The old owners had let him live in the house until the official closing date, which had been less than a week later. There were plenty things he had to do to fix up the place, but that made him love it even more.

One of the first things he’d done after settling in was create his own business flyer and post it in the grocery store, the library, and every other business in town. He’d spent a day walking around and talking to other business owners, getting to know the people of Pride.

Now, Clark’s Construction was officially open for business. He’d enjoyed his chat with the grocery store owner, Patty O’Neil, that first day. The older woman had eyed him up and down until finally she had smiled and slapped him on the shoulder and exclaimed that he’d fit right in.

After that, it had taken less than a week to start getting calls for small jobs. But this job would be his biggest to date.

Remodeling the Golden Oar restaurant would ensure that Clark’s Construction had a future in the town and, more importantly, that he did. He was even more determined to get the job after seeing the outside of the place.

After jotting down a few of his ideas for the outside of the family restaurant, he stepped through the double doors and glanced around. He’d come early for the meeting with Iian Jordan, the owner, so he could get a feel for the place first. Thankfully, it was between the lunch and dinner rush and the dining area was pretty much empty.

Most of the staff were nowhere to be found and there were only six customers in the entire place at the moment.

Inside the door, his mind instantly got to work assessing the place.

He immediately noticed the beautiful oil paintings that hung on every available wall space. The colorful paintings depicted violent, stormy oceans, peaceful water scenes, colorful sunsets, and fishermen on their boats. Some paintings had underwater cities with merpeople swimming in the background. All were tastefully done and brought charm and character to the environment.

There was a large stone fireplace near the back of the dining room. A wall of glass overlooked the calm waters of the Pacific, providing guests a shockingly beautiful view while they waited for their food. From where he stood, Parker could see all the way up the coastline.

The tables were set with candles, small flower vases, cloth napkins, and paper placemats. Fishing nets, oars, and other nautical items hung on the walls, giving the place character.

He walked further into the room and noticed the painting above the stone fireplace. The mermaid was beautiful. Her green eyes mesmerized him, drawing him closer.

She was poised as if she were daydreaming, staring off to some distant place as she ran a shell comb through the long blonde tresses that covered most of her ample chest. Her tail was a vibrant green that matched her eyes, which sparkled and caught his eye.

He had to tear his attention from the beauty when a hostess asked if she could seat him.

“No, thanks, I’ll just have a seat at the bar.” He nodded towards the bar across the room. There was a wall of glass between the main dining area and the bar, breaking up the flow of the room.

“If you need anything…” She smiled at him and went back to looking down at her phone.

The place was outdated, even if it was very well maintained. He estimated that it hadn’t been remodeled in over twenty years.

“Hi, what can I get you?” a pretty brunette bartender asked when he sat down. She was young, but that didn’t stop her from shooting flirtatious looks as she ran her eyes over him.

He’d still been scanning the restaurant and hadn’t really noticed her until she spoke.

“Water.” He smiled at her and set his binder down in front of him.

Seeing the name on the cover, she smiled. “You’re here to talk to my dad?” she asked.

His eyebrows shot up. “Iian Jordan?” he asked.

Her smile grew, and she leaned against the bar, her black halter top dipping dangerously lower. “Yup, that’s him. I’m Riley.” She held out a hand for him to take.

“Parker Clark.” He shook her hand easily. “It’s a lovely place your family has here.” He glanced around again, hoping that she’d get the hint that this was business.

“Thanks. I’ve been begging Dad for years to let us update it. Not that it isn’t great how my grandparents decorated it back in the Stone Age.” She chuckled. “But the younger population is slowly taking over Pride and we want more. You know?” She got him a bottled water from a small fridge and set it down in front of him.

There was no way she was twenty-one. He’d guess seventeen or eighteen, if he had to wager. Seeing the way she moved and talked, he’d bet she had practiced the flirtatious moves in the mirror plenty of times before using them on customers.

“Should you be bartending?” he asked as he opened his water.

She laughed and leaned against the bar again, making sure to position herself just right so her cleavage was on display. She was attractive, but much too young for him to even consider doing anything about it.

“I’ll be twenty-one someday.” She leaned closer. “Besides, who’s counting?” She winked, then her eyes moved past him, and her smile changed. “It looks like your meeting is going to start early.”

He turned and saw a very tall broad-shouldered man walk in. He had a frown on his face, and his eyes matched his daughter’s eyes perfectly.

“What do you think you’re doing?” the man said in a clear voice. He marched behind the bar and looked down at Riley. Parker had heard all about Iian Jordan from Patty.

“Getting Mr. Clark here some water.” Riley nodded to his bottle with a smile. “Parker Clark, my father, Iian Jordan.” She used sign language as she spoke to her father.

Parker stood and held out his hand for the man. There were several things he’d learned about Iian Jordan before agreeing to the meeting. One, the man was deaf. He’d read in one of the many interviews of the somewhat-famous chef that he had lost his hearing in a boating accident on his eighteenth birthday. He’d lost his father in the same accident. The second thing he’d learned from Patty was that Iian read lips very well. Lastly, he’d learned that he was very protective of his family, including his many nephews and nieces.

“Riley was very helpful,” Parker said as Iian reached across the bar and shook his hand.

“I wasn’t expecting you for half an hour yet,” Iian said easily.

“I wanted to come early and take a look around.” He made sure to face Iian when he spoke.

“Good.” Iian took his daughter’s shoulders and nudged her out from behind the bar.

“I’m sure Jacob needs your help in the back,” Iian said.

“Jacob can…” Riley stopped when Iian gave her a fatherly look. “It was nice to meet you.” Riley smiled in his direction.

They watched her go and when Iian turned back towards him, he sighed. “When did she grow up?” He motioned for Parker to take a seat at one of the booths.

Parker grabbed his binder and sat across from him. Iian Jordan didn’t look like he was old enough to be Riley’s father. There were streaks of silver along his temple and above his ears, but other than that, the man looked like he was in his early thirties.

“I hear you’re new to town?” Iian, much like his daughter, was sizing him up. He could tell the man was trying to gauge what kind of businessman he was.

“Yes,” he said and nodded as well.

“What brings you to Pride?”

“Work, hopefully.” He was evading answering completely, but he knew to keep his answers short. “It’s a picturesque town. I’d like to think I can make it even more beautiful.”

Something changed in Iian’s eyes and the man smiled. “I heard you helped Patty make some repairs in the back of the store.”

“Yes, she needed a new freezer put in and a utility sink in the butchery,” he answered.

Iian nodded. “I had a look at the job you did. I was impressed.”

“Thank you.” Parker smiled. “I’ve done a few other small jobs if you’d like more references?”

Iian shook his head. “No, why don’t you tell me what you have in mind for this place.” He nodded to the restaurant.

A little over an hour later, Parker walked back out of the building. He would have skipped, if he hadn’t been sure someone would see him. Instead, he did a quick fist pump once he was back inside his truck.

Iian Jordan’s handshake would have to do until the contracts and pricing were agreed on. Parker would be tied to his computer for the next week as he came up with the architectural design for his ideas. That was plenty of time to get the job done before his next meeting with Iian, where they would agree on exactly what was going to be done.

He made a quick stop at the grocery store for a few supplies to ensure that he didn’t starve when he locked himself away to work on the design.

He was walking on cloud nine as he made his way through the store. He was so focused on planning the remodel in his mind that he didn’t notice the woman until he bumped solidly into her.

The box of Ding Dongs that she had a hold of went flying up in the air as she reached out for something, anything, to steady herself.

He dropped his own basket of items and reached for her just as the box of chocolate cakes hit him squarely in the forehead.

When he finally felt steady again, the first thing he noticed was a pair of sexy sea-green eyes looking up at him.

He blinked a few times to try and clear his mind, but there, lying on the floor of the grocery store, was the sexy mermaid from above the fireplace at the Golden Oar. Anger filled her eyes, turning them an even darker shade of green.

* * *

Sara’s butt hurt, bad, as she glared up at the man who’d bumped into her. She’d been on her normal Saturday evening snack run and so focused on figuring out what movie she and her cousin Lilly were going to watch tonight that she hadn’t been paying attention. She and Lilly had been making their way through all the black-and-white classics her folks owned on DVD, and Sara was determined to get through each and every one of them by the beginning of summer.

She’d been so focused on making a decision that she hadn’t been paying attention at all. But she wasn’t going to tell that to tall, tan, and sexy, who was currently looking down at her like she was on the dessert menu.

“That hurt,” she complained as she continued to sit on the hard tile floor of aisle three.

Her words seemed to shake him out of the stupor he’d been in. He reached down for her just as she moved to stand up. Their foreheads collided, and she ended up back on the floor, this time grabbing her head instead of her ass.

“Damn it.” She hissed.

“My god.” Finally, he spoke. His voice was sexier than she’d imagined.

This time, he reached down, placed his hands under her arms firmly, and helped her stand up. He was taller than she’d thought. His hair was cut short, almost military style. The dark shirt he was wearing was tight around his muscular arms, making her mouth water instantly. She imagined briefly what it would feel like to be held in them.

“Are you okay?” he asked. His voice woke her from her daydreams.

She made a show of dusting off her black yoga pants, which made her remember how she was dressed. She tried not to groan at her attire. She straightened, threw her shoulders back, and tossed up her chin.

“Didn’t your mother ever teach you to watch where you’re going?” Why had she said that? God! She was being such a bitch.

Instead of getting offended, the man smiled at her. Slowly, he bent down and picked up the box of Ding Dongs she had grabbed.

“Maybe if you have these, you’ll give me a second chance at a first impression?” He handed her the box and she hugged it to her chest like a lifeline.

Her eyes narrowed. Why was he in such a good mood? She’d just thrown a box of Ding Dongs at his head, bumped him in the forehead, and yelled at him. He should be pissed, but instead, he was smiling at her like she was the best thing he’d seen all day.

“I can be cross when I’m hangry too,” he added as he picked up his own basket of items.

“I heard the crash.” Patty O’Neal came hobbling around the corner. The woman had once been very large, but when Sara was young, she’d lost almost all of the weight. In the past month she’d undergone full knee replacement on her left knee and was moving around better than before the surgery.

“We’re okay,” she told Patty, so the woman wouldn’t worry and slip on the tile floor and hurt herself. “Just had a bump in.” She walked past the man, still keeping an eye on him as she went by.

At the check-out stand, she wasn’t surprised to find the man behind her as she waited.

“I’m sorry,” he said after a moment. “I hope you’re not hurt.”

She turned slightly and glared at him. “No harm,” she finally admitted, her eyes running up and down him. When she spotted a red mark on his forehead from where the box of Ding Dongs had hit him, she winced.

“I’m Parker, by the way.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly at him. She’d never seen him before in town, and she knew everyone in Pride. Everyone.

“Visiting?” she asked.

“No, I moved here a little over a week ago,” he answered.

She tilted her head slightly and gauged him again. A newcomer. Questions flooded her mind.

“Sara!” Carol, the clerk, waved her ahead.

She handed the box of treats over and tried to ignore the new guy standing behind her. It was then that she realized she’d forgotten her purse in her Jeep.

“Can you just add that to my tab?”

“I’ve got this,” Parker jumped in. “Just add it to my bill.”

He handed her the box and started putting his own items onto the belt.

She sighed, feeling guilty for being cross with him. “Well, thanks,” she said and made a hasty retreat.

Jumping into her Jeep, she pulled open the box and shoved a treat into her mouth. Skipping lunch had been a bad idea. Especially after the early morning swim and the game of basketball with her cousins. She could never turn down Conner and Jacob. The boys looked so much like her favorite uncle, Iian, that she had too much of a soft spot for them. Besides, she loved a good sporting game and enjoyed trying to beat the brothers, even if she hadn’t had a chance in hell. The fact that they were both well over six foot and she stood a measly five foot five inches, like her mother, didn’t stop her from trying to whoop their asses on the court.

She was reaching for another treat when a knock on her window caused her to jump.

Parker stood outside her window, smiling at her.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

She shoved another treat into her mouth and nodded, then gave him a thumbs-up and started her Jeep.

As she drove away from the parking lot, she thought she heard him laughing.

Pulling into the house, she shoved the third cake into her mouth and finally felt human again. Okay, she really needed something other than a sugary snack to satisfy her. Her blood sugar had leveled off and now she wanted real food. Maybe she’d convince Lilly to order pizza.

Taking the box of treats with her, she walked up to the front door and didn’t bother with knocking.

“Lilly?” she called out.

“In the kitchen,” her cousin yelled back.

Where Sara was blonde with fair skin and sea-green eyes like her mother, Lilly had taken after her own mother, Sara’s aunt Lacey. Lilly’s thick, dark hair was something Sara had always loved, especially the slight curl it had. Sara’s own hair was straight and extremely fly-away.

Sara walked into the kitchen near the back of the house and smiled as her stomach growled.

“Pizza.” She walked over and sniffed the pepperoni pizza Lilly had just pulled from the oven.

“I’m starved,” Lilly said as she cut the pizza. “I thought we could have a pie while we watch Monkey Business.”

Sara laughed. “You read my mind, cousin.” She gave Lilly a hug as she reached across and snagged a slice of pizza. “I ran into someone new in town today,” she said, sitting down at the bar before biting into the slice.

“Oh? Is he cute?”

Sara shook her head. “No, cute is not a word I’d use.” She thought about how sexy Parker was. The man had gotten her juices flowing with just one look.

“Oh?” Lilly walked over and stood across from her, leaning on the counter as she nibbled on her pizza.

“Tall, tan, dark brown puppy-dog eyes, and sexy as hell.”

“Mmm, sounds like a perfect distraction.”

Sara chuckled. “I doubt Dylan would be happy to hear you say that.”

Lilly had secretly been in love with Dylan Bishop since the second grade.

“Dylan doesn’t even know that I’m alive.” Lilly sighed.

“That proves what you know and what you don’t.” Sara laughed at her cousin. She was looking forward to the rest of the night, and she tried to forget all about what a stranger had done to her in aisle three of the grocery store.