He worked with six women, and yet he hadn’t been able to get a date to the gala. He had female neighbors. A few lifelong friends that he could’ve asked. But he hadn’t. He hadn’t specifically been thinking about asking Shannon until he’d seen her crouched down in front of that flat tire.

  And while she was crumpled and sweaty—the first time he’d ever seen her that way—she was the most beautiful woman in the world in that moment. And the idea to ask her to the gala had entered his mind before he’d even asked her for help.

  “Morning, Flo,” he said, setting the coffee on the counter in front of his receptionist. Three women worked behind the desk, keeping the files, making the appointments, and working with the insurance companies. He had a nurse who spoke the kids before he did, and another therapist worked in the same office as him. Kelsie mostly did art therapy with the children as an additional step of their treatment. She had a nurse as well, and Sunny rounded out the six women Jeremiah worked with.

  Honestly, he could use a little testosterone sometimes. To get that, he went to the gym before work and afterward too. He worked out with a trainer in the morning, and he simply ran in the evenings.

  “Hercules is in your office,” Flo said. “He was so sweet with my grandson last night.”

  “I’m glad.” Jeremiah continued past the desk. “Did I beat Jerry in?”

  “Tiffany’s with him,” she said. “He’s been here maybe five minutes.”

  “And his mother didn’t come in?”

  “She’s next door,” Flo said as she shuffled some folders around. “She said her daughter is getting engaged soon, and she wanted to get some information.”

  “Hmm,” Jeremiah said, adding the information to his memory. Jerry was only eight, and he had five half-siblings from various relationships his mother had had over the years. She was not married to Jerry’s father and never had been. He had no full blood siblings, and he struggled to fit in anywhere, which had caused him problems at home, school, and church—and ultimately, led him to Jeremiah’s care.

  He set the rest of the coffee on the desk down the hall where the others would get it and headed for his office. Upon opening the door, he expected to see a giant yellow lab waiting for him, and he wasn’t disappointed.

  “Hey, Herc,” he said. “Did you have fun with Flo last night?”

  The dog’s tail started to thump the floor and Jeremiah ran his fingers down Hercules’s back. “I asked Shannon out today. Can you believe it?” He collapsed into the chair behind his desk and sighed.

  He pulled his phone out of his pocket and saw her text. Thanks for the ride.

  He assigned her name to the text, and he stared at his phone, wishing and hoping she’d text to say she was completely free on Saturday night. She didn’t, and he couldn’t even pretend to know what she did for Hope Sorensen.

  He did know Hope had been through four assistants in a year’s time before Shannon had showed up. She was a bit intense and demanding, but Shannon had stayed and seemingly thrived at Your Tidal Forever.

  Anytime, he tapped out and sent back. And if you need a ride home tonight too, just let me know.

  She didn’t text before Tiffany knocked on the door and said, “All right, Jerry. Go on in. Told you Hercules would be here.”

  The child entered and went straight to the lab, who sat there and let Jerry stroke him and play with his ears.

  “How are you today?” Jeremiah asked without getting up. Most of his sessions were informal, and he just spoke to a child while they played with the dog or while they did homework.

  “Fine,” Jerry said.

  “I didn’t see your mom in the waiting room.”

  “She went somewhere,” he said. “Said she’d be back before I was done.”

  “Tell me something good that happened this week,” Jeremiah said, thinking that if he was in therapy, he’d be going on and on about Shannon Bell, whose number he now had in his phone.

  When his midday appointment cancelled, Jeremiah sat in his office, looking out the window at the building next to his. Your Tidal Forever. Shannon was in there somewhere, and she still hadn’t answered him about a ride home. Or next Saturday.

  His stomach growled, and he wanted to text her and see if she had time for lunch. “She doesn’t even have time to send a text,” he muttered to himself, finally standing up. He wasn’t going to text her again. He might be desperate to see her again, talk to her, smell that wonderful scent of her hair and skin, but he wasn’t going to let her know.

  He’d been hiding his crush for a year. He could do it one more day.

  “Who wants to walk down to Manni’s for tacos?” he asked the receptionists. “I’m buying.”

  “I’ll go,” Michelle said. “I think these two are having a phone war.” She grinned at Flo and Janie, both women in their fifties. Sure enough, the phone rang, and Flo lunged for it at the same time Janie practically knocked the receiver off the cradle.

  “Doctor Yeates’ office,” Janie said, a triumphant smile on her face. Flo rubbed her knuckles, which had taken some force from the phone as it skidded across Janie’s desk.

  “Okay,” Jeremiah said brightly. “You and me, Michelle.” She worked on filing and insurance payments, which was a huge headache, Jeremiah knew. She was also closer to his age, with a boyfriend who worked out at the cattle ranch several miles outside the main part of the city.

  “Bring me back the tuna bites,” Flo said. “And Janie will want the mahi mahi, since it’s Monday.”

  “Monday special,” Jeremiah confirmed. “Tuna bites.” He and Michelle left the office, and though it was still March, the sun shone brightly over Getaway Bay. “So, how are things with Dan?”

  Michelle sighed, which meant they weren’t good. But Jeremiah said nothing. He didn’t analyze his employees—or anyone else that wasn’t paying him.

  “He’s going over to his mother’s again.”

  “Well, she’s been injured, hasn’t she?”

  “Oh, it was a pulled tendon in her foot,” Michelle said, like that was something simple that didn’t require any help.

  “So we’re not liking Dan.”

  “I just think he needs to cut the apron strings.”

  “I think it’s the mother that usually does that,” Jeremiah said, casting a quick glance to the front door of Your Tidal Forever as they walked by.

  “Oh, I forgot to tell you,” Michelle said, putting her hand on Jeremiah’s arm. “A woman came by about an hour ago when you were with Max. She said she doesn’t need a ride home, because she’ll be…out somewhere?”

  Jeremiah’s heart beat out of control. “Was it Shannon?”

  “Yeah, that’s what she said her name was.” Michelle smiled at him and tossed her long, sand-colored hair over her shoulders. “And they were going out to Petals and Leis to get flowers. I think.”

  “Okay,” Jeremiah said, his pulse settling back to normal. He trudged down the boardwalk that would take them to Manni’s and back, wondering when he’d be able to see Shannon again.

  And why hadn’t she just texted him that she didn’t need a ride?

  He frowned at the bluest sky in the world, thinking he probably better stuff his crush back into the box he’d been keeping it in for all these months.

  Chapter Three

  Shannon’s stomach grumbled at her as she watched Jeremiah walk by with the blonde woman she’d spoken to earlier. She hadn’t caught the woman’s name, and the way she touched Jeremiah’s arm suggested they might be together.

  Her eyebrows pulled together. “Then why did he ask you to the recognition dinner next Saturday?”

  And why hadn’t she answered him yet?

  “What?” Riley asked from a few feet away. Before Shannon could answer, Riley got up from her desk and approached the window where Shannon stood. She was waiting for Ash to finish up a dress consultation so they could go out to her husband’s flower farm.

  “Are you watching Doctor Yeates?” Riley’s voice held entirely too much surprise.

  “He asked me out this morning,” Shannon said in a near-whisper.

  Riley met her eye, and Shannon was so glad she had friends she could talk to about things like this. “And?”

  Shannon quickly relayed what had gone on that morning, then she shrugged. “And I don’t know. I haven’t answered him, though next Saturday is open.”

  “Why not?” Riley demanded. “He’s gorgeous, and he’s a doctor.”

  “Yeah, a doctor who analyzes people. I don’t need him…shrinking me up, you know?” Shannon wound her fingers around themselves. “So I don’t know.”

  “You think he’s going to ask you all kinds of questions?”

  “He already did, on the short drive here.”

  “What kind of questions?”

  “You know, siblings, if I grew up here.”

  “Oh, wow,” Riley said, with mock horror in her voice. “Definitely don’t go out with him. I mean, how dare he try to get to know you?” She giggled and quickly returned to her desk when a door opened.

  Charlotte, Hope, and Ash came spilling out of Charlotte’s office, along with a bride and her mother. Everyone was all smiles and white teeth, and Shannon stayed off to the side, out of the way. She had perfected blending in, only appearing at the exact moment Hope needed something.

  “So we’ll see you next month,” Hope said. “Thanks for coming in.”

  The bride and her mother left, and Ash handed an armful of dresses to Shannon. “Ready?”

  “Yep,” she said.

  “So you’re going to source the flowers for the Bower event,” Hope said.

  “Right,” Shannon said. “I’ll text you pictures of everything, and we can get this done today.”

  “I’ll keep my phone on.” Hope turned back to Charlotte, and the two women went back into the office they’d just come out of.

  Shannon turned to Riley, and said, “Bye, Rye. See you tomorrow.”

  “You’re not coming back?”

  “Not today,” Shannon said. “Vivian Bower wants flowers on everything, and we have to select blooms for the trellises, the altar, the table settings, the wedding party.” She looked at Ash. “It’ll take hours, right?”

  “At least,” Ash said. “And we’re stopping for lunch on the way, because I’m starving.” She stepped over to the door and pushed through it, letting in some of the Hawaiian heat.

  “Text me about the doctor,” Riley said, shooting a look toward Charlotte’s office, which still had the door open. Shannon watched it too, then she nodded and followed Ash outside.

  “The doctor?” Ash asked almost as soon as the door had closed behind Shannon.

  “How did you hear that?” she asked, sending a quick laugh into the air. “Riley practically whispered it.”

  “I hear everything,” Ash said with a laugh of her own. “So tell me about this doctor.”

  And since Shannon didn’t know what to do or how she felt, she laid it all out for Ash. She pulled into the parking lot at Petals & Leis with a “Wow, Shannon. You think too hard about stuff.”

  Shannon left the wedding dress samples in the back of Ash’s car and joined her on the sidewalk. “I do?”

  “Do you like this Jeremiah Yeates?”

  “I don’t even know him.”

  “But you’ve seen him around. You’ve spoken to him. He drove you to work today. Is he a nice guy? You could get to know him and not want to stab out your own eyeballs?”

  Shannon chuckled and said, “Of course.” He was a nice guy. Incredibly dressed. Tan and toned and totally datable.

  “Then you better text him that you’re available next Saturday, or he might ask that woman you saw him with on the boardwalk.” Ash gave her an encouraging smile. “I mean, he has to have a date, right? He can’t wait forever.” She pulled open the door and went inside the building.

  “Okay,” Shannon said. “All right. I can text him.”

  Ash laughed. “It’s a text, Shannon. It’s not a boxing match.” She paused and added, “Just don’t say you’re engaged when you’re not. Trust me, that is not worth it.”

  Shannon barely heard her, but she nodded anyway. “Okay, can I have a minute?”

  “Sure, I’ll go say hello to Burke.” Ash walked off in pursuit of her husband, and Shannon stared at Jeremiah’s messages on her phone.

  It might not be a boxing match, but it certainly felt like one. Because Shannon hadn’t been on a date—a real date—with a man in a very long time. Her schedule at Your Tidal Forever was insane, and she had the two cats, so she wasn’t terribly lonely. And she honestly didn’t know if she could trust a man again after what had happened with Richard.

  Her nerves seemed to be firing cannons, and she couldn’t get her thumbs to land on the right letters. She looked up and drew in a deep breath. “Come on, Shannon. You can do this. He isn’t going to know about Richard, and you don’t have to tell him.”

  The man was a doctor, yes. And yes, he was a child psychologist. But that didn’t make him a mind-reader.

  Saturday’s wide open. She read over the text. Did it sound desperate? She quickly deleted it and tried again with I am available Saturday night. Let me know the when, where, what, and how, and I’ll be there.

  Satisfied that her answer wasn’t over-eager, she tapped on the button to send it to him.

  Great, came back almost immediately. Did you get your car figured out?

  She groaned when she realized she hadn’t even had time to make a phone call since arriving at Your Tidal Forever. No, she tapped out. Could I possibly get a ride to work in the morning?

  Before she could lose her nerve, she hit send. After all, she had a number of girlfriends she could ask for a ride. She could call her father that evening and he’d let her borrow his car until hers was fixed. She could call a car service or take a taxi.

  But there was a growing part of Shannon Bell that wanted to get to know more about Doctor Jeremiah Yeates. So she sent the text, hoping he’d say yes.

  Of course, he said. You tell me what time to leave so we get the good spot in line at Roasted.

  Shannon giggled, quickly glancing over her shoulder to see who’d heard. But there was no one there, and she allowed herself a moment to bask in the glow of seeing Jeremiah again.

  Then she tapped out 8:20 is the best time to show up at Roasted. So come get me at 8:10.

  With another opportunity to be with Jeremiah, Shannon turned with a smile on her face and a bounce in her step that hadn’t been there before. Maybe this long afternoon of flower finding wouldn’t be so bad now.

  By the time Shannon kicked off her heels and closed her front door behind her, a headache pounded behind her eyes. Jean Luc purred around her calves, and she gave the orange tabby a quick pat before heading into the kitchen for painkillers and something to drink.

  Sure, she knew the orange soda she favored made her palette that of a ten-year-old, but she didn’t care. She loved the smooth taste of a melted popsicle as the carbonation burned her throat.

  After tossing back a handful of pills with several gulps of orange soda, she was feeling better already.

  Good thing too, because within moments of her collapsing on the couch, someone banged on her door. Her father proceeded to enter the house with, “Shannon? You home?”

  “Right here, Dad,” she said, falling back to the couch cushions. She didn’t need to get up to entertain her father.

  “I have Roy taking the car over to Larkin’s to get a new tire and a new spare.”

  Shannon managed a smile. “That’s great, Dad. Thanks so much.”

  “You okay?” Her dad peered at her with knowing eyes.

  “I’ve been home for about five minutes,” she said. “And it was just a long day.” Walking through flower fields should not happen in three-inch heels, but Shannon hadn’t had any other footwear. She leaned back and closed her eyes. “I’m fine. I just need some dinner, and I’ll be fine.”

  “I’ll call Mom.” As well-versed with technology as he was cars, her father called her mother and asked her to bring sushi.

  “Not sushi,” Shannon said. “If she’s going to Sea Street, I want something from Mama Chu’s.”

  Her dad related the message and hung up. “So, which wedding are we working on now? I thought all of your high-profile shindigs were done.”

  “They are,” Shannon said with a sigh. She opened her eyes to look at her dad. “All of the weddings at Your Tidal Forever are high-profile.” At least it felt that way. Hope wanted it that way. She wanted every bride to feel like they were the gold standard, even if they chose the least expensive package.

  “I’m not sure why you’re still there,” her dad said. “You could work for anyone on this island. Or open your own organizational consulting firm.”

  “I like working at Your Tidal Forever,” she said. The job was tiring, yes. A bit stressful at times. But Shannon got paid well, and she loved all the people she worked with. She couldn’t imagine leaving it for something else, striking out on her own or having to meet new people and make new friends.

  Fear bubbled up in her bloodstream just thinking about it. So she put on a smile and said, “Do you want coffee?”

  Her dad followed her into the kitchen, where she bustled around to make the brew and get out the flavored creamers she had. Then she went into her backyard and cut several lengths off her rose bush, replacing the old flowers on the island with the fresh ones.

  She pulled out her plates and mugs, and by the time her mother walked in with the food, Shannon’s headache was partially gone, and she hadn’t had to answer any more questions about why she stayed at a job that did leave her physically and mentally exhausted most days.

  But it was better than any alternative she could think of, and if her mind stayed busy, she didn’t have to think about why she’d left her old job and gone to Your Tidal Forever in the first place.

  The next morning, she felt like she had dozens of very hungry caterpillars eating their way through her insides. She couldn’t believe she’d asked Jeremiah for a ride, even if he was handsome and available.