In Too Deep (A Texas Beach Town Romance 1)

Nothing today can bring me down.

Even Rico notices, since we both work today. “You’ve got some pep in your step.” He lifts an eyebrow, coming up to my table next to me. “Are you excited about your eval? I’m certain it’s a two dollar raise at the very minimum.”

“You think it’ll be that much?” I can’t stop grinning. “I don’t know. Seems like a lot.”

“You deserve a lot, my friend.”

His encouragement means everything to me. “Thanks for being such a great friend, Rico. I know I’ve been insufferable this week, all Kent-obsessed, but—”

“Actually, I find it rather inspiring.” He gives me a coy smile. “I might or might not have set myself up a date for tonight after work. Cute guy in the Heights, used to live in the Montrose area. Sweet, intelligent, looking for something more … serious.”

I eye Rico. “Really?”

“Yep.” He shrugs. “Maybe it’ll be a total failure, but hey, I’ll never know unless I try, right?”

It’s a great addendum to my mantra.

My life’s gonna change.

I’ll never know unless I try.

It’s those words that wrap around me like armor as I enter my boss’s office. “Mr. Lachlan,” he greets me. He’s dressed in a crisp navy blue suit and tie. “Come in and sit. I’ve got just a few minutes here before my conference call with the corporate office, so I thought we could go over your yearly performance eval and have a talk.”

“Perfect!” I sit in the chair in front of his desk. “That’s great, because I wanted to bring up a few things on my mind lately. Namely my schedule, as well as a tiny request regarding my paid-time-off. Oh, I’m getting way too ahead of myself,” I realize with a nervous laugh. “I haven’t even heard how much my raise is yet.”

My boss’s face sinks. “Mr. Lachlan.”

I notice his change of tone. “Sir?”

“I … regret to inform you that the, um …” He shuffles a few papers on his desk, appearing uncomfortable. “Well, there’s really no easy way to say it. It’s not been a good year for the company. Several stores have closed across the country, and dozens of employees have had to be let go. Thankfully our humble store is open, but—”

“You’re letting me go?” I ask, stunned.

He lifts up his hands. “No, no, no! I was about to say that thankfully, we won’t need to make any cuts to our staff here at store 105.”

“Oh! Phew!” I laugh with my instant relief. “You had me worried there for a second!”

“Yes, but … I’m afraid it means I can’t offer you a raise this year.”

My laughter fades.

What …?

“I’m truly sorry,” he tells me, folding his hands on the mess of paperwork on his desk and leaning forward. “I’ve been regretting this conversation all day, truly. I hate to disappoint you, since you’re such a valued member of our team here, but unfortunately, this same conversation is happening at many stores right now. It just simply isn’t in the budget right now to give anyone a raise.”

My eyes drop to his hands, all the air knocked out of me. For some reason, I focus on his wedding ring, and his expensive watch, and the shiny cufflink on his sleeve. I’m not sure why, but my whole world becomes those three shiny items suddenly.

As well as the sound of my pulse throbbing in my ears.

How quickly a day can change.

“… and really, I wish I had better news, but it seems as if we’re going to be working long hours through the whole summer, too, including the rest of this month and July …”

I feel my hope shrinking away.

The weekends fading.

The days and the nights, squeezing together.

The crunching of the clock, ticking away, stealing my life one twitch of the minute hand at a time.

Kent, fading away.

Dreamwood Isle, fading away.

“… and if I’m being perfectly honest, I wish I could do something about this, but so much of it is out of my hands and, well, I don’t imagine you’ll be the only one who …”

What am I doing here?

What is all of this for?

Who am I kidding?

“Jonah?”

I look up at my boss. He’s stopped talking.

“Jonah? Do you … have something you’d like to say?”

Just then, the office door opens, and Rico pokes his head in. “I’m so sorry to interrupt, but there’s a customer out here who needs a manager. She’s very … irate. Can I steal Jonah—er, I mean—Mr. Lachlan for a sec?”

The room hangs in suspense. Rico at the door. My boss at his desk. Apparently an irate lady at the counter. Me, glued to this chair, bound by chains I can’t see, a weight of indignation and sorrow on my chest, a thousand pounds of unsatisfied longing in my heart.

I stare into my boss’s eyes. They’re not unkind. I might even say they’re friendly. Polite. Well-meaning.