This Can't Be Love (Whispering Bay Romance 5)

“Crikey. Someone means business.” Sarah jumped from the bed and ran into the bathroom.

Luke stormed through the living room and threw back the front door.

“Surprise!” Ethan and Julie stood in the hallway. Ethan held a bottle of champagne—was that Dom Pérignon? And Julie had a box of donuts in her hands. From the look of smeared chocolate on her chin, she’d already eaten at least one.

Luke raked a hand through his hair. “What’s going on?”

Sarah came up beside him, barefoot. She wore shorts and a tank top and her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. “Oh my God, donuts!” She practically pulled Julie into the living room.

“Powers, you seriously need to check your phone, man.” Ethan walked through the living room and into the kitchen like he’d been there a thousand times before (because he had) and began opening up cabinets. “Where’re your champagne flutes?” he asked.

“Flutes? Isn’t that a musical instrument?”

“You need to speak Bachelor,” Julie said to Ethan, placing

the donut box on the countertop.

“Flutes are glasses that are specially made to drink champagne out of,” Ethan said slowly, like Luke was mentally incapacitated.

Sarah giggled. “They’re right here.” She reached up into a cabinet and pulled out four flutes (who knew that’s what those tall, skinny glasses were called?) and handed them off to Ethan, who promptly popped the champagne cork off the bottle and filled up three of the flutes.

The fourth flute, he poured to only about an inch. “Since it’s a special occasion,” he said handing that one off to Julie, who nodded in agreement.

The early morning hour and champagne could mean only one thing. They’d landed the Alaskan contract. “Are we celebrating what I think we are?” Luke asked.

“Patience,” Ethan said. He raised his glass to give a toast. “Fifteen years ago, on the first day of grad school, I met this guy,” he nodded at Luke, “and even though he thought he was the smartest person in the class, which,” Ethan paused dramatically, “he was, and even though he was a bit full of himself to the point that his head barely fit through the door, I took an instant liking to him.”

“Gee, thanks,” Luke said.

Both Julie and Sarah smiled patiently like they knew exactly where this was going.

“This guy, you see, had a vision. He wanted to make sure that marine construction was done right with respect to the environment. He dreamed of opening up his own company, of doing work he could be proud of, and, yes, making a damn good living at the same time. We talked about that company a lot. Mostly on Friday nights while drinking dollar beers at the pub.” He looked at Luke and they both grinned at the shared memory.

“After graduation, we went our separate ways for a while, but we always kept in touch. Then one day, he calls me and says, ‘Hey, I’m ready to go out on my own. What do you think? You and me?’ And I said, hell, yes. And Doyle and Powers Environmental Engineering Consultants was born.”

“You mean, Powers and Doyle?” Luke said.

“You say potato, I say potato, but whatever. It’s just a name.” Ethan’s brown eyes twinkled with mirth. “The thing is, for the last ten years, the company has been growing and we’ve done pretty well for ourselves. But last night, if either of us had bothered to check our phones, we got the news of our life.” There was another drawn out pause for added drama because Ethan could be a real showboat when he wanted. “We got the Alaska contract!”

Julie began to whoop. “To Luke and, of course, to my incredibly talented and humble husband! I love you, sweetheart!”

They all took a swig of the champagne and then Luke gave Ethan the expected manly slap on the back. Sarah watched them, smiling. “Congratulations,” she said. “I’m really happy for both of you.” She gave Ethan and Julie hugs. She looked at him, and for just a split second there was something in her eyes that Luke couldn’t make out, but then she reached out and gave him a big hug as well.

They’d done it. They’d gotten the contract. Powers and Doyle was about to expand to the west coast. It was everything Luke had been working so hard for these past few years. And yeah, sure, he felt great. Didn’t he? Of course he did. It was just too early in the morning to get excited about anything, that was all.

“I say we go out to breakfast and celebrate,” Luke said.

“I brought donuts.” Julie pointed to the box on the counter.

“Donuts are fabulous,” Sarah said. “But they aren’t breakfast.” She opened up the box and passed it around. “Help yourselves while I make us some real food.”

Julie took a donut. “Are you serious?”

“She is,” Luke said, catching Sarah’s gaze. Whatever he’d seen there before was gone, and was now replaced with what looked like complete and total happiness for him and Ethan.

She began pulling out pots and pans from the cabinets, eggs and cheese and other food items from his refrigerator. Huh. Where had all that come from? It must have been on the list she’d given the doorman on Friday.

“I want to help,” Julie said, looking on with interest.