Worth Fighting For (Hope Harbor Book 4) Read online

  She made her way to her car, absorbing the buzz of excitement building among the other passengers but dismayed that she couldn’t feel the same level of joy at being here. It was a tiny island with very little to do and if the Trip Advisor reviews were to be believed, it had sketchy internet service dependent on the weather. Like that was going to be helpful to keep an eye on her business.

  It’d been so long since she’d had a proper holiday, Mia didn’t know if she was going to be able to muster up the will to enjoy it. Not with her job on the line.

  She slid into her seat and pulled on her seatbelt, pushing the buckle in with more force than necessary. The ferry slowed as it came around the point of the harbor. Its hull shuddered as the engines slowed and it eased into the wharf giving her a better view of the small harbor town.

  Mia looked past the ferry building. The winding road above the harbor caught her eye and she picked out a few homes with uninterrupted views over the ocean, views that would be simply stunning. Maybe jogging up that steep road would burn off some of her stored up frustration.

  The ferry bumped into the wharf and the ramp creaked as they lowered it down. Mia slowly followed the other cars off the ferry and pulled over at the information center to find directions to where she was staying, annoyed that she hadn’t already printed off directions before she’d left home. She parked and wandered over to the small shop. A bell chimed as she opened the door.

  A cheery voice greeted her. “Good afternoon. Welcome to Hope Island.”

  Mia glanced at the super cheerful woman behind the counter whose bottle-blonde hair stuck out in all directions, styled with enough gel to be dangerous. Her colorful patchwork overalls screamed against the neon tie-dyed T-shirt she wore underneath. Mia had arrived at Hippie Central. “Hello and thank you.”

  “Looking for something to entertain yourself? I can suggest plenty or you can help yourself to any of the brochures in this display. If you want to send a postcard to loved ones showing how gorgeous our island is, we have plenty to choose from here. Lots to keep you busy and active unless you’re looking to relax.”

  Relaxing wasn’t on her agenda unless she counted sitting with her feet up on a lounger while she searched for new products. “Thank you, but I’m looking for Matt Hope’s bed and breakfast. I believe it’s on Point Piper Road. I wondered if you could give me directions.”

  “It is, I can, and you can see it from here.” The woman swiveled in her chair and pointed out the window behind her. “Follow the road behind this building up the hill. See that fabulous gray and white house overlooking the harbor?”

  “The Victorian one with the turret room?”

  “Yep. That’s Matt’s place. Hope you enjoy your stay and if you’re looking for activities or places of interest, come back and see me. Name’s Olive. I’ll point you in the right direction.”

  “Thanks, Olive. Much appreciated.”

  “Plenty to do on the island if you put your mind to it. Of course, lots of city folk don’t go for the walking paths and the quiet bush tracks, but a fit young lady like you would probably enjoy that kind of thing. I have maps of all the walking paths and the beaches too. Save you getting lost and missing anything of interest.”

  “I’ll be sure to come back and see you once I get settled.” Mia thanked her again, wandered back out to her car, and took the time to look around the harbor. Pretty hanging baskets graced the veranda of the shops facing the water. Spring flowers dripped over their edges with a riot of color in shades of bright red and pink she never would’ve put together herself but seemed to work here in this setting.

  Next door, a giant red and white barber’s pole stood beside a display of hand-made sweets, and close by, she noticed a bakery with a delightful arrangement of cakes in the window. It was getting late in the day so she would explore the village more tomorrow. With a resigned sigh, she got back into her car and followed the road to the pretty house that would be her prison for the next four weeks.

  Mia followed a sign to the parking lot at the back of the Victorian and pulled up near a clipped hedge of Japanese Boxwood. When she got out of the car, her shoes crunched down on crushed shells.

  She heard a door open and then bang shut, followed by footsteps. “Hi there.”

  Mia looked up and faltered. She was expecting an elderly man with a cable sweater and a cat to meet her, not a handsome young guy with a neatly trimmed beard and a man bun. His smile was enough to melt her resolve to go home. There was something warm and inviting in the way he looked at her. As if she was the most important guest he’d had in ages and her presence here made his day.

  She was so out of touch if this was the new kind of bed and breakfast owner. She stopped staring and held out her hand. “Hi. I’m Mia Morgan. I have a reservation.”

  “I know. I recognized you.” He gave her an even bigger smile, slightly lopsided which made her heart flutter in a way she hadn’t experienced before, and stepped forward, his hand taking hers. “I’m Matt Hope, the owner of this fine establishment. Welcome to Hope Island.”

  She shook his hand, slightly shaken by the way his warm palm engulfed hers, and she looked out over the ocean trying to regain her composure. “It’s rather breathtaking, isn’t it?”

  He stood beside her, hands tucked into the pockets of his faded blue jeans. “We think so.” He gave a satisfied sigh and grinned down at her. “But I was born and raised here, so I can’t think of any better place to live.”

  How could he look so pleased with his lot in life stuck out here in the ocean, so far away from the real world? Not being able to see the mainland gave her the jitters. The ferry tooted its horn as it pulled away from the wharf and Mia felt the connection with the mainland snap—an almost painful experience.

  “Don’t you get sick of the quiet?” All she could hear were the bees in the abundant gardens, the faint laugh of a child somewhere in the distance, and the soft crash of waves on the beach interspersed with the occasional cry of the seagulls.

  He burst out laughing. “Are you kidding? Every time I go to the mainland, all I want to do is high tail it back here.” Matt smiled, deepening the dimples in his cheeks. “The pace over there is too fast for me. Give me island life any day.”

  She could imagine herself slowly withering away and dying in a place this desolate. “We’re totally opposite then. I can’t imagine living somewhere like this for more than a few days.”

  “Give the island a chance. It might surprise you.”

  I’m sure it will, but I doubt it’ll be in a good way. She opened the trunk of her car and Matt hurried forward to take her suitcase. Mia grabbed her laptop case and followed him up the path.

  * * *

  “You’re going to love it once you get used to the island way of life. Seriously, it’s wonderful once you give yourself permission to enjoy it.”

  She stared at him with doubt in her eyes. Now he had to prove he was right. “Come on in and I’ll make you some coffee and then I can show you to your room.” He held the kitchen door open for her and put the suitcase down on the polished wooden floors just inside the door. He pointed to the old glass and timber door to his right. “Mudroom and laundry through there. You can leave anything dirty or wet in there for me to take care of. Plus you’ll find sun hats, umbrellas, and coats for guests use in there too.” He moved over to his big kitchen island and waved a hand around the room.

  “You’re welcome to help yourself to anything in here; make yourself at home.” Matt was immensely proud of the kitchen. It was the hub of his business as far as he was concerned and the room that he’d spent the most money on restoring and updating before he opened the doors to business. “Coffee?”

  “Sure, why not.” She wandered around, touching items, picking up the odd one. “I recognize some of these things.” Mia held a little iron pig, one of Matt’s favorites.

  “So you should. I’ve bought lots of things from your business.” And hopefully he’d buy a lot more in the future if her holiday
worked out the way it was supposed to.

  A shadow crossed over her face. “What’s your connection to my uncle?”

  “My father, Atticus Hope, who you’ll meet at some point, came down and told me you were coming to stay for a month. He’s friends with your uncle. Apparently they’ve known each other through business for years and are quite friendly. Dad suggested my place because it’s a bit quiet this time of year and I have room available. That’s about all I know or need to know.”

  She nodded and put the ornament down, moved to another shelf, and rearranged a couple of items.

  “Cream and sugar?” Matt put her cup on the solid wooden island.

  “No, thanks. Black is perfect.”

  “Great. Can I get you anything else? A muffin maybe. I have blueberry ones I made fresh this morning.”

  She smiled and tilted her head. “You really are the man behind the business, aren’t you? When you walked out, I was surprised. I was expecting someone older.”

  He grinned and Mia blushed. “You mean a tweed-wearing lady with a houseful of cats? Sorry if I didn’t meet your expectations.” He made himself a coffee, pulled down a cake tin, and perched on one of the stools. While watching her explore his kitchen, he opened the tin and put out a couple of muffins on a small stone slab plate before pushing it over to her cup.

  “Sorry. That’s sexist and judgmental. I didn’t mean it to be. I was surprised, more than anything, to see a young person greeting me.”

  He shrugged. Lots of people were surprised he was the owner of the business. Even more surprised when he showed off his expertise in the kitchen. “That’s okay. I’m used to it. Doesn’t bother me.”

  She came to the shelf of shells he’d collected over the years and touched them as if to rearrange them but changed her mind. Mia smiled and walked over to sit beside him.

  She sipped her coffee. “That’s good coffee. Thanks, I needed this caffeine hit.”

  Ah, thank goodness. His coffee had lived up to her expectations – a key to a relaxing trip, especially when you were a CEO, he imagined. “What’s it like, being the brains of Morgan’s Homewares?”

  Mia screwed up her mouth, the freckles on her nose meeting until she relaxed. “Exciting. Busy. Sometimes downright scary. But it’s been an amazing adventure.”

  Matt could only imagine. “What made you get into it? There must have been something that gave you that a-ha moment.”

  She gave him a whimsical smile and focused on him. “I don’t know. I guess it was a gradual thing. Even as a little girl I organized my toys into order by color. I hated mismatched colors even back then. Everything had to be symmetrical too—something I’ve softened on over the years. But I do remember being in my mom’s kitchen one day and telling her she should arrange her shelves better.” A wistful smile touched her lips and her eyes softened. “She asked me what I meant and I showed her.”

  So all of this styling came naturally to her. Interesting. “How old were you, Mia?”

  “Seven. I was seven years old.”

  “That’s amazing that you figured it out so young.”

  “How about you? What made you want to run a bed and breakfast?”

  “To be honest, I hadn’t actually thought much about it when I was that young. I was more interested in building things and making something new out of something old. No, it took me forever to figure out what I wanted to do. It wasn’t until this house came on the market that I knew I had to have it so I could put my skills to good use. Once I’d decided, everything fell into place and here we are.”

  She glanced around the kitchen. “It’s a beautiful house. And you’ve decorated it so nicely too. You even have my handles on your cabinets and some of my light fixtures too. They make it very cozy and welcoming while slightly modern as well. It’s a very functional and stylish kitchen.”

  “Thanks. I read every article I could find about design and refurbishing old furniture to get the look I wanted. Plus I followed your blog to get ideas. If I could’ve tempted you over here, I’d have asked you to style the house for me. I figured you didn’t do that.”

  “Not really, no. It’s always been something I like to do, but the business takes all my time. Not sure if I made the right decision, but that’s how it turned out.” She finished her coffee and put her cup down. “Can I see my room now, please, Matt? I think I’d like to freshen up and get my bearings.”

  He jumped up, horrified he’d taken so much of her time. “Sorry. I’ve been rambling on. Bad habit. This way.” He grabbed her suitcase and hurried up the stairs, pausing on the landing to let her catch up. “I’ve given you the turret room because it has a larger sitting room with it. Since you’ll be here longer than any of the other guests I have booked in, it seemed the logical thing to do. I hope you like it.”

  Stop rambling, Matt. She might be the most intriguing woman he’d seen in ages and he was definitely a superfan of her business but gosh, he didn’t have to prattle on like that.

  Her heels sounded on the stairs behind him. “Sounds lovely, thank you.”

  Matt opened the door and placed her suitcase on the stool near the window, ready for her to unpack. He walked across the room and opened another door. “Your bathroom. I think you’ll find everything you need but if not, just shout. Dinner is at seven but if you don’t plan on being in, just let me know. Things are pretty casual around here.”

  She walked in and paused, her hand resting on the end of the wrought iron bed as she looked around the room. Something fragile about her stance made him feel protective, but he reminded himself to respect her privacy and try not to overwhelm her with his kind of TLC. It was the quickest way to scare off anyone and something about Mia Morgan intrigued him, and it had nothing to do with her designing skills.

  “Thank you, Matt.”

  “You’re welcome. Spare towels in the bathroom cupboard, blankets in the blanket box at the end of the bed. Wi-Fi password is hopeharbor, all lower case. It gets a bit slow when we have storms, sorry. I have no control over that. Your cell will work everywhere but the lighthouse point of the island.”

  “Great.”

  “There’re plenty of things to do if you feel like exploring. I can tell you or you can get the information from down at the wharf. Olive is pretty helpful and knows everything about the island.” He moved to the door. “Drinks at five on the front porch if it’s not too windy and I go running at five-thirty every morning before I start breakfast prep if you want to join me, or if you hear strange noises and wonder where I am.”

  Mia stared at him blankly for a moment. Had he gone too far already? Tension crackled between them.

  “Thanks. I might take you up on that run, but please, don’t wait for me in case I sleep in.”

  Matt walked out and left her to it. He hurried down the stairs in case she could see the way his demeanor had changed. The last thing he wanted was to come across all stalker-like but something about Mia Morgan had his heart beating faster than normal and his senses on overload. She’d only been in his house for half an hour and already he wanted to get to know her on a more personal level, which had never happened with a guest before. How was he going to be able to act normal around her for the next four weeks without scaring her off?

  She was a business mogul with credentials and experience under her belt. He was a small-time bed and breakfast owner. She was here for a break, not a romance, but that didn’t make any difference to the way his mind tossed over scenarios of how to make her notice he could be more than her host.

  Chapter 3

  The following morning, Matt tried not to feel disappointed when there was no sign of Mia when he was ready for his run. Last night, she’d skipped drinks but chatted freely over dinner before claiming the need for an early night. He had to admit that she did look tired and a little out of sorts.

  He sprinted down the driveway, turned left at the end of the road and headed up the hill instead of down to the harbor for a change of scenery. The sun was barely rising
over the ocean as he clocked his first mile. The gorgeous sunrise made this the best time of the day as far as he was concerned, a time when he could think and let his mind wander.

  Matt ran to the top of lookout hill, turned at the fork in the road, and took the quiet back road to the harbor in a loop. He was on the home stretch when he jogged past the boat club and noticed her. The wildly bobbing blonde ponytail gave her away. Plus no one else on the island had legs that went forever like she had. She was striking.

  He called out. “Hey. Wait up.”

  Mia turned and stopped and gave him a polite smile. “Hey.”

  Matt caught up and they ran up the hill toward home. “Didn’t think you were going to make it this morning.”

  She didn’t slow down but kept pace with him. “I slept in. Must have missed you by ten minutes.”

  He tipped his head to the ocean, the rising sun making the horizon glow pink. “What do you think? Great view, isn’t it?” Almost as gorgeous as she was.

  “Sure is.” She paused at the side of the road and looked over the ocean. The sun streaked across the water, promising a gorgeous day. “Very pretty.”

  “Race you back.” Matt took off and heard the pounding of her feet behind him as she ran to catch up. Just before the final rise, she did. They continued to run in silence until they turned onto his driveway.

  She and Matt walked around to the kitchen door where he headed into the mudroom and slipped off his running shoes. “How did you sleep?”

  Mia stretched her fingers and rotated her shoulders. “Once I got used to the quiet, not too bad. It’s different falling asleep here compared to in Seattle. It never goes quiet there.”

  “I believe it. I don’t know how you do it.” Matt peeled his socks off and threw them in the wash basket. “I’m going to have a quick shower and then put breakfast on. What would you like to eat? I have just about everything so nothing is a problem.”