Page 72 of After You Returned

“I did not…” Jaxon sighs. “Whatever. Can we get this meeting over with? Some of us have jobs to do.”

“Does it bother you how Jaxon thinks he’s busier than you?” I ask Eli. “You’re the CEO of the distillery and you’re also the CFO ofApparoo.”

Apparoois the company Eli founded with his college roommate, Jeremy. Its success is why he’s a billionaire. And now the company is relocating to Smuggler’s Hideaway since Jeremy fell in love with the local bakery owner, Parker.

Eli smirks. “Your lame attempt to change the subject is what bothers me.”

I blow out a breath. “What’s the subject? How awesome I am at my job? I’m willing to spend some time discussing this.”

Zane’s jaw drops open. “Is Miles talking about working in an office? A place he professes to hate?”

I wag a finger at him. “You’re one to talk. Until baby Adele came into your life, you skipped out on work more often than I did.”

Zane was actually packing for a motorcycle trip through South America when Adele was dropped on his doorstep. Literally, a woman stopped by, said the baby was his, dropped her on his porch, and left.

He points to Kai. “He was just as bad about missing work.”

Kai waggles his eyebrows. “I needed the love of a good woman to settle me down.”

I snort. “And Harper won’t put up with your childish ways.”

“You say…”

I ignore him when I feel something scuttle up my leg. I jump to my feet and a sand crab falls out of my board shorts before scurrying away.

“Who put the animal up my leg?”

“Congrats, brother. Even the wildlife’s running from your love life.”

I dive at Kai, but before I can pummel him, Rhett pushes us apart.

“Epic prank!”

I glare at Kai. “Pranks aren’t supposed cause bodily harm.”

“Sand crabs don’t bite.”

I motion to the small, red bumps on my ankle. “It wasn’t a sand crab, you idiot. It was a sand flea.”

“Oops!”

I dive for Kai again but Rhett shoves me. “Knock it off. It’s not as if you’ve never pulled a prank that resulted in bodily harm before.”

I cross my arms over my chest. “Name one time.”

“When Ms. Milton broke her ankle.”

“It’s not my fault she ran away when the skeleton appeared.”

“When Weston crashed his car.”

“Again, not my fault. He thought he saw an animal in the road.”

“Because you planted a fake shark in the middle of the road.

I shrug. “He should be more careful.”

Rhett throws his arms in the air. “I can’t with you and the pranks.”