He was back to the old Rocky, without a hint of discomfort over their closeness at the beach that had almost tipped the scale on their friendship.
“You helped make it happen,” she said. “And what else is going on?”
Rocky nodded toward Ryan, who was standing with April. “Ryan called this morning. After I talked to Whitley and Knox, Ryan’s assistant called me in for an interview with him. I guess they liked me, because he offered me a job. I start next week.”
“That’s fabulous,” she said, giving him a quick hug. “That’s exactly what you wanted.”
“You introduced us and put in a good word for me.”
“What will you be doing?”
“He’s considering another property on the mainland. It’s a historic building, and it needs the same kind of work he did on the Majestic. He wants me to go look at it with Knox and get a first read on the scope. And if it goes forward, I’ll be working between Knox and Ryan on the business side.”
“That’s what you’re good at.”
Rocky ran a hand through his hair, still looking a little stunned. “Ryan wants me to be his eyes and ears in the field and find other properties, too. I won’t spend much time on the island anymore.”
“I’ll miss you, but I’m truly happy for you. A month ago you were drafting an email you were too nervous to send.”
“A month ago I was fixing your shake machine to kill time.” He laughed, almost in disbelief. “I keep waiting for someone to tell me it’s a mistake. Wrong, Rocky Bay. Try again.”
“It’s not a mistake. You earned this through your education and background. Are you leaving right away?”
“End of the month.” He looked at her and smiled like he had when they were alone. “I wanted you to hear it from me before Maileah turned it into an announcement with a hashtag.”
“I’m so proud of you.” She squeezed his arm. “You’re going to be so good at this.”
He covered her hand with his for a second, then let it go. The motion wasn’t uncomfortable, but it was meaningful to her.
Jo thought about their sushi dinner, the sake, and the way he’d listened to her talk about the diner like it was the most interesting thing he’d ever heard. Maileah had raised an eyebrow at her, more than once.
Jo had always shaken her head, denying there was anything between her and Rocky, but Maileah had sensed something. On Rocky’s part, for sure. Maybe a little on hers, too.
She smiled at him for what might have been. “I’m going to miss having you at the counter with your laptop open.”
Rocky’s mouth curved. “Whenever you’re ready to take another step, call me. I won’t be far. But I don’t think you will, at least not for a while. You’re still in love with Blue.”
Yet his words were edged with hope. Jo’s breath caught. She hadn’t expected that from him, not with that much kindness in his voice.
“I’ve let him go,” she said, her words steadier than she felt.
Rocky studied her for a moment, the way he focused on a spreadsheet when the numbers didn’t quite add up.
“Maybe,” he said. “I hope so, for your sake—and mine, too. But I’ve watched you look at the end of that street more than once, and I don’t think you’re finished yet. I won’t rush anything. We’re still friends, and if that’s all you ever want, that’s okay, too. I just like being around you.”
Jo didn’t know how to answer that, so she hugged him instead. He held on a little longer than a friend might, and so did she.
“Go be brilliant,” she said.
He laughed, breaking the tension. “Go sell a million bags of coffee.”
She walked away to rejoin the party. When she looked back, he was gone. She went on.
The sun was sliding toward the horizon, and everyone was having a good time. Adrian’s guitar filled the air. Knox was spinning Penny in circles, while Junie laughed and told them a cake was coming. Whitley stood near Ella at the edge of the patio, her hand tucked into the crook of his arm. Ryan was with April by the drinks table, making her laugh at something Jo couldn’t hear.
Jo watched all the people she loved enjoying themselves in the golden waning light of Ella’s garden. She was so happy to have all of this in life.
She recalled her grandmother’s advice. Jo had a diner with her name on it, and a coffee brand that was going to happen. She had friends who screamed with her on doorsteps and others who fixed her shake machine on a Friday night. And none of them ever asked her to be smaller than she was.
