Gray snorted. “When you pay this much for a view of the water, you don’t want to look through gunk leftover from a factory sticker.”
“Trust me, I know you’re a big reason why we have so many stars on our online reviews.”
“Kind of surprised you haven’t moved back in yet,” Gray said casually, but Nick knew he was fishing by the extra nonchalant way he said it.
Luckily, he’d realized during the drive over this subject would come up, so he was prepared. “I thought about it, but I’m still finishing up that deck, and there’s no reason to add driving back and forth to an already long day.”
It was a logical—and actually true—explanation, but Gray didn’t look convinced. “Got nothing to do with Lucy, huh?”
“What part of it being easier to work on a place in my spare time if my spare time is spent at that place is hard to get?”
Gray only nodded, but Nick could see by the quirk of his lips he wasn’t totally buying it. Beck or Theo might have pushed back, but Gray seemed content to let the subject drop for now.
Nick knew they’d talk about him the first time they were together without him, though. And if he cracked at all—gave them even a glimpse of the turmoil that was growing inside of him with every day that passed—he’d never hear the end of it.
So he’d do what he always did. He’d keep his emotions to himself and do his job. And when Helen Griffin came home and he left the cottage, and then Lucy moved on to Miami, nobody would ever guess he’d had his heart broken.
Chapter Thirteen
Now that ice cream season is in full swing, a reminder that Dolly’s vet says she shouldn’t have ice cream, no matter how much she begs or tries to fight for yours—beware those claws. If Dolly wants to join you, please let us know and we’ll provide a little bit of frozen plain yogurt for her to enjoy.
–Schooner Scoops in Wayward Harbor Online Community Group
Lucy shuffled out of her bedroom before seven the next morning, rubbing her face because she didnotwant to be out of bed yet. She was rewarded with a chuckle from Nick. He was leaning against the counter, fully dressed and ready for work, while he finished off his coffee.
“Did you have a bad dream?” he asked. “Like maybe you were battling somebody and woke up all twisted in blankets?”
“I know what I look like, thank you.” She also didn’t care. “I got a text, and my brain went straight to something being wrong with Gran.”
He straightened “Is she okay?”
“Yeah.” She poured coffee into a mug. “It was Taylor, but that burst of fear woke me right up and I couldn’t go back to sleep.”
“Kinda early for conversational texts.”
She took a sip of the coffee and sighed. “Right? I usually use the Do Not Disturb stuff on my phone so I’m not used to being woken up by texts, but I turned that off because Gran’s running amok and I have a little anxiety about it.”
“Understandable. I have mine set so my brothers can call me if they need me, but Theo can’t wake me up sharing memes he thinks are hilarious. And Beck sends a lot of pictures of the kids, and I treasure them, but they can wait until I’ve had coffee.”
“I guess she wanted to text me before she left for work, but she wants me to go to the bank at eleven thirty.”
Nick chuckled, and then turned to wash out his empty cup. “That doesn’t sound suspicious at all. Maybe it’s a heist, and she’s going to seduce Carson into opening the vault and then have you run out with the money while she distracts him.”
Thankfully, Lucy had swallowed her mouthful of coffee or she might have spit it out. “I think you watch too many movies.”
“You think she got the results?”
“Probably. I’m afraid it’s bad news because why wouldn’t she just forward me the email or send me a text?”
Nick looked at the clock on the stove and winced. “Maybe it’s not even the results. Try not to worry about it all morning.”
“I’ll try not to. And you should go. I know you hate to be late.”
He nodded and started for the door, but then he turned back. “Let me know, okay?”
“I will,” she promised, and the concern in his eyes warmed her as much as the coffee. It was nice having somebody care enough to want her to check in.
A few hours later, Lucy walked into the bank with her stomach in knots. Over the course of the morning, she’d managed to convince herself thishadto be about the DNA test results. And until she actually faced the possibility Taylor wasn’t her sister, she hadn’t realized how desperately she wanted her to be.
