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Ah. It seemed that shy Doug could be roused to action after all. Nothing like a bit of competition to hurry a man along.
“I thought you were acting strange on Sunday, but you were only trying to help me. I see it now. Very clever.”
Very accidental was more like it, but if she wanted to rain down praises for his genius, he wasn’t going to stop her.
She put her hand on his arm. “You have to do it again.”
The touch of her fingers distracted him so much he almost missed his turn to the ferry. “I have to do what again?”
“Make him think you’re interested in me.”
He burst out laughing. “No one would ever believe that.”
Her face fell, and she pulled back her hand. A look of hurt flashed in her eyes, almost too quick to catch before she averted her gaze.
“No, no,” he hurried to say, realizing how it sounded. “I didn’t mean it like that. You’re a very attractive woman. Any man would be interested.” And too many of them were. “But everyone knows we’ve been friends forever. I would never… We would never… It just doesn’t make any sense. No one would believe it.”
She crossed her arms and stared straight ahead as he drove onto the ferry. “Doug believed it. Unlike you, he doesn’t think I’m beneath your notice.”
As soon as he stopped the car, she got out and slammed the door behind her, then marched up the stairs to the cabin.
Dammit! He’d gone and upset her. He jogged to catch up with her.
“Constance,” he called. “Constance, please.”
She didn’t slow down.
“That came out all wrong.” He barely beat a middle-aged man in a fedora and trench coat to the seat next to her. “I don’t think you’re beneath my notice. I notice you all the time. Name one other woman I spend so much time with.”
Silence. Though he was fairly sure she was giving him the cold shoulder, not conceding his point.
“Constance, please. I hate it when you’re mad at me. What do I have to do to make it up to you?”
Fire sparked in her eyes. The first time he saw that look, he’d accidentally stomped on a fairy house she built out of sticks, leaves, and acorns while he and Ernie were playing tag. It was maybe a week after the Pritchards moved in next door. His heart ached something awful as she gazed up at him with defiant tears in her eyes. He’d had a soft spot for her from the day they first met.
“Look, I can’t rebuild a fairy house for you to fix this, so what is it you need from me?”
She stared him down for a long moment, making him squirm. “First, I need a proper apology. What you said was hurtful.” There was a long pause.
“I—”
She held up a finger to stop him. “Second, I need you to help me get Doug to propose.”
Jack nodded and stared down at his hands. She was relying on him, and he’d mucked it all up.
“I’m sorry, Constance. What I said was thoughtless, and I can see why you were upset. I promise I don’t consider you beneath my notice.” In fact, when she was around, it was hard to notice anyone else. But he couldn’t say that part out loud. She might take it wrong.
With the slightest of nods, she encouraged him to continue.
“In terms of helping you with Doug, I happen to know Fred Kingsley has a soft spot for you. If I drop a hint, he’ll be vying for your attention in no time.”
She straightened and tilted her head. “Fred Kingsley? Really? I had no idea. He’s always so distant and polite when I’m around.”
That might have had something to do with certain threats that were made. If Jack assured Fred there would be no retribution, though…
“But Fred Kingsley isn’t who I had in mind.” She narrowed her eyes at him. He knew that look. Whatever was coming, he wasn’t going to like it. “I was thinking it should be you.”
“Me.” Oh, Christ.
