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“Why not? You’ve earned it. Think of it as a bonus for keeping my café safe and prosperous while Ed and I had the time of our lives.” It had taken Frida all of about five minutes to change from her traveling clothes into the restaurant’s signature Got Coffee? shirt and a pair of khaki shorts. She and Ed had insisted on getting back to work immediately. For the past few hours, they’d poured coffee, served muffins and sandwiches, and chatted up the locals. Frida’s red curls had gone wild in the Florida humidity but her cheeks were pink and her eyes were glowing with happiness.
It had been fun for Sarah and Lucy to see Frida and Ed in action. And, yes, maybe a little bittersweet, too, because now that they’d returned from their European vacation ready to get back to work, there was no reason for Sarah to stay.
“Are you sure you still want to sell this place?” Sarah asked. “You seem pretty pumped up.”
Frida smiled sadly. “Oh, honey, this is just my last hurrah. I love this place and a part of me will always belong here at The Bistro and in Whispering Bay, but, yes, it’s time to sell. It’s all paid off and I’ve made more money than I can spend in a lifetime, so now I plan to enjoy the fruits of my labor, as Ed calls it.” She studied Sarah. “I’ve already talked to Lucy. She’s interested in buying but she needs a partner. Are you sure that’s not you?”
Sarah bit her bottom lip. It was tempting. The past few months, Sarah had worked hard but it had been fun. Whispering Bay was a place she could see herself living in. She loved the beach, she loved all the friends she’d made and, of course, there was…no. She couldn’t stay. “Actually, with this check you’ve just given me, I have the money I need for that food truck I told you about.”
Frida nodded. “That’s what I was hoping. But if you change your mind about The Bistro, let me know ASAP. Ed and I can offer our own financing on the place. If you and Lucy decide to go in together, we could work out something really attractive for the two of you.”
“Thanks, Frida. I appreciate it.”
The other woman’s eyes went moist. “I can never thank you enough, Sarah. Like I said, if it weren’t for you, I would have never felt comfortable leaving this place for so long. You’ve given Ed and me a truly wonderful summer. If you need a recommendation or anything else…” Her words faded as she pulled Sarah into an affectionate squeeze.
Damn it.
She’d promised herself she wasn’t going to cry. She’d managed to say good-bye to Lucy without shedding a tear (although it had been hard) but saying goodbye to Frida made it all final.
Three months ago, she’d come to Whispering Bay with one goal in mind. To spend a fun summer at the beach and make enough money to buy her food truck. She had the money now, and she’d made friends that she’d genuinely miss. Lucy and Allie and all those quirky Gray Flamingos and the Bunco Babes, and Mimi who was practically a sister to her.
And…well, of course, there was Luke. She would miss them all. But it was time for her to leave.
* * *
Sarah sat on the couch, waiting patiently as she heard Luke’s truck pull up the driveway. One of the benefits of living like a gypsy and not having too many possessions was that she could be packed up and ready to go within an hour. After saying goodbye to Frida and Ed, she’d come home from The Bistro, taken a shower, packed, and written out a note for Mimi. This last goodbye would be the hardest, of course, but it was best this way. Fast and quick and to the point. Knowing how much Luke disliked unnecessary drama, he would probably appreciate it.
He came through the front door, dressed in business casual attire—long-sleeved Oxford shirt and dark pants with dress shoes. Mimi had mentioned that he had an appointment at city hall this afternoon. As usual, he looked devastatingly handsome.
“How did your meeting go?” she asked.
“Good.” He seemed distracted. “I heard Frida and Ed came back a few days early.”
“Yep. And guess what?” she said, trying to sound happy and upbeat because, really, why shouldn’t she feel that way? “They gave me a bonus and it’s enough to buy my food truck. Isn’t that great?”
He sat down on the couch next to her and took her hand. “You totally deserve it, but, yes, that was nice of them.”
“So! My work here is done.” She swallowed hard.
His gaze swept around the room and she could see him mentally taking stock of all the missing items—the afghan she kept draped over the sofa, her candles, all the knickknacks that he complained cluttered up his living space. They were all packed up in her duffel, ready for her next house or apartment.
“What’s going on?” Luke asked.
“Like I said, my work here is done, which is totally awesome, really, because it’ll give me extra time to spend with my mom before the cruise. Then I need to check out the truck, sign papers, do some overhauls, of course. Well, you know, you have to be going through the same thing with the Alaskan project. We’ll both be so busy and—”
“Sarah, I’m crazy about you.”
She gulped. “You are?”
He raked a hand through his hair. “God, do you really doubt it? I didn’t want to tell you this way. I had something else planned, but yeah, I’m totally crazy about you.”
“I’m crazy about you, too.”
His blue eyes melted with relief. “Good to know,” he said, grinning.
But in that instant, it felt all wrong. She wasn’t crazy about Luke. There was no use denying it any longer. She was in love with him.
“Luke—”
