AllFreeNovel
Share Us
CHAPTERNINE
The next morning, Liz lingered over coffee on Tides’s back deck before leaving for her dad’s house. Funny, she still thought of it as her father’s house instead of her home, even though she grew up there.
“How did things go at your house? Still no electricity?” Jane asked.
“It’s getting turned on today, but the place is such a mess. I don’t think I’ll stay there even when the lights get turned on.” Liz had been surprised that spending time in the house was less horrible than as she’d expected. She still had no desire to sleep there, though. “I met a neighbor, Bunny Howard. She seemed nice. Apparently, she’s been keeping my father’s garden up all these years. Isn’t that odd?”
“I’m sorry, what?”
Jane had been staring out at the ocean, apparently lost in her own thoughts. She looked troubled. Liz’s instincts as a school guidance counselor took over. Maybe it would help if she talked to someone and took a break from her own troubles. “Are you okay?”
“Oh, it’s nothing really. How could I not be okay with this great view?” Jane topped off her coffee. “Did you ask me a question?”
Apparently, Jane wasn’t ready to open up, so Liz continued talking about the house. “It was nothing. Straightening out that house is a bit overwhelming. I don’t think Dad ever threw anything out. I met your sister in the lobby yesterday, and she said she’d take a look to see if anything was valuable.”
“That’s great. If there’s anything of value, Andie will find it.”
Liz laughed. “I doubt anything is.” She could sure use the money, though.
“You might be surprised.”
Jane stood there holding the coffee pot, wearing a troubled expression that Liz recognized. It was the same look Liz had had on her face when she was going through everything with her ex.
“I can see something is on your mind. Guy trouble? Sometimes it helps to talk to a stranger who won’t spread your business all over town.” Liz gestured for Jane to sit across from her.
Jane smiled and sighed. “You’re perceptive. It’s not really guy trouble… but maybe.”
“Tell me all about it.”
Jane took a deep breath and put her hand down to pet Cooper, who had trotted to her side when she sat. “I was married to a wonderful man, but he died many years ago.”
Liz felt an immediate pang of sympathy. “Oh, I’m so sorry!”
Jane shook her head. “Like I said, it was long ago, and I have a new man now. One who is kind and sweet.”
“But…”
“He wants me to work less. Find someone to take some hours here at Tides. Wants to spend more time together. For some reason, that makes me nervous.”
“But you really care about him.”
“Very much.”
“Woof!”
Liz laughed. “Cooper seems to agree.”
“Cooper was actually Mike’s dog, but he couldn’t have him in the place he was renting here, so I sort of adopted him. Of course, now Mike has a more permanent place in town where he could have Cooper, but Mike likes him to stay at Tides with me. He said that Cooper will protect me. From what, I have no idea, but I love having the dog with me, so I don’t question it.”
Liz petted the dog. “I bet he would protect you.” She looked up at Jane. “It sounds like Mike’s a great guy. Do you think you might just be nervous because you lost your first husband so young, and you’re afraid that might happen again?”
“Maybe. But that seems so silly. I mean, why would that cause me not to want to hire someone here?”
“Well, if you hire someone to work at Tides, then you can spend more time with Mike, and your relationship might progress to the next level. Then you would have that much more to lose if anything happened to him.”
“Oh. I didn’t think of it that way.”
“But it sounds like it is all misplaced worry. I would hate to see things get messed up with you and Mike because you’re worrying about something that might never happen.”
