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“So, you’re not going to offer us anything for all of our trouble?”
His friend took his arm and leaned her head against it, a little smile pasted to her face. I could have been wrong, but I got the impression she’d slipped into a smug “you’re gonna get it now” mode. It didn’t exactly make me pop my top, but it definitely pushed me into my own “you’re an idiot” mode.
“No, sir, but I’m very sorry for your misunderstanding.” Gram and Sunny had solid reviews and a very loyal following, so any fears of this guy and his pet leaving something damaging online wasn’t all that concerning. I hoped that wouldn’t change in the couple of months I’d be here. “I can direct you to some of our local beaches, though. The best ones are on the other end of some truly beautiful hikes.”
“Don’t bother. I’d like to speak with your manager. Now.” Like a turtle extending its head, the man straightened into a height he figured might be more intimidating. “I have no interest in arguing with a child.”
I managed to control the throbbing in my clenched jaw. It proved impressive, considering his friend was likely a few years younger than I was. I swallowed a little nausea. “Well, sir. Thischildhas management power, and she still says no. I’m sorry.”Not really. I might have considered throwing in another bottle of wine to smooth some feathers, but that train left the station. I’d done my share of customer service in college and still struggled when things eroded. My tolerance waned. “Perhaps you might consider actually reading the information on the site next time. We aren’t responsible for your lack of comprehension.”
“Excuse me?” Those animated brows twerked all over the place once again. The eyes below them hardened. “What did you just say to me?”
“What’s going on here?” Gram’s cool professional voice split the tense moment, and for the barest second, I tumbled back to my teens. I could still see her anger and disappointment when I’d been caught, with a bunch of others, TP-ing Mr. Crowberry’s private residence.
I turned to see her rolling up to our little group clumped by bungalow two, her expression cool and controlled.
“This girl has been rude and unyielding to our concerns.”
“What seems to be the problem?” She stopped next to me, but focused on our guests.
Dismissing me, the man pulled his gaze away and spoke to Gram. “We were just a little disappointed by the lack of ocean views and feel misled, that’s all. We’ve travelled all the way from Spokane and, naturally, we’re tired. I just expected a little more understanding, but instead we were insulted.”
Gram frowned and looked up at me. “We have ‘ocean views’ on the website?”
I shook my head.
“We just assumed. It is an island, after all. You understand.” The man smiled what he may have expected to be a charming one. It wasn’t, at least, as far as I was concerned.
“So is Madagascar, Hawaii, most of Indonesia and Malaysia, Vancouver Island, and close to a million others.” She met my eyes, and I caught the subtle light of amusement. “I’m pretty sure there’s no ocean view from every square inch of any of them. What we have here are cozy, romantic cottages in a beautiful and tranquil setting just two short miles from the coast. I’m very sorry for your disappointment, but I’d be happy to recommend someone to guide you to some of the most beautiful ocean views our little island has to offer.”
“That’s not what I’m asking.”
“I’m sorry. What are you asking?” Before he could respond, she turned to me. “Don’t you have somewhere to be, hun?”
My first reaction was offense, like I’d been banished to the kids’ table, but the steady look Gram gave me made me nod. She would handle this jerk without kowtowing to his whims. He might even walk away thanking her. It was an art I didn’t think I could emulate and wasn’t sure if I even wanted to. “Actually, I do.”
Chapter Fifteen
Between the farm and what stood in as a village, the highway leading in lay cloaked in darkness. Any moonlight that should have been present lost itself within the dense northwest cloud cover. On the flip side, though, clear nights presented a spectacular view of the stars, their shine so bright, you could practically read. It had always been an all or nothing lesson in astronomy.
Aware of my welcome home warning from Jay, not to mention an unpleasant incident while walking home from a sleepover in my pre-teen years, I kept my speed just under twenty-five.
I hadn’t turned on any music, just letting the quiet help catalogue the last several weeks, and the upcoming date (it was a date, no ifs, ands, or buts, as much as my wary brain attempted to whitewash it). Was I attracted to Noah? Well, duh. The sweet, thoughtful boy I knew had evolved into a man with those same qualities, but my instincts knew there were some jagged edges in there. I’d heard he’d gone into the army after college, but that information well had dried the moment I’d heard about it. Apparently, that wasn’t a favorite topic of his. Simple math could put him in Afghanistan during those years. If that was the case, no wonder he remained close-mouthed.
Despite the guests from earlier and one guy who’d broken a framed photo, most of the folks who had stayed with us had been lovely—we’d hosted young couples, old couples, solitary people looking for peace, and at least one artist armed with a sketch pad. All in all, my time back on the island hadn’t been unpleasant. In fact, I could almost admit enjoying it. I wasn’t quite sure what to do with that information, though.
A thump and loud bang broke through my contemplative thoughts at the same moment my steering wheel jerked to the right.
“Shit!” I wrestled with it for several moments before managing to force the vehicle to the shoulder. Lucky for me, it was wide enough to keep me out of any direct traffic, not that there was ever much.
I pulled up the emergency brake and sat for several moments breathing hard. Darkness cloaked me, the only push back coming from the dashboard, and the headlights illuminating a dense copse of trees before me.
With a shaky sigh, I climbed from the driver’s seat to circle back to the lift gate. Being on the road a good chunk of the time had me keeping a decent cache of emergency equipment, including a bright fluorescent lantern to help oversee my tire change. I set up the lamp, pulled out the tire iron and jack, and went about my business.
Several minutes later, I’d pulled off the damaged tire when I heard the growl of an engine. I looked over just as bright halogen headlamps swathed me in light from forty or fifty yards away, and the vehicle slowed almost to a stop. Even if I hadn’t been blinded, they weren’t close enough for me to see much of anything. A second later, the driver flipped off the lights, leaving me with spots filling my eyes. In that moment, I heard the vehicle pull a tight U-turn that took it in the opposite direction.
Puzzled, and more than a little unnerved, I blinked my eyes clear, stowed the jack, and hopped back in the SUV. I stared in the rearview mirror, thinking I saw the vague glow of red taillights sucking themselves into the darkness.
****
