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I smiled, took my bag, and turned from him. Mustering every bit of adulting I’d accumulated over the last decade, I nodded to Noah. “It was nice seeing you again.”
He opened his mouth, but I slipped out the front door before any words could escape him. I unlocked my little SUV and dropped my bag on the passenger seat. When I stretched my seatbelt across my waist and chest, I noticed my heart beating a little faster than it should.
Ridiculous.He was just an old boyfriend from when I wasn’t much more than a child.Andhe’d humiliated me. Sure, no one else knew, but I sure as hell remembered, and, judging from his demeanor, he probably did, too.
Damnif he hadn’t blossomed though.
I cranked over the engine, and flipped on the heat, but a knock on the window startled a squawk out of me.
Noah’s earnest face appeared next to the driver’s side, twirling his finger to suggest I roll down the glass.
With a tiny sigh, I did as he requested, but only part-way.
“Did you want to get together sometime? Just to catch up maybe?” Once more, the puppy look. I wasn’t sure if it complemented the new mature visage or detracted from it.
“I don’t know, to be honest. I have a lot to do at Gram’s to get all the units up and running. I know they’ve had lots of requests, but haven’t been able to accept any reservations.”
“Oh. Gotcha.” He stepped back, but beamed a huge smile at me, one that highlighted his dimples. “You need to eat occasionally, though.”
When I still hesitated, the smile ebbed, and he lowered his voice. “You wanna know something, Klahanie? This is going to sound lame, but I tried to get in touch with you after Grad Night, but you’d already taken off. After that, I guess I lost my nerve.”
I stared at him.
“But shit happens, I guess. Maybe I’ll see you around.” He turned, loped over to an old pickup parked several spaces away, climbed in and left.
Chapter Four
I wiped a layer of sweat off my forehead with the heel of my hand, and took one last look around. The wooden floors shone, the windows sparkled, the bedding freshly laundered, someone could probably eat off the floor in the bathroom, and the scent of polish and disinfectant lay heavy in my sinuses. I decided to leave the window by the front porch open to subdue the dueling scents. Locking up, I descended four steps to the little cleaning pushcart parked at the base.
I’d only been back a little over a week, but had thrown myself into house cleaning with a ferocity I didn’t usually hold for mundane tasks. Muscle strain and sweat had taken the place of the long car rides, coaching, and training sessions of my regular job, but were paying off for Gram and Sunny’s place. Reservations filled as soon as we opened them. I placed an ad in the island newsletter with hopes of snagging a part-time housekeeper, but hadn’t had much luck. No one on the island seemed interested, at least not with the coming holidays. Family and celebration took precedence. After New Year’s, I figured I’d have a better shot. Until then, it was what it was. I was just happy Gram and Sunny at least had the groundskeeper come by twice a week. Unfortunately, Carl Houser had been on vacation the day my grandmother had elected to take on the lawn tractor, and subsequently, lost.
“How’s my little grand-hermit doing?”
I spun around to see Gram wheeling her way down the path toward me, Asta trotting beside her, panting a happy smile despite the 50-some degree temperature. A clip-on umbrella shielded the woman from some of the steady Northwest drizzle. She’d become pretty adept at maneuvering the chair, and I’d gotten used to hopping to the side when she came barreling my way. “Huh?”
“Oh, I think you heard me.” She smiled up at me, but it didn’t quite crinkle her eyes. “Sunny and I were wondering how long you plan on hiding out on the property?”
“Hide?What? I’m not hiding. I’m working.”
“Which I appreciate. You have no idea how much. But you need to take a break and go socialize once in a while, too, you know. We’re getting the third degree every time we go to town. Folks are wondering why Klahanie Bishop is home, but missing.”
“Why does it matter?” I almost reminded her that I’d be leaving soon enough, but stopped myself. I didn’t want to see the hurt and disappointment I knew would flash across her face. I’d taken a few months of leave, but my normal job kept me moving all over the Western United States. Even though I held onto a tiny apartment in Santa Clara, I rarely saw the inside of it. Staying on the move had turned into a way of life.
“You know how small-town folks are. It’s easy to become the subject of local lore.”
No lie there. “And how did everyone find out anyway? I went by Crowberry’s, but I doubt…” I stopped, considering. It had to have been Noah, or maybe Jay. I hadn’t seen anyone else.
“Nah, that old prune will barely let a fart slip out, let alone any island news. I’m sure others have noticed. And, of course, you know how your aunt is.”
I stared at her. “Just Aunt Sunny?”
Gram allowed a closed-mouth smile and a shrug. “It’s hard not to brag, honey. You’ve become a local hero, so to speak. At least, to us.” She reached out and rested a hand on Asta’s head. The dog propped her head on the arm of the chair, just under the clipped umbrella.
“That’s a little over the top, you know that, right?” Keeping in mind the snide, yet truthful, comment from Mr. Crowberry, I definitely didn’t feel like a hero. Seeing her open adoration kindled my own feeling of duplicity. If she hadn’t been injured, I’d likely be in San Diego for work this week, with tentative plans for a two or three-day trip home for Christmas.
Gram shook her head, the vibration heading into her shoulders. It was her “agree to disagree” move.
I peeled my disposable gloves off and tossed them atop the cleaning cart. “Maybe you should get in out of the rain. It’s getting pretty chilly.”
