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“I can do it.”
He stopped and looked directly at her. “I know you’re fiercely independent, but it’s okay to ask for help now and then.”
“I am not.” When he arched a disbelieving brow, she realized it wasn’t exactly the truth. “Okay. Maybe a little.”
He let out a laugh. She paused. Was that the first time she’d heard him laugh? She thought so. And she loved the deep, rich timbre of his laugh. It washed over her, making her all warm on the inside.
And maybe that was why when he offered to go to her apartment to hang the painting, she agreed. They borrowed a golf cart from the inn to transport the large painting.
“Have you always lived on the island?” he asked as she navigated their way through town.
“No. I went away for college, and then I interned in New York City.”
“Why did you return to Bluestar?”
“There’s no place like the island. When I heard there was an opening at the inn, I applied. Sandra immediately hired me, and it was all history after that.”
“But didn’t you have a life and a boyfriend in New York?”
“Yes, I had friends there. We still keep in contact.”
“I noticed you didn’t say anything about a boyfriend.”
“You’re observant.” She didn’t want to talk about her ex or the way he’d duped her into thinking he cared about her.
“That bad, huh?”
Lost in her thoughts, she glanced his way. “What?”
“The breakup, it must have been bad.”
That was an understatement. “Something like that.” She wanted to leave it there, but she recalled how he’d opened up to her. It seemed only right that she do the same. “Rick was a coworker. We started out as friends. He was one of those who could talk to anyone. People really liked him.”
“I already don’t like him.”
She sighed. “You can’t. I haven’t even told you anything bad about him.”
“I’ve known people like him. My father was very two-faced. To his friends at work and the bar, he was the nicest man. To his family, he was anything but.”
Josie reached out and squeezed his hand. “Rick wasn’t that bad. At least not when I knew him. I had been at the hotel for nine months when he was hired. I was interested in an opening in the management program. I had a good working relationship with the manager. She told me what I needed to know and do to gain that promotion. I foolishly let myself trust Rick as our relationship deepened. He was new at the hotel. I didn’t think I had anything to worry about. And so when he’d ask questions about what the manager had told me, I shared the information with him. What I didn’t know was that he was going behind my back and using that information to make inroads with the manager. And when it came time to fill the position, Rick got it.”
This time it was Lane who squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry he did that to you.”
“Do you know what he said when I confronted him?” When Lane shook his head, she said, “He looked at me without a hint of guilt and told me there were no hard feelings. Can you believe the nerve of him saying he had no hard feelings toward me when he was the one who faked a relationship in order to milk me for information, and in the process he’d sabotaged my character with management?”
“If you say the word, I’ll go have a talk with him.”
She shook her head. “It’s nice of you to say but not necessary.” To her great relief, they pulled up in front of her apartment building. “We’re here.”
He glanced over at the light-blue and white building. It had been a large home that had been converted into four apartments. She lived on the first floor.
Lane insisted on carrying the painting for her, so she rushed ahead and opened the door for him. Just as she opened it, Mrs. Murray was exiting her apartment, which was across the hall from Josie.
“Hi.” Josie smiled at her neighbor.
“I haven’t seen you lately. You must be working long hours with the celebration and everything. I’m sorry I didn’t make it to the time capsule ceremony.” She gestured to her walker. “It makes it hard to get around.”
“Don’t worry. It was filmed so you’ll be able to watch it later.”
