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“This is beautiful.” Aunt Carol’s voice drew him from his meandering thoughts.
“You don’t have to be nice.”
She turned to look at him. “I’m not. This is really nice. You have a really good eye.”
“I can’t take all of the credit. Sara helped me a lot. It was a team effort.”
“This Sara I keep hearing about, is she your girlfriend?”
Heat scorched his face, as though he’d been lying on the beach all day without any sunscreen. “No.”
His aunt studied him for a moment. “But you’d like her to be, wouldn’t you?”
“Shh…” He glanced around to make sure no one had overheard their conversation. “If you’re going to live in Bluestar, you have to know that whatever is said in public becomes part of the town’s gossip.”
His aunt smiled. “I didn’t think about that. I’ll keep it in mind going forward.”
“I thought I saw a familiar face.” Harvey made his way over to them with a welcoming smile. “Thank you, Kent, for all of your hard work. Everyone loves what you and Sara have done with the lobby.”
“I certainly do too,” Aunt Carol said.
Harvey turned to his aunt. “And who is this beautiful young woman?”
Kent noticed the blush that came over his aunt. He made the formal introduction between the two. He wasn’t sure if they’d met before on one of his aunt’s visits or not. He watched as Harvey took his aunt’s hand in his and shook it. All the while they gazed into each other’s eyes.
“Are you staying on the island for long?” Harvey asked his aunt.
“Actually, I’m moving here.”
“That’s wonderful. If you need someone to show you around the island, I’d be more than happy to offer my services.”
Was Harvey flirting with his aunt? Kent’s gaze moved back and forth between the two of them. They hadn’t taken their eyes off of each other.
“Why I’d like that very much,” Aunt Carol said.
Kent didn’t understand. His aunt knew her way around the island. She’d been coming to the island for years and spending summer vacations here. But something told him she wasn’t looking for a tour guide as much as some companionship. And Harvey was a widower, whom Sara said was starting to date again.
Suddenly, Kent felt like a third wheel. He glanced around once more for Sara to get him out of this awkward situation. As Harvey and his aunt spoke, it was as if they’d forgotten he was even there.
Maybe it was best he make an excuse to leave because he was obviously not needed here. Besides, his aunt knew her way back to his parents’ place.
Kent pulled out his phone and stared at the black screen. “Aunt Carol, I just got a message. Something came up and I need to take care of it. Will you be all right on your own?”
Never taking her gaze off of Harvey, she said, “I’ll be perfectly fine.”
“I’ll see to it,” Harvey said.
Okay then. He was obviously no longer needed. “I’ll see you later.”
“Kent,” his aunt called out, “don’t forget to charge your phone. It makes it easier to get messages.”
Ouch!He’d been totally busted. This time it was the heat of embarrassment that stung his cheeks. He watched as Harvey guided his aunt around the room. Kent walked out the door with no destination in mind. His social life wasn’t going nearly as well as his aunt’s.
Chapter Twenty-two
Whywasn’theanswering?
Sara disconnected her call to Kent. She inwardly groaned in frustration. Was he ducking her? Probably. It would serve her right if he was after brushing him off last night.
