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She immediately recognized the voice. She stopped and turned to find Birdie Neill and her little dog, Peaches. Birdie was a widow and one of the island elders. And was the friendliest person you’d ever want to meet.
Sara smiled. “Hi.” When Birdie stopped in front of her, Sara knelt down and fussed over Peaches. “You’re so cute.” When she straightened, she said, “Are you out for a stroll?”
“We are.” Birdie studied her for a moment. “I saw you a little while ago with Kent. You two make such a cute couple.”
Heat rushed to Sara’s cheeks. “We’re not a couple.”
“Oh. Pardon me. I just saw you two in the golf cart, and you looked so good together.”
Sara shook her head, pushing away the idea of them being a couple. There was absolutely no way she’d ever date such a stubborn man. Even if she were to get past that flaw, there was no way she could get past the fact that he’d broken her sister’s heart.
She was always amazed at the way Birdie was able to read people, but in this particular case, Birdie couldn’t have been more wrong. She’d become good friends with Birdie once she moved into the second-floor apartment next door to Birdie’s house. Her landlord had split their house in half by living in the downstairs and converting the upstairs into a one-bedroom apartment. With it being beachside, it had a million-dollar view. The drawback was the flight of stairs to reach her front door.
Birdie continued to look expectantly at her. She could continue to brush off Birdie’s concern, or she could just tell her. She had no doubt that soon it would be town gossip that she was looking for a new place to live. She just hoped her landlord was the last to hear, or she’d have a lot of explaining to do.
“I was just asking him about whether he had any apartments for rent.” She felt awkward talking about Kent. When Birdie kept looking at her and not saying anything, Sara rushed on. “You know, over the furniture store.”
“Oh yes. And did he?”
“None that he was willing to rent to me.”
“That’s too bad. There’s not much housing available at this time of the year. But you might want to check with Madison St. Claire. I’m sure she’s on top of all the available places.”
Sara hoped that was the case, since Madison was a real estate agent. “I think I’ll stop by her office on my way home.”
Birdie frowned. “I’ll miss you so much. I really enjoy having you next door. So does Peaches.”
“You don’t have to worry. It’s not for me.” She hadn’t meant to say that much, but she couldn’t let Birdie needlessly worry. “It’s for Cari. She’s moving back to the island.” A smile pulled at the corners of Sara’s lips. “I can’t wait. She’s been gone so long.”
“Oh. That’s wonderful news. When does she get here?”
“I don’t know the details yet, but I’ll let you know when I do. I should be going. I want to catch Madison before she goes home.”
Birdie nodded in understanding. “I hope you find a place for your sister.”
“Thanks. I do too.” Her thoughts trailed back to Kent. Why did he have to be so stubborn?
He wanted her to forget about the shabby way he’d treated her sister and start over, but he wasn’t ready to do the same by renting her the apartment. Perhaps her sister was fortunate not to have him for a landlord. He’d already caused her enough problems.
It was time to put his plan into action.
Later that evening, Kent pulled out his phone as he searched his fridge for something to eat since he’d skipped dinner. He placed a call to his sister. The line rang once, twice, and then three times. He was beginning to think she wasn’t going to pick up.
“Hello.”
He closed the fridge empty-handed. “I was beginning to think I missed you.”
“I was just getting ready for dinner.”
“Dinner?” He glanced at the time on his watch. “It’s going on nine o’clock.”
“In your part of the world. In California, it’s only going on six, and I’m not used to the time change so I’m starving. What did you need? Is everything okay with Mom and Dad?”
“Of course.” He started to wonder if there was something about their parents he didn’t know—maybe something that was holding them back from agreeing to his new venture. “Why would you ask that?”
“No particular reason. You don’t call me that often, and I’m away on vacation. So, I thought it might be something important.”
He was relieved to hear there was nothing wrong with their parents. He wasn’t sure how to segue into this discussion. All of his carefully-thought-out words suddenly fled him. “This is important.”
