“Well, they’re both lucky to have you,” Jane said. “I guess I better get back. My inn is down at the other end of the beach.”
“Oh, well, then I guess I’ll see you around?”
“Probably,” she said as she turned to leave.
When she glanced behind her, she found Mike shading his eyes, keeping a closer watch over Cooper. The dog was happily frolicking in the waves, chasing them up and down the beach. Jane couldn’t help but laugh.
And just like that, the tension melted from her body, and she wished that she could stay. Because the dog, for whatever reason, made her forget the weight of her worries, the weight of the past. She could just be herself, free and happy.
But she couldn’t stay. She had lots to do to rebuild Tides. After a moment, she turned back and continued to the inn.
Mike tore his gaze away from the happily frolicking dog to watch Jane walk away, his mind automatically comparing her to the last woman he’d dated, Tiffany. She was the complete opposite. Of course, he wasn’t dating Jane, not even close. He barely knew her, but he wouldn’t mind getting to know her a little better.
Though maybe dating wasn’t a good idea. The last relationship had not gone well. He should have listened to his best friend about dating a woman six years younger than him, even if she was thirty-five. She acted more like twenty-five and was prone to drama, not the least of which was the way she refused to accept the fact that things were over between them.
Jane was more mature, and she didn’t seem the least bit like a drama queen. She fit with Lobster Bay—humble, unassuming, peaceful. She was elegant in a way most woman strived to be. The short haircut, that might look mannish on some women, looked incredibly feminine on her. She didn’t wear a lot of makeup or color her hair like Tiffany had either. Nor did she dress in tight flashy clothes designed to draw the eye—but classy, plain clothing that made a man feel at ease while still admiring her figure. Jane had a nice figure, long legs and a lean body that told him this wasn’t the only time he’d find her walking along the beach. Maybe, if he was lucky, she’d do it daily.
Judging by the age of her mother at Tall Pines and what she’d said, she might be a bit older than him, but probably not by much. What was a few years between them at their age, anyway? Besides, she was cute, and he liked the way she blushed every time she fiddled with her hair. If he gave her just the right smile, he got that faint blush in return. It had become a challenge.
Yes, he definitely hoped to see her again.
His eyes flew to Cooper just as the dog plunged into a particularly deep wave then bounded back onto the beach, shaking the water off and looking toward Mike.
Mike sighed and rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. The dog needed more than his small apartment. The longer Mike spent in his company, the more attached he became, even though he knew it wouldn’t be fair to the dog to cart him back to Seattle. He’d have to find a home for the dog here, but it was going to be hard to leave him. Cooper had such a good personality.
Honestly, it was going to be difficult for Mike to leave Gramps too. Some of his fondest memories had been made on the coast of Maine: Gramps teaching him how to fish. Tagging along at Gramps’s heels as they visited the community, helping people out who needed it. Mike had spent most of his summers around this area, a world away from his parents’ suburban home. Returning made him feel lighter, carefree.
But he couldn’t stay. His life was in Seattle.
Or was it? What did he have back home that he couldn’t have right here? He was forty-one years old, and all of his friends were married with children. Most of their time was spent with their kids. He’d broken up with Tiffany. He could telecommute. Truth was, he really didn’t have much back in Seattle, and Gramps needed someone nearby as his power of attorney.
Mike’s phone pinged, and he slipped it out of his pocket to check it out of habit. Tiffany. Scowling, he shoved it back in. That was, what? The sixth text he’d received from her in the past two days? He’d taken to counting them, responding only to every fourth. He should block her and stop replying, but he didn’t want to be rude. It might have to come to that, though. The girl just was not getting the message, even though he had spelled it out as plain as day the last time they’d talked in person.
Tiffany was one more reason to stay here, to start fresh. As he glanced down the beach after Jane’s retreating figure, he turned over the idea in his mind. He didn’t have any reason to go back to Seattle, except for the cactuses on his windowsill. The idea of staying here, in Lobster Bay, was becoming more appealing the longer he thought about it.
Chapter 6
Jane returned to Tides in time to snag the last remaining lemon poppy seed muffin, see Brenda out the door, and vigorously clean the sunroom. The part-time maid had dusted and laundered the bedsheets from Mrs. Weatherlee’s room. With no other guests, there wasn’t much else for her, or Jane, to do. Jane checked the messages on the answering machine, but no new bookings had come in, so she retreated to the rocking chair on the porch with her muffin and a cup of coffee.
Rocking in the chair, her thoughts turned to Cooper. The dog was a welcome distraction from her troubles, and she leaned forward and craned her neck to see if she could spot him down the beach. She couldn’t, though. The section in front of the cottages was too far away, but it was nice to think she might run into Cooper again, simply by walking down that way. She’d run into Mike, too, but it was Cooper she really wanted to see, of course.
Jane settled back in the chair and fished her cell phone out of her pocket, taking in a deep breath to steel herself before dialing her sister. Andrea had returned her call earlier, but she’d missed it. Now it was time to call her back. Too bad all she got was voicemail.
Jane sighed. “I guess I missed you again. Call me later.” She hung up, not knowing what else to say.
She stuffed a big bite of muffin into her mouth and opened the email app on her phone. She had a lot to accomplish and no idea where to start except to see if someone had gotten back to her about the website work she needed done.
Only one of the website designers she’d emailed had answered her, and the news wasn’t favorable.
Hi, Jane. I’d be happy to redesign your website, but I’m booked solid for the next three months. I can start working on it then, if that timeline works for you. Let me know, and I’ll give you a quote.
Three months! No, that timeline did not work for Jane. For all she knew, by then she might be out of business. Luckily there were two other web designers. Surely one of them would be able to start sooner. They had to because she needed a better website. But, of course, that wouldn’t help if she didn’t start tending to some of the maintenance issues at Tides. She closed her eyes, rocking in sync with the waves as she made a mental list of the things that needed to be spruced up. First there were the railings on the stairs that needed repair, the wallpaper in the sunroom, the molding in the front parlor needed to be painted—
“Is this a bad time?” Sally’s voice permeated her thoughts.
“No, sorry. I was just thinking. Are you done for the day?”
“Your windows are all tight as can be. There won’t be any cold air coming in through cracks this year. That, I promise.”
