Jenna waited until they were alone on Main Street. “What’s going on?”
Kerry took a deep breath. “What do you think about me moving to Pine Harbour?”
“Just like that?”
“Maybe?” Kerry laughed. “I don’t know. Maybe. Yes. In for a penny, in for a pound, am I right?” She bit her lower lip. “It makes sense. We could operate this clinic autonomously. There’s enough work, and it would open up an office space in Walkerton for another new midwife to join there. That’s good all around, and would help us out for covering vacation time, providing back up…”
Jenna nodded as she trailed off. “Yeah, no, I get it. It’s a great plan, and I can see the excitement all over your face. I want to make sure this is a good decision for you.”
“I’m driving up and down the peninsula anyway, I might as well shift myself here and save some money while I’m at it.”
“Are you doing it because it’ll be easier for work? Or do you actually want to live in my little town of six hundred people, where the only coffee shop only serves actual coffee? No lattes, no cold brew, no shots of espresso.”
“With the money I’m saving, I’ll buy a fancy instant espresso machine for the clinic.”
“It’s not just coffee. Pine Harbour is an entirely different pace of life,” Jenna warned.
“Maybe I’m ready for that.” She’d been doing a lot of thinking about what she wanted in life. This could be a sign.
“Long way to go for dancing on Friday nights.”
“Maybe I’ll trade that for…” She trailed off, her breath puffing in the cold air between them. Jenna had to get going, too. “Help me out here. What are the best parts of Pine Harbour?”
“The people,” Jenna said quickly. Then she laughed. “But if you’re looking for fun, we have that too. Bonfire parties are popular in the summer.”
“That’s a good start.”
“And there’s a pub over in Lion’s Head.”
“Even better.”
“They’re pretty serious about their outdoor life here. The trails are great.”
Kerry liked the sound of that. “I run sometimes. More if I’m being chased.”
Jenna snapped her fingers. “There’s a women’s rec league. Soccer in the summer, ball hockey in the winter. Lots of chasing—or so I’ve heard. Sean has done some clinics with them.”
Jenna’s husband had once been an elite extreme distance runner—before being injured in the line of duty. Now he was a world-renowned coach, and people flew in to train with him. Kerry thought it was pretty amazing he also made time for the regular athletes in his home town, although the thought of being put through running drills by him was daunting.
One thing at a time. A pub sounded great. “Don’t worry. I’m pretty good at making friends. In fact, I’m going to take myself out for a celebratory drink after we sign the lease papers. What’s the name of that pub?”
Jenna grinned. “The Green Hedgehog. One day when I don’t have a patient to meet at the hospital or a baby to nurse back to sleep, I’ll take you there.”
Kerry gave her partner a quick hug. “Sounds like a plan. I’ll go finish up with Catie. Keep me updated on Dina’s progress!”
Back inside, Kerry told Catie about her conversation with the landlord. The real estate agent locked up the front of the store, and together they climbed the stairs to the second floor. Kerry braced herself to not like the apartment, because when the landlord said it was small, that probably meant the apartment would be dark, crowded, and only worth the small amount of rent being asked.
That was the furthest thing from reality, though. Yes, it was tiny. One small bedroom, a living room with a kitchenette nook in the corner, and a bathroom that could only be described as minimalist and spare. But at the far end of the living room, two huge windows overlooked Main Street, flooding the space with natural light, even in the late winter afternoon gloom, and on the back wall there were wide windows set high in the exposed brick. Also on that wall was a giant cast iron clock.
“Oh, wow,” she whispered.
“The clock doesn’t work,” the landlord said. “But it can’t be removed.”
Kerry didn’t care if it didn’t work. It would be right twice a day, and delightfully wrong the rest of the time. It fed all of her secret Pinterest aesthetics at a fraction of her housing budget. She was so in. “Where do I sign?”
After following Catie back to her office—which was also her hair salon, apparently, because being Pine Harbour’s only real estate agent was more of a part-time gig—Kerry signed the paperwork for both leases.
Then she drove across the peninsula to buy herself a drink at the nearest pub.
