Monica glanced down at the coffee, and on the way, her gaze caught on another of those glossy flyers behind the till.
There was no point pretending she wasn’t Josh’s never-seen-before ex-wife, if Isla had either been at the marina or had heard what happened. So she reached past the takeaway coffee cup and snagged the piece of paper instead.
“Oh,” Isla said.
Monica’s eyes went wide as she took in the headline above Josh’s face.Pine Harbour Charity Bachelor Auction.“Oh,” she breathed.
“It’s not what it looks like.” Isla shoved the coffee the final few inches across the counter. “And this is on the house.”
Monica didn’t bother to explain that she’d already paid for the coffee. She couldn’t drag her gaze away from the flyer.Featured Bachelor.Well, he hadn’t known until twenty minutes ago that he wasn’t actually a bachelor.
“The charity auction is mostly an intergenerational friendship fund.”
“Excuse me?”
“The ladies who bid on the bachelors,” Isla said with more sympathy than Monica deserved. “They’re all…older. And it’s for a bunch of good causes. They tend to get the bachelors to do manual labour for them.”
Monica knew intimately how nice it was to watch Josh use his muscles. But it didn’t matter if the people bidding on him were octogenarians—she needed to have those divorce papers signed and preferably be on the other side of the continent by the time this bachelor auction took place. “It sounds like a lot of fun.”
“It’s fun for everyone who isn’t a Kincaid brother. Josh didn’t volunteer.”
“We don’t need to talk about—”
“Are you sure?” Isla threw her hands in the air. “I know something about getting tangled up with this family. So…hi, again. I’m Isla. I married Adam, and moved here from Toronto. And I take it you’re Josh’s wife?”
“You were at the marina?”
“Yep.”
I’m his ex-wife, she wanted to say. But it wouldn’t be an accurate correction. So she nodded. “I’m only here for one day.”
Isla’s gaze lingered, full of questions, but she didn’t push. “It was nice to meet you briefly, then. If you end up staying longer, I’m always happy to make you a coffee. Be a friendly face in the storm.”
She wouldn’t say that if she knew how Monica had abandoned Josh. He must not have told his family the details of how they broke up.
“Thank you. I truly do appreciate that.”
“We’re sisters of a sort. Even if you’re only here for a day.”
It was hard not to compare that reaction—from a stranger—to her closest friends’ reactions. “I don’t have any sisters,” Monica heard herself say. “Only an overprotective, meddling mother.”
Isla laughed gently. “Oh, dear.”
“I love her. So much. We’re best friends right up until she forgets that I’m twenty-four and can make my own decisions.” Monica pressed her lips together. That was entirely enough sharing. Too much, in fact.
Isla nodded. “Well, I know it’s not much, but I promise to never forget that. And also, I promise to always have cookies.”
Now Monica was the one laughing, and oh, that felt good. “If I come back tomorrow, I’ll be sure to get more cookies, then.”
Back in her car, she drank her coffee while she did another search for a hotel room, settling for a motel on the northern tip of the peninsula.
After she sorted out her accommodation, she texted the pilot to let him know she wouldn’t be returning today. Then she quickly checked her work messages before pointing her rental car to the highway again.
While she drove, she ate one of the cookies. With each careful bite, she gave herself a nibble of positive self-talk, too.
She’d done the hard part and found Josh.
She’d held her chin up in front of strangers who had to think the worst of her.
