“You didn’t ask me what hobbies I enjoyed—you queried what I like to do in my spare time, and in my spare time I enjoy reveling in silence.”
Queried? Who spoke like that?“Fair.” I waited a beat, then asked, “What hobbies do you enjoy?”
He hung his head clearly over my questions. “Reading.”
Oh my word, he answered. “I love reading. I spent so much of my life just lying in bed, reading books, anything I could get my hands on. After I sold my parents’ house—it was too hard living there without them—I moved into the apartment above Page Turner Book Store…talk about hitting the jackpot.”
He blinked at me, scooped his ice cream, and continued eating. “Must be nice to lie in bed all day and read.”
He didn’t know my past, so I wouldn’t hold his words against him. “Wasn’t like I had much of a choice.”
He pursed his lips and was that interest in his eyes. “Right, Aldo mentioned you were what, sickly as a kid?”
“Something like that.”
“But you’re not anymore?”
I cocked my head, unsure about how I wanted to answer. I figured vague would be best; I didn’t want to bring the room down. “I’m good.”
He nodded once and returned to eating his ice cream. Lukas had engaged in conversation with me…we were going to be great friends—I just knew it.
CHAPTER TEN
Lukas
Once my icecream was finished, I walked back to the dock, Sam in tow, but luckily he didn’t try to board my boat. He waved and said he’d see me later. Once I’d returned home, I went upstairs to shower and change. I was emptying my pockets when something crinkled. I reached in and pulled out a Post-it with Sam’s phone number on it.
I wondered how he’d gotten it into my pocket, then remembered that while I was getting fitted, he had gone to the bathroom. Likely with my attention diverted, he’d slipped it in.Sneaky brat.
My phone vibrated, and Vincent’s name appeared.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah? That’s how you greet me after we haven’t spoken in weeks?”
“Apologies…what?”
He laughed. “I do love your sense of humor. I just wanted to check up on you, see how you’re doing.”
“I’m fine.”
“Mmhmm, right. Seriously, Lukas, how are you?”
I grunted and sat on the edge of my bed; my shower would have to wait. “I’m as I always am. This small town is annoying…well, the town itself is all right, but the people…”
“Nosy?”
“Mostly just one person in particular. I can’t manage to shake him.”
“Oh?” Vincent’s voice rose. “An admirer?”
“More like stalker.”
“Stalkers can be fun too, Lukas.”
I rolled my eyes. “Seriously, I can’t set foot on shore without that man finding me and holding me hostage.”
“Hostage? Seems dramatic. Explain, please.”
