Jean’s eyebrows spiked.“I take it your friend is a local?”
“She is.Ashlyn Whittier.”
“Oh, we love Ash.She’s so sweet.She helps us keep this place booked.She’s been so helpful with marketing and getting our weeks full.”
“She’s very talented,” I agreed.
“She is.What brings you here, Reegan?”
“I’m a teacher, and Ashlyn just went through a breakup, so I decided to spend the summer with her.”
“Oh, things didn’t work out with Rob?”
I shook my head.
“Between you and me, she deserves so much better than him.He’s a nice guy, but he’s a bit of a user.Hooks up with women who take care of him or get things for him or something, then he drops them when he finds someone who can do more for him.I’m sorry Ashlyn got wrapped up in him.”
“She’s always had trouble saying no to a project.”
Jean laughed.“Well, that’s probably what makes her so good at her job.But it sucks for relationships.She needs to find a man who knows what a treasure she is.”
“I agree.”
“Hello, my love,” Jean said, smiling as another woman approached.“Meet Ashlyn’s friend, Reegan.She said Rob and Ashlyn broke up.”
“Oh, thank goodness.She deserves better than him,” the other woman said.She wrapped an arm around Jean and smiled at me.“I’m Cora.It’s so nice to meet you, Reegan.”
“You as well.I was exploring and checking out your waterfall.”
“Not our waterfall,” they said at the same time, then laughed.
“We own the property the waterfall is on, but something that beautiful shouldn’t be limited to who can enjoy it.We’re happy you ventured out.”Cora’s gaze strayed to the waterfall as she spoke.“It’s such a peaceful spot.”
“It is,” I agreed.
“You are welcome back whenever the mood strikes you.We have theme weeks for our guests, so sometimes there are some interesting characters running around here, besides us, but everyone is friendly.Just passionate about different things,” Jean said.
“Theme weeks?That sounds like fun,” I said.
They both smiled.“It is.We have six cottages and the main house.Some guests book the entire place for their event, but sometimes we plan the event and open it up to whoever wants to come.When you find something you’re passionate about, it’s always fun to find others who feel the same way,” Cora said.
I nodded.“That’s very true.”
Cora and Jean both turned when a door closed.“We should go, but we will see you again, Reegan,” Jean said, hugging me quickly before she headed back to the house.
Cora hugged me next, then thanked me for stopping by.
I walked back to my car, feeling like visiting Amethyst Bay for the summer was the best thing I could have done.
Five
Josh
I wasdamn near furious with Hannah by the time she finished telling me all the things she had arranged for me to host Evie’s graduation party at my house.The nerve.
She finally declared she was done instructing me on everything that needed to happen and asked me to walk her out.
As always, I couldn’t refuse her.
