dive down out of sight again. Farther out, two windsurfers struggled against the gusting wind and white cap waves. The one with the bright orange sail seemed to be leaning way far back, but managed to stay upright. The one with the rainbow sail fought the good fight, but spent more time trying to erect his sail than he did actually sailing.
Using both hands to hold her hat on in the wind, Jayne let her gaze wander: to the eagle soaring above them, its white head and massive wingspan daunting even from this distance, to the nosy seal who swam a little closer, then a little closer still, to the man far down the beach throwing sticks for his dogs.
“It’s like a whole different world down here,” she breathed.
“Told you it’d do you good.”
“Hey, Nick!” A blond woman in skinny black yoga pants and matching top jogged up, pulling earbuds from her ears as she got closer. “Day off?”
“Nope, just taking a break is all.” He waved his hand between the two women. “Amber, this is Jayne, she’s just moved back to town.”
“Nice to meet you.” Amber smiled brightly as she bounced from one foot to the other.
“Yeah,” Jayne said dryly, running her hands down the front of her paint- and grease-stained sweats and trying to remember if she even brushed her hair before pulling her ball cap on. “You too.”
“Better keep going,” the blonde was saying. “Gotta keep the heart rate up, you know. See you later!” She blew Nick a kiss, pushed her earbuds back in, and jogged off around the corner.
Without a word, he started back the way they’d come, leaving Jayne to stare after him.
“Oh no,” she called after him. “Spill it, buddy. Who’s this Marathon Barbie chick and why is she blowing you kisses? Does Lisa know? Oh, heaven help us, does your
mother
?”
He walked backward until she caught up to him, a stupid grin on his face. “She’s my housekeeper.”
“Shut. Up.”
“True story.” He lifted his hands, palms out. “She comes twice a week and does a hell of a job, don’t you think?”
Jayne pointed down the trail Amber had taken. “
She’s
your maid?”
“Housekeeper.”
“Pardon me,” she mocked. “And does she blow kisses at all her customers?”
“Clients.” He was clearly enjoying himself. “And I dunno. Maybe her other clients don’t tip her like I do.”
“Oh my God, you’re such a pig!”
“What?” he laughed. “People in the service industry don’t make a lot of money, Jayne. They depend on tips to make ends meet.”
“Uh-huh, keep talkin’, pig boy.”
“She’s a single mom trying to make ends meet is all.”
“And who better to help her out with that than a hot rich contractor?”
“Hot?”
He tipped his head toward her, his grin bright, his eyes twinkling. “You think I’m hot?”
“I meant sweaty.”
Nick put his fist to his chest, staggered, and pretended to pull out a knife.
“Idiot.” She gave him a soft shove then laughed when he tripped on a root. “Come on, you need to get back to work, and I’ve got garbage bags to fill.”
“I could stay and help—”
“I’m fine.”
“But—”
“Nick.” She scowled up at him, but with him grinning down at her like that, she couldn’t hold it more than a few seconds. “Go swing your hammer, I’ll be fine.”
“You’ll call me if you need anything?”
“Yes, Mother.”
A one-armed hug, a quick squeeze of her hand, and he was gone, leaving Jayne standing in the doorway of the store, shaking her head.
It’s shit like that, she sighed. If she had any hope of keeping the peace with Debra, or Lisa for that matter, Nick was going to have to stop doing things like that. No more holding her hand, no more kissing her cheek, and he really needed to whoa up on all the hugging.
It was the only way to keep the peace, she knew that, so the old ache that started to press against her heart was just going to have to shut up and be pushed back down where it belonged.
Chapter Six
Screws
Using both hands to hold her hat on in the wind, Jayne let her gaze wander: to the eagle soaring above them, its white head and massive wingspan daunting even from this distance, to the nosy seal who swam a little closer, then a little closer still, to the man far down the beach throwing sticks for his dogs.
“It’s like a whole different world down here,” she breathed.
“Told you it’d do you good.”
“Hey, Nick!” A blond woman in skinny black yoga pants and matching top jogged up, pulling earbuds from her ears as she got closer. “Day off?”
“Nope, just taking a break is all.” He waved his hand between the two women. “Amber, this is Jayne, she’s just moved back to town.”
“Nice to meet you.” Amber smiled brightly as she bounced from one foot to the other.
“Yeah,” Jayne said dryly, running her hands down the front of her paint- and grease-stained sweats and trying to remember if she even brushed her hair before pulling her ball cap on. “You too.”
“Better keep going,” the blonde was saying. “Gotta keep the heart rate up, you know. See you later!” She blew Nick a kiss, pushed her earbuds back in, and jogged off around the corner.
Without a word, he started back the way they’d come, leaving Jayne to stare after him.
“Oh no,” she called after him. “Spill it, buddy. Who’s this Marathon Barbie chick and why is she blowing you kisses? Does Lisa know? Oh, heaven help us, does your
mother
?”
He walked backward until she caught up to him, a stupid grin on his face. “She’s my housekeeper.”
“Shut. Up.”
“True story.” He lifted his hands, palms out. “She comes twice a week and does a hell of a job, don’t you think?”
Jayne pointed down the trail Amber had taken. “
She’s
your maid?”
“Housekeeper.”
“Pardon me,” she mocked. “And does she blow kisses at all her customers?”
“Clients.” He was clearly enjoying himself. “And I dunno. Maybe her other clients don’t tip her like I do.”
“Oh my God, you’re such a pig!”
“What?” he laughed. “People in the service industry don’t make a lot of money, Jayne. They depend on tips to make ends meet.”
“Uh-huh, keep talkin’, pig boy.”
“She’s a single mom trying to make ends meet is all.”
“And who better to help her out with that than a hot rich contractor?”
“Hot?”
He tipped his head toward her, his grin bright, his eyes twinkling. “You think I’m hot?”
“I meant sweaty.”
Nick put his fist to his chest, staggered, and pretended to pull out a knife.
“Idiot.” She gave him a soft shove then laughed when he tripped on a root. “Come on, you need to get back to work, and I’ve got garbage bags to fill.”
“I could stay and help—”
“I’m fine.”
“But—”
“Nick.” She scowled up at him, but with him grinning down at her like that, she couldn’t hold it more than a few seconds. “Go swing your hammer, I’ll be fine.”
“You’ll call me if you need anything?”
“Yes, Mother.”
A one-armed hug, a quick squeeze of her hand, and he was gone, leaving Jayne standing in the doorway of the store, shaking her head.
It’s shit like that, she sighed. If she had any hope of keeping the peace with Debra, or Lisa for that matter, Nick was going to have to stop doing things like that. No more holding her hand, no more kissing her cheek, and he really needed to whoa up on all the hugging.
It was the only way to keep the peace, she knew that, so the old ache that started to press against her heart was just going to have to shut up and be pushed back down where it belonged.
Chapter Six
Screws
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