Total pages in book: 151
Estimated words: 145823 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145823 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
“Not at all,” I said with a laugh. “I absolutely get what you’re saying.”
“Why don’t you two come over for dinner? I’m sure Peter would love to see you off duty, and I make a really awesome pizza order.”
My watch read four thirty, enough time to take Fin seashell hunting and play a round of her current video game obsession. “Thanks for the offer, but I think we’re going to head home. She’s been itching to shell hunt lately.”
“Daddy! Look at this one!” She leaned over the glass case, already on a step stool and her tiptoes.
“Don’t lean on that, honey,” I told her as I came up behind her. “You might break the glass and get blood all over the pretty jewelry.”
She shot me a grown-up dose of side-eye. “Look at the pink one. It’s pretty!”
And now her face was smashed against the glass. I cringed in Christina’s direction, but she waved me off, already wiping down the other display cases.
“It is pretty,” I assured my girl, seeing the pale-pink sea-glass pendant encased in silver hanging from a chain.
“Morgan would like it.”
Morgan. A week now, and she still hadn’t come back when I’d been home.
“I bet she would. Want to buy it for her?” I offered.
“Nah,” she said, shaking her head. Then she wiggled out from where my arms had caged her and rushed over to Christina. “Miss Tina?” She tugged on Christina’s shirt, just in case her words weren’t enough.
“Yes, sugar?”
“Would you make one for Morgan?” Finley asked.
“One what?”
“A sea-glass necklace? I’ll find the sea glass.” Her blue eyes were puppy-level cute as they widened in expectation.
Christina cocked an eyebrow at me, and I nodded. I guessed I wasn’t the only one missing our neighbor.
“Of course. You can help me set it and everything,” Christina promised.
“Yay! Thank you!” She jumped, throwing her arms in the air. Once she landed, she ran back to me. “We can go now.”
Her permission was given in all seriousness.
“Well, since you’re ready,” I answered.
She nodded, grabbing her small backpack on her way to the door.
“Reconsider dinner?” Christina asked as she walked us out. “We always worry about you two, or is it you three now?”
“Morgan’s just our neighbor.” I hefted Fin into her car seat, and she buckled herself in.
“Well, I’m hearing rumors from a certain barbecue that she might not just be your neighbor.” She gave me a look that said she expected an explanation.
“She’s…” What the hell was Morgan? “She’s beautiful, and smart, and funny, and my neighbor. Fin and I are just taking her under our wings since she’s new. Speaking of which, she could really use a friend here, and you’re the most level-headed woman I know.”
She blinked at me for a second.
“Christina?”
“Oh, I was just trying to decide if level-headed was the compliment I was going for. Fun? Outgoing? Awesome?” she suggested.
“Okay, you are the most fun, outgoing, awesome woman I know. Plus, I think you two would get along great.”
Morgan could deny it all she wanted, but she had to be lonely. I had work and friends and Fin, and even I got lonely sometimes. All Morgan had was a house once Sam left after the summer.
“Have her swing by the shop. I’ll make sure not to creep her out.”
I rubbed my hand on the back of my neck. “Yeah, I’m not sure I can get her to do that. I’ve tried once already, but she’s on the hermit career path at the moment. I swear she’s amazing.”
“So, you want me to go by her place and actually creep her out?” She stared me down.
“Pretty much. Next week, maybe? She’s right next door to us! Thanks!” I hopped into the Land Cruiser and started her up.
“Uh-huh,” she said through the open window. “You’ve got it bad!” she called out.
“Just my neighbor!” I answered as I pulled out of the small parking lot. After what I’d learned about her past, that was all she’d ever let me be.
We turned onto our street a few minutes later. Best part of living on an island was the almost nonexistent commute. Fin slipped her hand out of the window, letting it ride the wind for the last half mile.
Yeah, we were going to be all right, even if Claire never got her shit together in the parenting department.
I noticed two things simultaneously as I pulled into our driveway. The first was that Morgan was home, or at least her Mini was.
The second? Vivian was here.
This had the potential to get really awkward.
I parked, and Fin had already unsnapped her buckles by the time I opened her door. She jumped into my arms, and I shifted her onto my side, shutting the garage behind us as I carried her around the front of the house.
“Morgan!” Fin called out over the sound of men climbing down from Morgan’s almost-finished roof. They’d made a huge amount of progress compared to when I’d left this morning. Half the roof was shingled, and it looked like they were quitting for the day. They even managed to save that old weathervane, which two of the roofers were anchoring back in its original position.