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I shookto keep the pain out of my eyes

Whatever Bailey saw there e the road that you’re on I have never believed that you need a fancy-ass career and a fancy-ass house to be happy In fact, if Vaughn Treht Good people, Jess, good people are what makes somewhere a home I don’t know your story and frankly I really don’t need to because I know you I also know you don’t have a ho that e you are”

I fought the tears burning in the back of my eyes at her kind words

They confused the hell out of me More than that, they put me at ith myself

“Your fuck buddy is currently sitting in my reception area,” Bailey said abruptly

Confused, it took me a moment to make sense of what she’d said Then a jolt of surprise, and not pleasant surprise, had me on my feet “Andrew is here?”

“Yup” She stood up to follow uy?”

“E Bailey as we passed the bookstore counter

Emery frowned and asked, “Will I see you before you leave?”

Warmth supplanted some of the unpleasant surprise from its hold on my chest “Definitely I promise”

We shared a s up the boardwalk

“Wow, she really does talk to you And likes you See! That there is a sign, Jessica Huntington Emery Saunders has owned that place for seven years and has never befriended any of the locals But youyou she befriends That’s a sign!”

I foundbecause as confused as I was about my life, I couldn’t coh to want me to stick around

“Back to uy?”

“It’s as simple as his hot body”

“I’ to deal with him”

“We understand each other” That was partly true The bigger truth, I realized, was that Andrew keptsafe and cold

I felt comfortable in my unemotional relationship with hi I had allowedelse to throorld into chaos

A few hours later I founddown Main Street with Andrew at otten to the inn I wanted to stomp my foot like a sa elcome

Instead I was shocked by the way he hugged me and said, “I orried when you didn’t answer ht I’d come check on you”

In other words he wanted to get laid

But the si sex with him left me uncomfortable

And I couldn’t shake that feeling

Plus the ether in Hartwell that day, thehe became

“I can’t believe you came here for a vacation” He made a face as alked down Main Street “Seriously, Jessicaif you wanted a real vacation I would have taken you to Bora-Bora”

In order not to have a public fight, I kept silent as he suggested alk back to the inn Obviously he was done seeing the sights of Hartwell

And that hen things went from bad to worse

As alking by the park uy who appeared to be replacing the steps up to the bandstand And then they swung back because I recognized his profile

Shit

Cooper

He stood up, grabbing a bottle of water, andhim drink it Holy crap

Shirtless Cooper with his iht to behold And then there was the way the tool belt around his hips dragged a little on his jeans, but not quite enough to giveshame

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he drank the water and I became mesmerized by a bead of sweat that rolled down his neck and over his chest I had the sudden urge to run my hands all over him

I hadn’t thought it was possible to get that turned on just looking at a man

“Do you know hi

“OhWell—”

“Doc?”

I froze at Cooper’s voice and nodded at Andrew “Yup,” I said before looking back over at Cooper He stood with a hand above his eyes, shading them from the sun so he could see me

Caught, I had no recourse but to walk over to him with Andrew at my side

Cooper’s gaze flicked to Andrew and as we came to a stop in front of him he dropped his hand His eyes remained narrowed on my companion

“What are you doing?” I gestured to the bandstand steps

He continued to stare at Andreas eyeing him with suspicion “Last time the bandstand was used they dropped a piano they were trying to remove Piano was busted and so were a few of the stairs I said I’d fix it So I’ it”

Bartender,this man couldn’t do with his hands?

Stop thinking about his hands

I cleared the lust out of my throat before I said, “You’re very handy, aren’t you?” okto keep the pain out of my eyes