Barefoot in the Sand by Holly Chamberlin

Author:Holly Chamberlin [Chamberlin, Holly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington Books
Published: 2021-03-22T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 47

The cats were taking one of their daily naps. Quiet reigned in the cottage and the sun was shining brightly. For this, Arden was especially thankful because since the morning she had discovered the puddles of water on the floor of the bookshop, she had lived in dread of rain. One big summer storm, the kind that knocked out power lines and caused the Eliot River to flood, and she could be in big trouble. Of course, her mind might be somewhat put to rest if only she could find a roofer with five minutes to spare.

As good as his word, Gordon had gotten estimates from a few local contractors; unfortunately, without having identified the exact problem, the estimates were all over the map. Even so, the lowest figure was prohibitively high. After sharing this information with Arden, Gordon had offered to loan her the money himself; there would be no interest and she could set the terms of the repayment plan.

Arden’s immediate reaction had been to accept. It would be a quick and easy solution to her problem. But reason came to the rescue before she could commit herself to a folly. She remembered Gordon saying that he felt closer to her now that he knew the truth of her past. Accepting Gordon’s offer of a loan might give him the false impression that she was ready to take a further step in their relationship, and she wasn’t.

And what if she couldn’t stick to the repayment plan? Money could destroy even a healthy relationship between friends. Polonius might have been an annoying babbler, but he was right when he advised that one should neither a borrower nor a lender be.

She had thanked Gordon sincerely and declined. He didn’t protest her decision, and since then things had gone on as usual. Still, Arden wondered if she hadn’t inadvertently issued a death blow to the relationship. She sincerely hoped she had not because other single women in Eliot’s Corner would be more than happy to walk hand in hand with Gordon through life. How long would it be before Gordon, a human being with the human need for companionship, turned his attentions to, say, Jeanie Shardlake, a forty-five-year-old artist whose work was shown in galleries in Portland as well as Boston, or, say, to Martha Benbow, fifty-two, who had inherited her family’s construction business and taken it to greater heights than her forebears could have imagined? Both women were intelligent, hardworking, creative, and kind. If Gordon entered a romantic relationship with either of those women, or, indeed, with any other woman, Arden’s friendship with him would be dealt a blow.

But she was not in control of Gordon’s emotional life. She was only in charge of her own. And right then, Arden’s foremost concern was that she hadn’t yet heard from Laura, who had been planning to meet with Rob’s sister Frannie that morning. Arden hoped the meeting hadn’t been difficult for her daughter—or, indeed, for Frannie. Arden remembered Rob telling

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