Off the Hook: A Small Town Single Dad Romance (Never Harbor Book 1) by Julie Olivia

Author:Julie Olivia [Olivia, Julie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-10-25T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

Just Friends

Wendy

Never Harbor is shrouded in rain for days, making the usual summer outdoor adventures impossible.

I’m pretty sure the rain is taunting me. That or it’s a personification of my moods, which have felt significantly less happy since the party at The Hideaway.

I try not to think about my situation with Jasper, but it’s difficult when he still looks at me like he’s in pain, scouring my body, as if it’s punishment for the thoughts he’s had. Staring, but not touching.

My brain knows we made the right decision. I owe so much to the Davies family. Harming that dynamic would be irresponsible and selfish.

But my heart argues otherwise. It beats for Jasper when he does simple things, like carrying in groceries, or chasing Sam, or when I find a new jar of pickles sitting in the fridge. It beats at the sight of his tortured eyes as I mentally plead that it’s not him that’s the problem; it’s the situation.

The week passes with blurry clouds and dreary rainfall. Puddles form along the sidewalks on Main, making them difficult to maneuver, even with decent rain boots. The beaches are uncharacteristically empty, the symphony of waves now accompanied by plunks on the rocky shore. Shops, though open for business, feel shuttered as their cute hanging signs drown in droplets.

Sam and I walk down the street in our raincoats, Roger on his leash and covered in a clear plastic jacket of his own, ears flopping through the tiny holes in the hood. I promised Sam we’d go to the library, and after four days inside, I’m seeing to it that we get out even if we get drenched along the way. One more unnecessary breakdown about stepping on a toy, and both of us were going to start a violent pillow fight.

I open one of the library double doors for Sam, taking his coat off, then mine, and then Roger’s. I loop his leash around the inside vestibule’s bike stand and pat his head.

“Be back in five.”

Sam runs to the children’s section—good Lord, please get that energy out—as I mosey up to the front desk.

I rise to my toes and look at the volunteer on the other side. “Hey, dork.”

Milo sits behind the desk with a book folded open. He peers up at me with his head playfully tilted to the side before dog-earing the page and closing it.

“Don’t you know dog-earing is generally frowned upon?” I tease.

He lets out a rush of air through his nose, already smiling. Milo’s smiles feel genuine. They always reach his eyes.

“I live life on the edge,” he counters.

“Hardly.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, is walking through the rain edgy now?”

“Well, it could be if I also said we listened to ’90s rock on the way.”

“And did you?”

“Sure.”

“Then, sure. You win.”

“Too easy.”

He laughs, removing his horn-rimmed glasses and setting them to the side before leaning back in his seat and rubbing his eyes.

“How’s Jas and his little pirate?”

I turn around, spotting Sam waddling through the bookshelves, his arms already overflowing with Golden Books and likely a couple of Pete the Cat novels.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.