Summer in Promise Cove by Dawes Casey

Author:Dawes, Casey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mountain Vines Publishing
Published: 2023-12-22T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Two

Moose’s Saloon was drawing a good crowd tonight. Vanita hadn’t been in there for a while. She wasn’t a big drinker, and a menu stuffed with hamburgers wasn’t enticing.

She spotted Henry immediately. He was at a corner table, as far away from people as he could get.

He rose when she got there and edged a chair away from the table.

Their arms brushed as she sat down, sending a familiar electric current down her skin.

“I didn’t know what you wanted to drink,” he said.

“Club soda with lemon will be great.”

“Be right back.”

While he was gone, she looked around the bar and waved to a few of the people she knew. There were a great many, considering she’d only been here a month. A sense of belonging wrapped her in warmth.

“Thank you for coming to meet me,” Henry said.

“No problem. You’ve been more than generous feeding us, and I haven’t been able to get you back for another yoga session.” She leaned forward. “It’s really good for you, you know.”

He put his hands up in protest. “I know, I know. I’ll make the time. Promise.” After looking around the bar, he commented, “There’s a lot of people I don’t know here tonight.”

“It’s summer. Isn’t that usual?”

“Yes, but I’ve been here long enough to know the summer people, at least by sight. Both the B and B and the inn tend to attract couples.” The expression on his face stiffened. “This is a different crew. I’ve heard some of the summer people have been doing that temporary rental thing on the internet.”

“Airbnb?” she asked.

“Yeah. That’s it.” He shook his head. “Can’t imagine having a total stranger stay at your place when you’re not there.”

“Sometimes investors buy houses, fill them with cheap furnishings, then rent them out using the service.”

“They can make enough money to cover the mortgage?”

“Apparently. Especially in a place like this.”

Henry sipped his beer.

“Seems wrong somehow,” he said. “People need houses to live in. A lot of veterans are homeless because they can’t afford a place to live. Investors don’t care. They’ll pay more than market price to get what they want.”

“The competition drives up prices in the area,” she said. “You’re right. It can be tough for low income people to get a home.”

Her good mood deflated. Thinking about the state of the world usually did that.

“So what’s going on?” she asked.

Henry looked around the room, then leaned toward her. “Maggie is selling the store.”

She took a moment to absorb the news. There was so much she didn’t know about this town, its history, or the dynamics between the people. But this was going to affect Henry.

And she was beginning to care a great deal about Henry. What her feelings were exactly, she didn’t want to examine too closely.

“What happens to you?” she asked.

“She says she’ll ask whoever buys it to keep Sage and me on for a few months.”

“But that’s not very secure.”

He shook his head.

“I’m so sorry,” she said. Her hand seemed to place itself on his arm of its own volition.

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