A Haven on the Bay by Nicole Ellis

Author:Nicole Ellis [Ellis, Nicole]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Leaping Rabbit Press

12

Samantha

* * *

Sam paced the living room of her one-bedroom apartment. The tenant below probably wouldn’t appreciate the extra noise, but she needed to work off some of her nervous energy. It was the last day of August and she still hadn’t heard back from any of the teaching jobs she’d applied for. At this rate, it was either time to find a new career or move to a different area. She had no desire to do either, but with only a few months of rent saved, she’d need to find something soon.

Tonight, though, she was determined not to let any of it bother her. Meg had fixed her up with her friend, Taylor, and he’d be there any minute to take her out on a date. Sam didn’t have any illusions that Taylor would turn out to be the love of her life, but going out with him would get her family off her back. They seemed convinced that she was falling into depression and being out in public would reassure them she was fine. Besides, she deserved some fun, right?

The voice in the back of her head pushed its way through to the forefront of her thoughts: Do I deserve it? She’d broken Brant’s heart. Did she really deserve to find happiness with someone else?

She hadn’t meant to hurt him. He was her best friend, and she’d thought he was the love of her life. But after they were engaged and she couldn’t muster up excitement over their wedding, she’d known something was wrong. The feelings she had for him were more brotherly than romantic. They’d broken up about a month ago and she still thought about him every day, although they hadn’t talked since the breakup. Falling in love with your best friend was wonderful while it lasted, but devastating when it ended.

Getting back into the dating world wasn’t a bad idea, but a blind date with her sister’s ex-boss wouldn’t have been her first choice. How often did that type of thing really work out? Besides, she’d seen Taylor a few times when Meg still worked at the Willa Bay Lodge, so it wasn’t exactly a blind date. He was reasonably attractive and, per Meg, “a really great guy”.

She looked down at the living room carpet, almost surprised that her repetitive pacing hadn’t worn a path from the kitchen to the sliding glass door that led to the deck. A sound interrupted her thoughts and confused her for a second, until she realized what it was—the doorbell. She spun around and hurried to the front door. A quick glance out of the peephole confirmed that Taylor had arrived.

She opened the door and stepped back to give him the option to step inside or wait in the interior hallway of her apartment building. “Hi.”

“Hi.” He stuck out his hand. “I’ve seen you around, but I don’t think we’ve ever formally met. I’m Taylor.”

She laughed and accepted his handshake. “Well, I’m Samantha, but you can call me Sam. Nice to meet you.

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