6. Chapter Six
Chapter Six
It had been a fun evening.
Jenna had enjoyed hanging out with her sisters: Darby, and Myra. And then there had been her friends Lisa Porter and Carly Sorenson.
She was glad she’d started the book club. They read one book a month and met afterward to discuss said book, but in actuality, they spent most of the evening catching up on each other’s lives.
This evening’s main topic of conversation had been about Jenna’s new neighbor.
Everyone had questions about Simon, but she had no answers.
She knew next to nothing about him. Everyone encouraged her to get to know him, and honestly, the idea did appeal to her—but purely from a next-door-neighbor point-of-view.
With it being a work night for most everyone, except her, her guests departed by eight thirty. After a quick clean-up, Jenna felt restless.
Perhaps a walk on the beach would help clear her mind. With that thought in mind, she headed out the back door, down the steps, and out onto the beach. The next thing she knew, there was a large dog running toward her. It was hard to make out what breed it was in the long shadows of evening.
But as the dog drew closer, she noticed the wagging tail. And then she was able to make out that it was her furry friend from the other day.
When the dog reached her, his nose pressed to the back of her hand. “Well, hello to you too.”
She knelt down to fuss over him. The dog ate up the attention. He was so sweet it made her consider getting a dog of her own. Maybe one of these days...
“Gus! Get over here,” a male voice called out.
Gus? So, that was his name. It was a cute name.
“Gus!”
The dog’s head turned in the direction of the shadowy figure headed in their direction. Oh no. Somebody is in trouble. The dog didn’t make any movements to go to that person.
Just in case the dog got any ideas about running from its owner again, she hooked her fingers around his collar as she continued to pet him with her other hand.
“Gus, you need to stop running off.”
She knew that male voice. As she was crouched there next to the dog, she turned her head in the direction of the man who came to a stop next to them. Her chin tilted upward until at last she saw the handsome face of her new neighbor.
“Wait,” she said. “He’s your dog?”
Simon nodded. “This is Gus. He isn’t normally a runner. However, he has a mind of his own and a stubborn streak. I take it you two previously met?”
When Gus didn’t make any motion to leave, she released her hold on his collar and straightened. “We actually met the other day right here on this beach. He’s very sweet. But aren’t you afraid of losing him?”
“I was when I first got him from the animal shelter. He was forever running away. I could only figure he was searching for the people who raised him. The same people who dumped him at the shelter. But as time went by, he settled into his new home with me, and now he wanders away less. I think he also has a curious mind, and he likes to explore. He always comes home.” Simon’s gaze moved to Gus.
He ran a hand over his head. “Don’t you, boy? ”
The dog leaned into his touch. It was obvious the affection went both directions.
“I was just out for a stroll,” she said.
“So are we.”
This was her opportunity to get to know her neighbor better. “We could walk together, if you want.”
He hesitated. “I don’t want to intrude.”
“You won’t be.”
And so, they set off as the last of the sun’s rays were replaced with moonlight. The moonbeams played upon the swells of the ocean. She loved this time of the evening. It was the end of a day well-done and the promise of a chance to do better the next day.
She was dying to know more about him. “Where are you from?”
He glanced her way. “What makes you think I’m not from right here on the island?”
“Because Bluestar is still small enough that everyone knows everyone else. And no one knows anything about you.”
He sent her a little smile, as though he preferred to be a man of mystery. And then he was quiet, as though weighing his words. “I’m from Tennessee.”
“And what brought you to Bluestar?”
There was another pause. “A friend recommended the island.”
“Your friend has good taste.”
“I agree.”
He wasn’t much into making conversation. If she kept asking him questions, he was going to start feeling like she was conducting some sort of interview. And that was not what she wanted.
She would like them to be friends, and friends don’t interview each other. They open up to each other willingly. And so, that was what she decided to do.
“I was born and raised on the island. I work at the Island Market. So, if you have any questions about Bluestar, you can ask me. I’ll probably know the answer.”
The quietness stretched on long enough that she thought their conversation was over, but then he said, “What was it like growing up here?”
She shrugged. “Probably the way it is in most small towns—safe and boring.”
His brows drew together. “That’s not a very stellar endorsement.”
She let out a laugh. “Sorry. I meant to say it’s the best place to grow up.”
“Uh…huh…”
“No. Really. It is. I have lifelong friends. If I needed them, they would drop whatever they were doing to help me.”
“Were those the friends you had over at your place tonight?”
“You noticed?”
He nodded. “I had the windows open and heard the knocking. I thought maybe it was your birthday.”
“Nope. My birthday isn’t until January. It was actually my book club.”
He stopped walking. “Book club?”
Was that worry she heard in his voice? If so, why would he be worried about her book club? She gave herself a mental shake. She’d obviously imagined it.
“I started a book club a little while back. We take turns picking a book to read. We read one book each month, then we get together to discuss it.”
“What kind of books do you read?”
She was impressed that he had taken an interest. “I read a lot of thrillers, but sometimes I’ll read a romance. It depends.”
“And those are the types of books you read at your book club?”
“Sometimes. There’s no rule on the type of books you can pick when it’s your turn. This month my sister Darby picked science-fiction.”
When he swallowed, she could see his Adam’s apple bob. “What’s the title?”
She arched a brow. “Why? Are you into science-fiction?”
“Sometimes.”
“Well, I don’t remember the title. It’s one I’ve never heard about before.”
He turned and started to talk again. She fell in step with him. She felt as though there was something on his mind that he wasn’t ready to tell her. The question she had was, what did it have to do with her book club?
And then the pieces came together. She’d figured out what was bothering him. “Would you like to join the book club?”
He glanced over at her. “Are you serious?”
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
He shrugged. “It’s just that everyone in your group is a woman.”
She let out a laugh. “You’re worried about a bunch of women ganging up on you.”
“No. I’m not.” His answer was too quick.
She continued to smile. “I don’t believe you.”
“I’m not.”
The more he protested, the more she didn’t believe him. “Well, if you change your mind, let me know. I’ll tell you the title of the month, and then you can get a copy at the Seaside Bookshop in town.”
“Thanks. I’ll keep it in mind.”
Gus ran circles around them as they slowly made their way down the beach. At one point, Simon pulled a ball from his pocket. In the moonlight she could barely make out the color. Red. It was a red ball.
“Surely you aren’t going to throw that in the dark,” she said.
“Why not? Gus has really good vision.”
“And what if he can’t find it?”
By now, Gus had spotted the ball in Simon’s hand and was begging for him to throw it. Simon raised his arm and let the ball go flying down the beach. Gus took off after it.
“If he can’t find it, we’ll look in the morning. And if it’s truly lost, I’ll get him another one.”
She shrugged. The man was certainly used to doing things his way. Something told her he wasn’t in a committed relationship that required a lot of give and take. But she wasn’t certain, and that nagged at her.
“So, will your wife or girlfriend be joining you while you’re on Bluestar?” She hadn’t intended to ask that question but the words were out of her mouth before she could stop them.
“No. Don’t have either.”
She couldn’t ignore the flutter of her heart upon hearing his admission.
She told it to settle down. They were neighbors, doing neighborly things like talking as they took a stroll.
But another part of her had to point out that it was a moonlit stroll along a beach.
It was like something out of one of those romance novels they read for book club.
A frustrated groan swelled within her. She choked it down, not wanting Simon to get a whiff of her meandering thoughts. This was all her sisters’ and friends’ fault. They’d had a grand time teasing her about Simon a lot of the evening. She supposed some of it had stuck in her head.
And now when he looked at her, she suddenly felt awkward. Her skin warmed every place that his gaze touched. And her heart was beating double-time.
Gus ran back to them. He dropped the ball at their feet. The moment ended as quickly as it had started.
They both bent over to pick up. Their heads bumped into each other. The ball was forgotten as she jerked herself upright. Simon straightened at the same time. And then she wondered when they’d moved so close together. Maybe the moment wasn’t over after all. Maybe the moment was just beginning.
She raised her gaze to meet his. He stared directly into her eyes. Her heart pounded.
His gaze dipped ever so slightly. Was he looking at her lips? Was he thinking of kissing her?
Her heart beat faster. She should turn away. She should retrace her steps back to the beach house.
Her body refused to move. It was like he’d cast a spell over her, and her body was held captive.
When his gaze met hers again, she thought she saw a spark of desire burning in his eyes. Then she told herself it wasn’t possible to see in the moonlight. Did that mean she’d conjured up the idea because she wanted him to kiss her?
She didn’t have time to answer that question before he was reaching out to her. Her heart lodged in her throat, trapping the air in her lungs. He was going to kiss her.
And then his fingertips brushed gently over her cheek. Her skin tingled where he touched her. The breath trapped in her lungs. Anticipation pulsed through her veins.
And then his hand fell from her face. “You had some strands of hair in your face.”
She did? She hadn’t noticed. The only thing she’d noticed was his closeness—his stare—his touch.
Simon turned toward home and threw the ball. Gus took off running after it. And now, the moment was most definitely over. Disappointment slammed into her chest.
Simon had already retraced a few of their steps by the time Jenna’s mind kicked into gear. She hurried to catch up to him.
The walk home was quiet as she replayed that moment in the moonlight. He had almost kissed her—hadn’t he? The real question was would she have kissed him back?
Before she had an answer to that question, they arrived at the bottom of their individual steps. She paused and turned to him. Just looking at Simon made her heart beat faster.
“Thank you for the walk.” And then she wondered if that sounded silly.
“I enjoyed your company.” And then he followed Gus up the stairs.
As she climbed the stairs, she found herself smiling. If she could get past the thoughts her sister and everyone else had put in her mind about Simon, she might have found a friend. Her smile broadened.