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“Saturday morning. Most locals are sleeping off their hangovers. And the tourists have already come and gone. They’re already at the beach,” she says but she won’t meet my gaze.
IsPirates Pastriessuffering? I hope not. The bakery has been an institution in Smuggler’s Rest ever since I can remember. It would devastate Parker who bought the place a few years ago when she returned to the island after graduating from culinary school.
“Are you off to the beach?”
“Nah. I need to search for a new place to live.”
“You’re finally living in the house with the man you’ve wanted since sixth grade and you’re not staying?”
I groan. “You remember?”
She giggles. “It’s kind of hard to forget you pushing down Eli on the playground and declaring you weren’t available because you were going to marry Flynn someday.”
“I was eleven. It didn’t mean anything.”
“What about high school graduation?”
My face heats with the memory of Flynn humiliating me at graduation. This is why I didn’t want to move back to Smuggler’s Hideaway. Memories are not a girl’s best friend.
“I’ve grown up since then.”
“And you’re looking for some place to live?”
“Which is apparently impossible since it’s tourist season.”
“I may have something for you.”
I perk up. “You do?”
She holds up a hand. “I said maybe.”
“What’s the catch?”
“The place isn’t in the best of shape.”
“Does it have running water?” She nods. “Does the water get hot?” She nods. “I’m in.”
“Maybe I should show it to you first.”
“When do you close? I can come back later.”
“We can go now. I’ll have Holly watch the front of the store. Give me a sec.” She disappears through the door to the kitchen and returns less than a minute later with a girl. “Holly will watch the store.”
She grabs a bunch of keys from a drawer underneath the counter and motions me toward the rear of the building.
“My car’s out front.”
“You don’t need your car.”
I follow her out of the rear exit. “This is it.” She points to the door next to the exit.
“You have an apartment above your store?”
She unlocks the door and leads me up the stairs. “It used to be storage but we don’t need an entire floor of storage.”
She stops at another door. “Ready?”
“You’re making me nervous.”
