This Can't Be Love (Whispering Bay Romance 5)

He scanned the book with his own card and handed it back to her.

“I really appreciate you letting me loan out books without a local library card.”

“Hey, we book geeks have to stick together. How much longer will you be in town?”

“Three weeks and three days,” she answered automatically.

He grinned. “Anxious to get out of here much?”

Last week she might have answered yes. Not that she didn’t like Whispering Bay. It was just the opposite, the little town had really grown on her, but a part of her was itching to get on with the rest of her life. But, after the last few days, she had to admit that saying good-bye to Luke was going to be hard. She was going to miss him… Wait. She mentally shook her head. She’d asked him for some really good sex and he’d come through like a champ. It was the sex that she’d miss. Not him.

“It’s just that my mom and I are going on a cruise for Labor Day weekend and I’m really looking forward to a vacation.”

“Yeah, Lucy’s been working pretty hard, too.” Then he added in a low voice. “It’s hard to believe that Frida and Ed Hampton want to sell The Bistro. Did you know that Lucy’s thinking of buying the place?”

“She mentioned it.”

“Sebastian doesn’t have the money to help. Priests don’t exactly make a lot, you know, and she doesn’t want to ask her parents for the money. Lucy’s proud that way.”

Sarah nodded. She knew exactly how Lucy felt.

“But…I wouldn’t mind helping her,” Will said finally. “I’ve offered but she’s turned me down flat.”

“You mean help her financially?” Sarah asked, surprised. Librarians weren’t exactly known to be rolling in it and Will was still young. No more than thirty at most, so he couldn’t have had much time to build up enough savings to invest in a business as risky as a restaurant. Maybe he had some family money.

He nodded. “Yeah, I’ve…come into some money lately and I’ve been thinking about the best way to invest it. But Lucy’s so stubborn. Maybe you could talk to her about it?”

“Maybe Lucy doesn’t want to mix business with pleasure,” Sarah said mildly.

Will frowned. “Pleasure? Oh, you mean…” He laughed. “Me and Lucy? That’s rich! No, Lucy’s like a little sister to me. Nothing more.”

Sarah searched Will’s face for any telltale signs that he might be overcompensating but he looked sincere enough. She sighed. So much for a Lucy and Will romance. If Lucy really did have a crush on Will, as Sarah suspected, then it didn’t look as if it was reciprocated.

“I’ll make sure to talk to Lucy about the loan,” Sarah said. “And thanks again for the book.”

* * *

Luke was a coward, but he didn’t want to do this alone, so he invited Mimi to have lunch with him and their mother at The Harbor House, Whispering Bay’s fanciest restaurant. Mom was running late, but she always had the shrimp salad with white wine, so Mimi took the liberty of ordering for her. They sat at a table overlooking the water. The server brought them their drinks, along with a basket of bread which Mimi practically attacked.

“How are you feeling?” he asked. It seemed as if she got more pregnant every time he saw her.

She placed a hand over her belly. “Fabulous, now that the nausea has gone away.” She smirked. “So, how did the big date go?”

He didn’t say anything, but just the thought of Sarah made him, well, happy. But then good sex did that, he supposed.

“Well, well, well…” Mimi said smugly. “I was right! I knew you and Sarah would be perfect for one another.”

He took a sip of his beer and tried for a neutral expression. It was the first opportunity he’d had to speak to Mimi alone since the weekend he’d watched Cameron, and he didn’t want to talk about himself, that’s for sure. “Everything on schedule for Claire at Duke?” The best way to distract a mother was to get her talking about her kids.

His sister, naturally, took the bait. “She’s so excited! She’s thinking of pledging a sorority. What do you think? You did the frat thing. Should she pledge or go indie?”

“Whichever. Either way, she’ll do fine.”

“Well, I know that.”

He pushed the bread basket her way. “Eat some more carbs, Grumpy. How’s Toby? He hasn’t run away anymore, has he?”

“Nope.” Her face went soft. “Cameron pretty much thinks you walk on water, you know that?”