The One Real Thing (Hart's Boardwalk 1)

I turned to her and saw she was looking around at the room with pride and satisfaction. “Thank you. It’s beautiful.”

Bailey grinned and dropped the key in my hand. “Get some sleep. Tomorrow we’ll get to know each other.” She said it like it was a no-brainer, like all innkeepers set out to make their guests their best friends.

Honestly I didn’t mind the thought of Bailey trying to get to know me.

At that point I was too exhausted to mind anything.

“Good night,” she said as she closed the door.

“Good night,” I called back.

That was when I really noticed the bed.

“Come to Mama.” I gestured to it at the same time I stumbled toward it.

When I woke up the next morning, I was on top of the covers still fully clothed.

SIX

Jessica

The first thing I did after I showered was open the French doors in my room. I stepped out onto the balcony that overlooked the boardwalk and the ocean beyond and I didn’t even care that it was a cloudy, gray day above me.

Instead I enjoyed the wind blowing up off the water because it carried with it the smell of sea and the sound of the surf. I closed my eyes, listening to that gentle rush, the lap of water against the beach, the cry of gulls in the air, and I felt a moment of complete peace.

I’d been so concerned about what this vacation meant because, like always, I was overanalyzing it. Maybe it didn’t have to be this monumental trip that would somehow change my life. Maybe it would just be a vacation. Three weeks of peace and contentment.

I reluctantly walked back into my room, closing the doors and shutting out the sounds of the ocean. Digging through my purse I pulled out my cell and sent Matthew a text.

You were right. I needed this. x.

Once I was dressed, hair dried and styled, makeup on, I headed downstairs for breakfast. It was nine thirty, so I’d just make it.

The dining room was empty when I took a seat, other guests having gotten up way earlier than I had, or having slept in even later.

I was looking at the menu when a door at the back of the cozy room swung open, revealing a kitchen beyond it. The door slammed shut and I lifted my gaze to the person who was striding out of the kitchen toward me.

Bailey grinned at me. “Morning.”

“Good morning.” I smiled back at her.

“You slept well?”

“Yes, thank you. I feel so much better. I’m sorry if I was a little out of it last night.”

“Don’t even apologize. I could see you were dead on your feet. Will we start you off with some coffee?”

“Please.”

“Okeydokey. I’ll let you look over the menu.”

Bailey was back a few minutes later with my coffee. I wanted to snatch it desperately from her hands but somehow managed to refrain from doing so, waiting impatiently for her to take my order so I could descend on the coffee like the caffeine fiend I was.

“I’ll have the scrambled eggs, bacon, and pancakes, please.” My stomach practically growled just thinking about it.

“Great choice.” She cocked her head to the side. “I haven’t eaten yet. You mind if I join you? And please feel free to tell me ‘hell no’ if you want some peace.”

I laughed, surprised by her request but definitely not annoyed by it. “I’m happy for the company.”

“Great! I think I’ll have what you’re having.” She strode back to the kitchen, calling out as she pushed her way inside, “Hey, Mona, two scrambled eggs, bacon, and—” The door slammed shut behind her, completely silencing the room.

Not too long later, I’d had my first shot of heavenly caffeine and Bailey was back with both of our meals. She sat down in the chair opposite me to dig into hers.

I shoveled a forkful of pancakes and egg into my mouth as soon as the plate was put in front of me.

“So,” Bailey said once she’d swallowed, “I’m usually not this weird innkeeper who crashes her guests’ breakfast. My alarm didn’t go off this morning.”

I snorted, unable to laugh without spraying my breakfast everywhere. Once I’d swallowed, I said, “I really don’t mind. It’s nice, actually.”

“Good.” She grinned. “Tom would say this is so unprofessional.”

“Tom?”

“My boyfriend. We’ve been together for nine years. He’s the yin to my yang. Although yin is getting a little annoyed with the yang lately. I lost my deputy manager to New York last month and so I’ve been running around like a headless chicken while I try to find someone I trust to do the damn job, and Tom is all ‘Slow down, Bailey, before you kill yourself.’”

I blinked at her rambling.

She laughed. “Sorry. He also says I talk too fast sometimes. He says it makes me sound twelve. I’m thirty-three.”

I was surprised. She looked younger than me. “We’re the same age.”

“We are? What do you do? Say innkeeper and it’ll freak me out.”

Smiling, I shook my head. “No. I’m a doctor.”

Bailey’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“Yup.”

“A doctor? In a hospital, or do you have your own practice?”

“I’m a physician at a prison, actually. A women’s prison.”

“No way!”

I laughed. “Yes way.”

“Well, I was impressed by doctor, but I’m even more impressed by doctor in a women’s prison. That is hard-core. You know, this town could do with a hard-core doctor. You lookin’?” She winked teasingly. ned to her and saw she was looking around at the room with pride and satisfaction. “Thank you. It’s beautiful.”

Bailey grinned and dropped the key in my hand. “Get some sleep. Tomorrow we’ll get to know each other.” She said it like it was a no-brainer, like all innkeepers set out to make their guests their best friends.

Honestly I didn’t mind the thought of Bailey trying to get to know me.

At that point I was too exhausted to mind anything.

“Good night,” she said as she closed the door.

“Good night,” I called back.

That was when I really noticed the bed.

“Come to Mama.” I gestured to it at the same time I stumbled toward it.

When I woke up the next morning, I was on top of the covers still fully clothed.

SIX

Jessica

The first thing I did after I showered was open the French doors in my room. I stepped out onto the balcony that overlooked the boardwalk and the ocean beyond and I didn’t even care that it was a cloudy, gray day above me.

Instead I enjoyed the wind blowing up off the water because it carried with it the smell of sea and the sound of the surf. I closed my eyes, listening to that gentle rush, the lap of water against the beach, the cry of gulls in the air, and I felt a moment of complete peace.

I’d been so concerned about what this vacation meant because, like always, I was overanalyzing it. Maybe it didn’t have to be this monumental trip that would somehow change my life. Maybe it would just be a vacation. Three weeks of peace and contentment.

I reluctantly walked back into my room, closing the doors and shutting out the sounds of the ocean. Digging through my purse I pulled out my cell and sent Matthew a text.

You were right. I needed this. x.

Once I was dressed, hair dried and styled, makeup on, I headed downstairs for breakfast. It was nine thirty, so I’d just make it.

The dining room was empty when I took a seat, other guests having gotten up way earlier than I had, or having slept in even later.

I was looking at the menu when a door at the back of the cozy room swung open, revealing a kitchen beyond it. The door slammed shut and I lifted my gaze to the person who was striding out of the kitchen toward me.

Bailey grinned at me. “Morning.”

“Good morning.” I smiled back at her.

“You slept well?”

“Yes, thank you. I feel so much better. I’m sorry if I was a little out of it last night.”

“Don’t even apologize. I could see you were dead on your feet. Will we start you off with some coffee?”

“Please.”

“Okeydokey. I’ll let you look over the menu.”

Bailey was back a few minutes later with my coffee. I wanted to snatch it desperately from her hands but somehow managed to refrain from doing so, waiting impatiently for her to take my order so I could descend on the coffee like the caffeine fiend I was.

“I’ll have the scrambled eggs, bacon, and pancakes, please.” My stomach practically growled just thinking about it.

“Great choice.” She cocked her head to the side. “I haven’t eaten yet. You mind if I join you? And please feel free to tell me ‘hell no’ if you want some peace.”

I laughed, surprised by her request but definitely not annoyed by it. “I’m happy for the company.”

“Great! I think I’ll have what you’re having.” She strode back to the kitchen, calling out as she pushed her way inside, “Hey, Mona, two scrambled eggs, bacon, and—” The door slammed shut behind her, completely silencing the room.

Not too long later, I’d had my first shot of heavenly caffeine and Bailey was back with both of our meals. She sat down in the chair opposite me to dig into hers.

I shoveled a forkful of pancakes and egg into my mouth as soon as the plate was put in front of me.

“So,” Bailey said once she’d swallowed, “I’m usually not this weird innkeeper who crashes her guests’ breakfast. My alarm didn’t go off this morning.”

I snorted, unable to laugh without spraying my breakfast everywhere. Once I’d swallowed, I said, “I really don’t mind. It’s nice, actually.”

“Good.” She grinned. “Tom would say this is so unprofessional.”

“Tom?”

“My boyfriend. We’ve been together for nine years. He’s the yin to my yang. Although yin is getting a little annoyed with the yang lately. I lost my deputy manager to New York last month and so I’ve been running around like a headless chicken while I try to find someone I trust to do the damn job, and Tom is all ‘Slow down, Bailey, before you kill yourself.’”

I blinked at her rambling.

She laughed. “Sorry. He also says I talk too fast sometimes. He says it makes me sound twelve. I’m thirty-three.”

I was surprised. She looked younger than me. “We’re the same age.”

“We are? What do you do? Say innkeeper and it’ll freak me out.”

Smiling, I shook my head. “No. I’m a doctor.”

Bailey’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“Yup.”

“A doctor? In a hospital, or do you have your own practice?”

“I’m a physician at a prison, actually. A women’s prison.”

“No way!”

I laughed. “Yes way.”

“Well, I was impressed by doctor, but I’m even more impressed by doctor in a women’s prison. That is hard-core. You know, this town could do with a hard-core doctor. You lookin’?” She winked teasingly.