The One Real Thing (Hart's Boardwalk 1)

Doesn’t help when you have a waitress taking advantage of you, he grumbled to himself.

Riley smirked as if she’d read his thoughts. “Boss, you do what you need to do,” she said pointedly as she took the drinks.

He shot a brooding look over at Lil. She was smiling as she jotted down a drinks order.

She was a nice girl, good at the job when she actually turned up on time . . . and he hated firing people.

The door to the bar opened and in stepped the distraction Cooper needed.

The doc.

His whole being became alert at the sight of Jessica walking into the bar with Bailey and Tom.

It had been a week since he had seen her and he had to admit he’d thought about Jessica often, hoping she’d come into the bar again. The more time passed without seeing her, the more his resolve grew that if she didn’t come in soon he’d go in search of her himself.

“Coop.” Bailey grinned as she approached the bar with Tom and Jessica in tow. “How’s it going?” She slid onto a stool. Tom took the stool on her left while Jessica took the one on her right.

As always he was happy to see Bailey. She was like a little sister to him. Sweetest, funniest, most outspoken woman he knew. His eyes slid to Tom Sutton. The guy worked for a small Web-based company in Dover. He and Cooper were different types of guys so they didn’t spend a lot of time together, but he seemed to make Bailey happy, and that was all that mattered.

He nodded at Tom and he grinned back.

Then Cooper’s gaze slid to the doc. His eyes drifted over her pretty face and that fantastic hair of hers, and then down.

His blood heated.

She was wearing a dark red shirt and the top few buttons were undone, showing off her cleavage. He instantly imagined what lay underneath the shirt.

Lust stirred within him, but he kept it under control when he lifted his gaze to hers. “Evening, Doc. Nice to see you again.”

“You, too,” she said in that soft, sultry voice.

Damn, he’d forgotten how much he liked the sound of her voice.

“What’s your poison tonight?”

“I’ll have a Long Island.”

Bailey shot the doc an envious look. “Ooh, that sounds good. But I shouldn’t. I’m technically ‘on call’ tonight and I’ll get drunk on a Long Island. I’ll just have a white wine.”

“You need more staff.” Tom sighed. “You need your life back.” He turned to Cooper. “I’ll have my usual.”

He got to work getting their drinks, all the while listening in on the conversation. Mostly to hear Jessica talk.

“The inn is my life,” Bailey said.

“A building is not your life.”

Cooper would have to disagree with Tom on that. The bar was his life. He knew exactly where Bailey was coming from.

“Since my business is inside that building, then yes, it is my life. It’s not all my life, but it’s a pretty damn big part of it.”

“Look at Jessica,” Tom said. “I mean, she’s a doctor and she has managed to find time to live her life.”

“Uh, what do you mean by she’s a doctor? Are you belittling what I do for a living?”

“And I should say that I take one vacation a year . . . the rest of the time I work . . . a lot . . .” Jessica added.

“No, I wasn’t belittling you, sweetheart,” Tom said, ignoring the doc. “What you’ve done with the inn is amazing. I just worry about you.”

Cooper turned back with the Long Island as Bailey gave Tom a small kiss on the lips.

“I’m fine,” she promised.

As they gazed into each other’s eyes, seeming to share some private communication, Cooper looked at the doc and was instantly arrested by what he saw on her face.

Not only was there a hint of longing there, but also a strange mix of curiosity and sadness.

She glanced over at him, caught him studying her, and immediately wiped her expression.

Interesting.

“Your Long Island, Doc.” He put it on the counter in front of her.

“Thanks.” She refused to meet his eyes.

“Boss,” Lily called from down the bar.

Riley was busy making up another drinks order so Cooper reluctantly moved away from Jessica to take Lily’s order.

All the time he was working he shot surreptitious looks Jessica’s way. From his viewpoint it would appear as if she and Bailey had known each other their whole lives. They sat close and chatted with ease and familiarity, laughing together at whatever Tom was saying to them.

Finally he got a break to move back up the bar to them.

“So, Doc,” he interrupted. “You enjoying Hartwell?”

The Long Island must have hit her pretty fast because she gave him a far more open smile than the one she’d given him earlier. “I love it. Good people.” She nudged Bailey with her shoulder and Bailey chuckled. “Good views. Good restaurants. Good atmosphere. I’ve never been somewhere that is such a close-knit community. You’re all like one big family here. I feel like you’d probably do anything for each other. I’m kind of envious.” She grinned. “And quite frankly this is the best Long Island I’ve ever had.”

He nodded at the compliment. “Glad you’re enjoying it. You want another?”

He was glad she was enjoying all of it. It felt good that Jessica liked all the things he liked about his town. But more than that, he liked that she saw beyond what the tourists saw. She saw what made this place special—the solid connection between everyone who worked on the boardwalk, which made working there feel like he was coming home every day. ’t help when you have a waitress taking advantage of you, he grumbled to himself.

Riley smirked as if she’d read his thoughts. “Boss, you do what you need to do,” she said pointedly as she took the drinks.

He shot a brooding look over at Lil. She was smiling as she jotted down a drinks order.

She was a nice girl, good at the job when she actually turned up on time . . . and he hated firing people.

The door to the bar opened and in stepped the distraction Cooper needed.

The doc.

His whole being became alert at the sight of Jessica walking into the bar with Bailey and Tom.

It had been a week since he had seen her and he had to admit he’d thought about Jessica often, hoping she’d come into the bar again. The more time passed without seeing her, the more his resolve grew that if she didn’t come in soon he’d go in search of her himself.

“Coop.” Bailey grinned as she approached the bar with Tom and Jessica in tow. “How’s it going?” She slid onto a stool. Tom took the stool on her left while Jessica took the one on her right.

As always he was happy to see Bailey. She was like a little sister to him. Sweetest, funniest, most outspoken woman he knew. His eyes slid to Tom Sutton. The guy worked for a small Web-based company in Dover. He and Cooper were different types of guys so they didn’t spend a lot of time together, but he seemed to make Bailey happy, and that was all that mattered.

He nodded at Tom and he grinned back.

Then Cooper’s gaze slid to the doc. His eyes drifted over her pretty face and that fantastic hair of hers, and then down.

His blood heated.

She was wearing a dark red shirt and the top few buttons were undone, showing off her cleavage. He instantly imagined what lay underneath the shirt.

Lust stirred within him, but he kept it under control when he lifted his gaze to hers. “Evening, Doc. Nice to see you again.”

“You, too,” she said in that soft, sultry voice.

Damn, he’d forgotten how much he liked the sound of her voice.

“What’s your poison tonight?”

“I’ll have a Long Island.”

Bailey shot the doc an envious look. “Ooh, that sounds good. But I shouldn’t. I’m technically ‘on call’ tonight and I’ll get drunk on a Long Island. I’ll just have a white wine.”

“You need more staff.” Tom sighed. “You need your life back.” He turned to Cooper. “I’ll have my usual.”

He got to work getting their drinks, all the while listening in on the conversation. Mostly to hear Jessica talk.

“The inn is my life,” Bailey said.

“A building is not your life.”

Cooper would have to disagree with Tom on that. The bar was his life. He knew exactly where Bailey was coming from.

“Since my business is inside that building, then yes, it is my life. It’s not all my life, but it’s a pretty damn big part of it.”

“Look at Jessica,” Tom said. “I mean, she’s a doctor and she has managed to find time to live her life.”

“Uh, what do you mean by she’s a doctor? Are you belittling what I do for a living?”

“And I should say that I take one vacation a year . . . the rest of the time I work . . . a lot . . .” Jessica added.

“No, I wasn’t belittling you, sweetheart,” Tom said, ignoring the doc. “What you’ve done with the inn is amazing. I just worry about you.”

Cooper turned back with the Long Island as Bailey gave Tom a small kiss on the lips.

“I’m fine,” she promised.

As they gazed into each other’s eyes, seeming to share some private communication, Cooper looked at the doc and was instantly arrested by what he saw on her face.

Not only was there a hint of longing there, but also a strange mix of curiosity and sadness.

She glanced over at him, caught him studying her, and immediately wiped her expression.

Interesting.

“Your Long Island, Doc.” He put it on the counter in front of her.

“Thanks.” She refused to meet his eyes.

“Boss,” Lily called from down the bar.

Riley was busy making up another drinks order so Cooper reluctantly moved away from Jessica to take Lily’s order.

All the time he was working he shot surreptitious looks Jessica’s way. From his viewpoint it would appear as if she and Bailey had known each other their whole lives. They sat close and chatted with ease and familiarity, laughing together at whatever Tom was saying to them.

Finally he got a break to move back up the bar to them.

“So, Doc,” he interrupted. “You enjoying Hartwell?”

The Long Island must have hit her pretty fast because she gave him a far more open smile than the one she’d given him earlier. “I love it. Good people.” She nudged Bailey with her shoulder and Bailey chuckled. “Good views. Good restaurants. Good atmosphere. I’ve never been somewhere that is such a close-knit community. You’re all like one big family here. I feel like you’d probably do anything for each other. I’m kind of envious.” She grinned. “And quite frankly this is the best Long Island I’ve ever had.”

He nodded at the compliment. “Glad you’re enjoying it. You want another?”

He was glad she was enjoying all of it. It felt good that Jessica liked all the things he liked about his town. But more than that, he liked that she saw beyond what the tourists saw. She saw what made this place special—the solid connection between everyone who worked on the boardwalk, which made working there feel like he was coming home every day.