The One Real Thing (Hart's Boardwalk 1)

“I know it.”

“But maybe it’s time to put myself first. Maybe?”

“Not maybe, Jess. Definitely. I cannot tell you how happy I am to hear you say this.”

“So you don’t think it’s crazy and irresponsible and immature and—”

“No. None of that. Sometimes life just doesn’t work out the way you hoped and no matter what age you are there comes a time to change it. I have a forty-year-old man working as an intern in my office. He was a dentist for fifteen years and he decided one day he was miserable and that he wanted to start over.”

“Really? You’re not making that up to make me feel better?”

“His name is Mike Lowery. I can put him on the phone if you want.”

I laughed. “Okay, I believe you.”

We were silent for a while.

“I can hear the waves,” he said softly.

I stared out along the stretch of sand. “It’s beautiful here. Peaceful.”

“You do what you need to do, sweetheart. And when you’re ready I’ll bring Helena and Perry out to see you so we can check that you’re doing alright.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “No one will ever care about me like you.”

“Jess . . . they will if you give them the chance.”

“This is a bad idea,” I hissed into Bailey’s ear as we followed Tom and Andrew into Cooper’s.

“I think it’s a great idea. It’ll clear a few things up for you.” She smiled. “Oh. Dahlia’s back,” she said, changing the subject deliberately. “She’s got some stuff to do, but she promised to meet us for drinks before you leave. I can’t wait for you to meet her.”

“Nice try,” I said.

She just smirked and then that smirk wilted a little when her attention moved to the bar.

I followed her gaze.

Andrew and Tom were standing at the bar and I suddenly wanted to rush over and take Andrew away. Cooper’s expression was completely blank as he looked toward Bailey and me.

“This was a bad idea,” Bailey muttered. “Shit.”

“Oh, what makes you say that?”

She ignored my sarcasm. “Because I was thinking about helping you. I thought if you could see Dr. Arrogance next to the amazing Cooper Lawson it would finally pull your head out of your ass. But I don’t want to hurt Cooper to help you. Shit.”

“Uh, they met today already,” I said, and then her last sentence penetrated. “Hurt Cooper?”

But she was moving forward before I could get an answer.

“This is Doc Andrew”—Tom was introducing Andrew to Cooper by the time I got over there—“Jess’s . . . friend.”

Cooper nodded at my . . . friend. “Yeah, we’ve met.”

“Tell me you stock Macallan,” Andrew said in lieu of hello.

Cooper just nodded.

“I’ll have two fingers on the rocks.”

“Let’s sit over at a booth.” Bailey tugged on Tom’s hand.

Confused, he frowned. “But we usually sit at the bar.”

“I feel like the moody atmosphere of a booth tonight.” Bailey smiled brightly. Too brightly. “Come.” She pulled harder on him. “Give me a little romance.”

“You are acting weirder than usual,” Tom said, following her.

Andrew took my hand. “Are you coming?”

I was too busy staring up at Cooper, who was staring at me with expressionless eyes. But I knew him a little better now. There was a hint of heat there. And not the good kind.

He was still pissed at me.

That made me want to shrivel up and find a hole somewhere to hide in.

“Cooper,” I said, suddenly needing him to be nice to me.

All I got was a nod and—“Lil will take your order.”

Deflated, I started to follow Andrew. He let go of my hand only to wrap his arm around my waist and I wanted desperately to pull out of his hold. But I wasn’t a teenager anymore.

I’d put myself in this position and I needed to act like a mature adult about it.

I brushed off the move as inconsequential by quickly slipping into the booth beside Bailey so Tom and Andrew would have to sit opposite us.

So much for being mature.

But not hurting Cooper trumped being mature.

Bailey leaned into me as if she was giving me a one-armed hug. “I’m sorry,” she whispered in my ear.

I forgave her childish stunt immediately because I knew her motives were pure. I squeezed her hand in reassurance.

“This place is . . . quaint,” Andrew said, looking around at the bar.

Tom and Bailey shared a look that clearly said they were not impressed by Andrew’s pretention. I wanted to kick him under the table.

“I love it here,” I informed him.

He gave me a patronizing smile. “Darling, there are plenty of nice bars back home. You’ve never tried them so you don’t know the difference.”

“That is incredibly condescending,” Bailey said.

I almost burst out laughing.

Andrew seemed surprised by her outburst. “It wasn’t meant to be.”

“Right. I’m going to need a drink.” Her arm shot up in the air. “Lil, over here. Pronto!”

Lily jerked in surprise at Bailey’s yell and quickly finished scribbling down the order she was taking to hurry over to us.

She gave us a huge grin. “What can I get you?” o;I know it.”

“But maybe it’s time to put myself first. Maybe?”

“Not maybe, Jess. Definitely. I cannot tell you how happy I am to hear you say this.”

“So you don’t think it’s crazy and irresponsible and immature and—”

“No. None of that. Sometimes life just doesn’t work out the way you hoped and no matter what age you are there comes a time to change it. I have a forty-year-old man working as an intern in my office. He was a dentist for fifteen years and he decided one day he was miserable and that he wanted to start over.”

“Really? You’re not making that up to make me feel better?”

“His name is Mike Lowery. I can put him on the phone if you want.”

I laughed. “Okay, I believe you.”

We were silent for a while.

“I can hear the waves,” he said softly.

I stared out along the stretch of sand. “It’s beautiful here. Peaceful.”

“You do what you need to do, sweetheart. And when you’re ready I’ll bring Helena and Perry out to see you so we can check that you’re doing alright.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “No one will ever care about me like you.”

“Jess . . . they will if you give them the chance.”

“This is a bad idea,” I hissed into Bailey’s ear as we followed Tom and Andrew into Cooper’s.

“I think it’s a great idea. It’ll clear a few things up for you.” She smiled. “Oh. Dahlia’s back,” she said, changing the subject deliberately. “She’s got some stuff to do, but she promised to meet us for drinks before you leave. I can’t wait for you to meet her.”

“Nice try,” I said.

She just smirked and then that smirk wilted a little when her attention moved to the bar.

I followed her gaze.

Andrew and Tom were standing at the bar and I suddenly wanted to rush over and take Andrew away. Cooper’s expression was completely blank as he looked toward Bailey and me.

“This was a bad idea,” Bailey muttered. “Shit.”

“Oh, what makes you say that?”

She ignored my sarcasm. “Because I was thinking about helping you. I thought if you could see Dr. Arrogance next to the amazing Cooper Lawson it would finally pull your head out of your ass. But I don’t want to hurt Cooper to help you. Shit.”

“Uh, they met today already,” I said, and then her last sentence penetrated. “Hurt Cooper?”

But she was moving forward before I could get an answer.

“This is Doc Andrew”—Tom was introducing Andrew to Cooper by the time I got over there—“Jess’s . . . friend.”

Cooper nodded at my . . . friend. “Yeah, we’ve met.”

“Tell me you stock Macallan,” Andrew said in lieu of hello.

Cooper just nodded.

“I’ll have two fingers on the rocks.”

“Let’s sit over at a booth.” Bailey tugged on Tom’s hand.

Confused, he frowned. “But we usually sit at the bar.”

“I feel like the moody atmosphere of a booth tonight.” Bailey smiled brightly. Too brightly. “Come.” She pulled harder on him. “Give me a little romance.”

“You are acting weirder than usual,” Tom said, following her.

Andrew took my hand. “Are you coming?”

I was too busy staring up at Cooper, who was staring at me with expressionless eyes. But I knew him a little better now. There was a hint of heat there. And not the good kind.

He was still pissed at me.

That made me want to shrivel up and find a hole somewhere to hide in.

“Cooper,” I said, suddenly needing him to be nice to me.

All I got was a nod and—“Lil will take your order.”

Deflated, I started to follow Andrew. He let go of my hand only to wrap his arm around my waist and I wanted desperately to pull out of his hold. But I wasn’t a teenager anymore.

I’d put myself in this position and I needed to act like a mature adult about it.

I brushed off the move as inconsequential by quickly slipping into the booth beside Bailey so Tom and Andrew would have to sit opposite us.

So much for being mature.

But not hurting Cooper trumped being mature.

Bailey leaned into me as if she was giving me a one-armed hug. “I’m sorry,” she whispered in my ear.

I forgave her childish stunt immediately because I knew her motives were pure. I squeezed her hand in reassurance.

“This place is . . . quaint,” Andrew said, looking around at the bar.

Tom and Bailey shared a look that clearly said they were not impressed by Andrew’s pretention. I wanted to kick him under the table.

“I love it here,” I informed him.

He gave me a patronizing smile. “Darling, there are plenty of nice bars back home. You’ve never tried them so you don’t know the difference.”

“That is incredibly condescending,” Bailey said.

I almost burst out laughing.

Andrew seemed surprised by her outburst. “It wasn’t meant to be.”

“Right. I’m going to need a drink.” Her arm shot up in the air. “Lil, over here. Pronto!”

Lily jerked in surprise at Bailey’s yell and quickly finished scribbling down the order she was taking to hurry over to us.

She gave us a huge grin. “What can I get you?”