The One Real Thing (Hart's Boardwalk 1)

And the look worked for her.

Also in the kitchen were Nicky and Chris—her sous chef and junior chef.

“She’s in my kitchen,” Mona said, looking affronted. “There’s a guest in my kitchen.”

“Chill,” Bailey said. “I told you she’s going to be working here.”

“But until then she’s still a guest and she’s in my kitchen.”

I was getting the vibe Mona was a little particular about her kitchen and the rules of her kitchen. “Maybe we should step outside?”

Bailey rolled her eyes but followed me out of the room before speaking any further. “You know, I’m trying to break her of her obsessive rules and regulations. We should have stayed. You’re going to work here now and the staff need to get used to you.”

I stopped at the reception desk where we had some privacy. “That may or may not be a problem. I’m unsure at this point.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve been looking at real estate here and, um . . . it’s pretty expensive.”

Bailey made a face. “Seaside town.”

“Right. Well, you’d think as a doctor I’d have put some money away, but the truth is I’m still paying off my student loan debt and, um, that, versus salary here—I’m not sure I can swing it.” It took a battering to my pride to admit that, because for the longest time the most positive thing I could say about myself was that I was a successful career woman. There would be no more nice jewelry or designer handbags for me for a long while.

“Oh.” Bailey’s eyes widened. “Right. I didn’t think of that.”

“I can’t afford the apartments here.” I slumped down into a chair. If I wanted to stay in Hartwell, I would likely have to stick to doctoring after all.

“Maybe not . . .” She suddenly grinned at me. “But it’s not a problem. You could stay with me. I have a pullout.”

“No,” I said, despite feeling grateful for the offer. “I appreciate it, really. But Tom is at your place a lot and it . . . I’m not going to intrude on the two of you like that.”

Bailey sighed heavily. “Okay. Well, I keep a room at the inn open for myself in case I need to crash here. It’s not as big and it doesn’t have a view, but it’s a room with a bathroom, and it’s yours for free if you want it. I’ll show you.”

She led me to the back of the inn, to a modest but pretty room. One window looked out to the garden at the side, and I caught a sliver of the beach and water at the corner. The other window looked out on the parking lot at the back.

But it was free, and it would certainly do until I could come up with something more permanent.

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.”

I hugged her hard, making her stumble back and laugh in surprise. “Thank you.”

Bailey squeezed me tight. She gave good hug. “We’re going to make this work for you, Jess. Just you wait.”

Despite her reassurances, a while later, back in my current room upstairs, I felt more than a little panicked by all the decisions I’d made that day.

I was exhausted from lack of sleep, so my anxiety was worsened by it, and I guess that was how I sounded when Cooper called me late in the afternoon.

“So Fatima is packing up my apartment for me, and Bailey has given me a job and a room here until I can figure out something else, and the prison isn’t too happy with me, but it’s done, so I guess . . . Oh, and I’ll need to find somewhere to store all my stuff. I hope I can find a cheap storage place and—”

“Doc,” Cooper interrupted, “you sound like you’re freaking out.”

“I’m a little on edge,” I admitted.

“Look, it’s done, it’s scary, and now it’s about living with those decisions. As for storage, I’ve got a big secure shed on the outskirts of town. I used to work on cars there, but I haven’t had the time lately and the place is lying practically empty. You can put all your stuff there.”

“Really?” God, I liked this guy.

“Really. Now get some rest. Things will look better after a little sleep.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

“No problem. I’ll see you soon.”

As I hung up and lay down on the bed, all I allowed myself to think about was his voice, his reassurances . . . and just like that I was out like a light.

FIFTEEN

Jessica

I awoke with a start, momentarily disoriented. The room was pitch-black.

To me it felt like it had been daylight only minutes prior.

Sitting up with a groan, still fully dressed, I caught sight of the clock on my bedside table and winced.

It was almost one o’clock in the morning.

Flipping on the lights, I then swung my legs over the bed. I felt weird. One, I was now all over the place with my sleep because I’d slept during the day, and two, my whole body felt hot and needy.

Suddenly I remembered why.

I’d been dreaming.

It had been a good dream.

And Cooper had the starring role.

Thinking of him, I realized Cooper would just be closing up the bar. I wanted to see him. Moreover, I was such an uncertain mess over making the move there that I needed to see him. It scared me to give him this much power, but I knew that if I saw him I would feel better about everything.

A piece of paper on the carpet by the door caught my attention.

It was a note from Bailey. he look worked for her.

Also in the kitchen were Nicky and Chris—her sous chef and junior chef.

“She’s in my kitchen,” Mona said, looking affronted. “There’s a guest in my kitchen.”

“Chill,” Bailey said. “I told you she’s going to be working here.”

“But until then she’s still a guest and she’s in my kitchen.”

I was getting the vibe Mona was a little particular about her kitchen and the rules of her kitchen. “Maybe we should step outside?”

Bailey rolled her eyes but followed me out of the room before speaking any further. “You know, I’m trying to break her of her obsessive rules and regulations. We should have stayed. You’re going to work here now and the staff need to get used to you.”

I stopped at the reception desk where we had some privacy. “That may or may not be a problem. I’m unsure at this point.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve been looking at real estate here and, um . . . it’s pretty expensive.”

Bailey made a face. “Seaside town.”

“Right. Well, you’d think as a doctor I’d have put some money away, but the truth is I’m still paying off my student loan debt and, um, that, versus salary here—I’m not sure I can swing it.” It took a battering to my pride to admit that, because for the longest time the most positive thing I could say about myself was that I was a successful career woman. There would be no more nice jewelry or designer handbags for me for a long while.

“Oh.” Bailey’s eyes widened. “Right. I didn’t think of that.”

“I can’t afford the apartments here.” I slumped down into a chair. If I wanted to stay in Hartwell, I would likely have to stick to doctoring after all.

“Maybe not . . .” She suddenly grinned at me. “But it’s not a problem. You could stay with me. I have a pullout.”

“No,” I said, despite feeling grateful for the offer. “I appreciate it, really. But Tom is at your place a lot and it . . . I’m not going to intrude on the two of you like that.”

Bailey sighed heavily. “Okay. Well, I keep a room at the inn open for myself in case I need to crash here. It’s not as big and it doesn’t have a view, but it’s a room with a bathroom, and it’s yours for free if you want it. I’ll show you.”

She led me to the back of the inn, to a modest but pretty room. One window looked out to the garden at the side, and I caught a sliver of the beach and water at the corner. The other window looked out on the parking lot at the back.

But it was free, and it would certainly do until I could come up with something more permanent.

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.”

I hugged her hard, making her stumble back and laugh in surprise. “Thank you.”

Bailey squeezed me tight. She gave good hug. “We’re going to make this work for you, Jess. Just you wait.”

Despite her reassurances, a while later, back in my current room upstairs, I felt more than a little panicked by all the decisions I’d made that day.

I was exhausted from lack of sleep, so my anxiety was worsened by it, and I guess that was how I sounded when Cooper called me late in the afternoon.

“So Fatima is packing up my apartment for me, and Bailey has given me a job and a room here until I can figure out something else, and the prison isn’t too happy with me, but it’s done, so I guess . . . Oh, and I’ll need to find somewhere to store all my stuff. I hope I can find a cheap storage place and—”

“Doc,” Cooper interrupted, “you sound like you’re freaking out.”

“I’m a little on edge,” I admitted.

“Look, it’s done, it’s scary, and now it’s about living with those decisions. As for storage, I’ve got a big secure shed on the outskirts of town. I used to work on cars there, but I haven’t had the time lately and the place is lying practically empty. You can put all your stuff there.”

“Really?” God, I liked this guy.

“Really. Now get some rest. Things will look better after a little sleep.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

“No problem. I’ll see you soon.”

As I hung up and lay down on the bed, all I allowed myself to think about was his voice, his reassurances . . . and just like that I was out like a light.

FIFTEEN

Jessica

I awoke with a start, momentarily disoriented. The room was pitch-black.

To me it felt like it had been daylight only minutes prior.

Sitting up with a groan, still fully dressed, I caught sight of the clock on my bedside table and winced.

It was almost one o’clock in the morning.

Flipping on the lights, I then swung my legs over the bed. I felt weird. One, I was now all over the place with my sleep because I’d slept during the day, and two, my whole body felt hot and needy.

Suddenly I remembered why.

I’d been dreaming.

It had been a good dream.

And Cooper had the starring role.

Thinking of him, I realized Cooper would just be closing up the bar. I wanted to see him. Moreover, I was such an uncertain mess over making the move there that I needed to see him. It scared me to give him this much power, but I knew that if I saw him I would feel better about everything.

A piece of paper on the carpet by the door caught my attention.

It was a note from Bailey.