The One Real Thing (Hart's Boardwalk 1)

I gave him a sad smile. “Sometimes women in love are fools.”

“Not just women, Jessica. People. People in love can be fools.” He gave a heavy sigh. “Well, I need a stiff drink after all of this. What do you say?”

I nodded again, smiling through my tears. “That sounds just about right.”

The trendy bar just off Main Street was nice, but it lacked the coziness of Cooper’s. George had first suggested that we go to Cooper’s and as soon as he saw my face, realization dawned. “You’re the doctor?”

See—small town.

“And it all begins to make sense,” he’d said, giving me a smile.

So we’d ended up at Germaine’s. For obvious reasons I’d never been there before.

And by the time I’d made it on to my second Long Island (nowhere near as tasty as Coop’s), I’d made up my mind to tell Cooper the truth.

Cat’s words the other day had played a part in the decision. My thoughts of Julia and how much she’d like Cooper were part of the decision. So I’d already arrived halfway to the decision when George Beckwith’s love for Sarah saved me.

Yes.

I did consider it saving me.

Because even if I did tell Cooper and I lost him, at least I wouldn’t have to live with the kind of regret that Sarah had lived with. A regret that she found peace from but George never did.

I couldn’t do that to myself or to Cooper.

But I was terrified. I’d spent all these years creating barriers between me and everyone else, even Matthew, and I wasn’t sure what would happen to me once I tried to take those barriers down.

Without telling George the details I gave him the gist of my inner turmoil, while he regaled me with his fond memories of Sarah. He also talked about Annabelle, his late wife, and the fond memories he’d made with her, too, including their beautiful daughter, Marie. It was for Marie and his grandchildren that he was packing up his life in Hartwell and heading to Canada.

“Oh, excuse me.” George slid off the stool at the high round table we were sitting at. “Bladder isn’t what it used to be.” He winked at me, making me laugh.

I watched him walk away, still straight-backed, tall, and strong for his age, and I saw what Sarah had seen in him.

Only a few hours.

That was all the time I’d spent in George’s company, but I knew instinctively that he was a decent man, a kind man. A good man.

Like Cooper.

Suddenly the vision of George walking away was blocked by a man.

I blinked, as the man slid onto George’s stool.

I was about to tell him politely that I wasn’t interested, when I froze in recognition.

Jack Devlin.

Bailey hadn’t been exaggerating when she’d first told me about Jack. He was a handsome devil. The day I’d bumped into him at the music festival I couldn’t help but smile at him in return, he was so charming.

Of course I lost my kind thoughts as soon as I realized who he was.

Right then he wasn’t smiling at me.

He wore a cold, blank expression that I found more than a little concerning. “What do you want?”

He shrugged. “Just saying hello.”

“Hello. Now you can leave.”

That earned me a hint of a smirk. “Last I heard, you and Cooper were broken up.”

“So?”

“So that means we can talk.”

“No, it doesn’t.”

“You’re still loyal to him?” He scrutinized me.

“So loyal that if you don’t get your ass off that stool I’m going to make you.” I didn’t know how I was going to make him, since he had half a foot on me, but I’d try!

Jack took a swig of his beer in reply, looking around the bar casually as if I hadn’t just threatened him with bodily harm.

“Well?”

He flicked his gaze back to me. “You know, Dana came to me a while ago. Just after the music festival, actually.”

“I don’t care what you and Dana get up to,” I snapped.

He shrugged again. “Just thought you might find it interesting that the reason she came to me was you.”

“Oh?” I said, dryly, still not giving a shit.

“She wanted me to seduce you.” His eyes hardened with dark humor. “Seduce you. Those were the exact words she used.”

Fury moved through me, but before I could react he said, “My father isn’t going to use what he knows about you.”

I tensed, thrown by the sharp subject change. And then by the knowledge that Jack knew, too.

I started to tremble.

Shit. I had to get to Cooper. I had to tell him.

“And why is that?”

“You broke up with Cooper. You’re no longer of any use. That doesn’t mean my father doesn’t know a good resource when he sees it. He’ll keep that information on a back burner until it proves useful again.”

Disgust roiled through me. “You son of a bitch. Both of you.”

Jack shrugged, his eyes narrowing in the direction where George had gone.

Relief moved through me as I saw George making his way back to me.

Jack got off the stool but rounded the table to face me.

I tensed as he studied me, and then he offered quietly, “Cooper’s liquor license.”

“What?”

He gave me a pointed look, his face hard with frustration. “Cooper’s. Liquor. License.”

And that was when understanding dawned. e him a sad smile. “Sometimes women in love are fools.”

“Not just women, Jessica. People. People in love can be fools.” He gave a heavy sigh. “Well, I need a stiff drink after all of this. What do you say?”

I nodded again, smiling through my tears. “That sounds just about right.”

The trendy bar just off Main Street was nice, but it lacked the coziness of Cooper’s. George had first suggested that we go to Cooper’s and as soon as he saw my face, realization dawned. “You’re the doctor?”

See—small town.

“And it all begins to make sense,” he’d said, giving me a smile.

So we’d ended up at Germaine’s. For obvious reasons I’d never been there before.

And by the time I’d made it on to my second Long Island (nowhere near as tasty as Coop’s), I’d made up my mind to tell Cooper the truth.

Cat’s words the other day had played a part in the decision. My thoughts of Julia and how much she’d like Cooper were part of the decision. So I’d already arrived halfway to the decision when George Beckwith’s love for Sarah saved me.

Yes.

I did consider it saving me.

Because even if I did tell Cooper and I lost him, at least I wouldn’t have to live with the kind of regret that Sarah had lived with. A regret that she found peace from but George never did.

I couldn’t do that to myself or to Cooper.

But I was terrified. I’d spent all these years creating barriers between me and everyone else, even Matthew, and I wasn’t sure what would happen to me once I tried to take those barriers down.

Without telling George the details I gave him the gist of my inner turmoil, while he regaled me with his fond memories of Sarah. He also talked about Annabelle, his late wife, and the fond memories he’d made with her, too, including their beautiful daughter, Marie. It was for Marie and his grandchildren that he was packing up his life in Hartwell and heading to Canada.

“Oh, excuse me.” George slid off the stool at the high round table we were sitting at. “Bladder isn’t what it used to be.” He winked at me, making me laugh.

I watched him walk away, still straight-backed, tall, and strong for his age, and I saw what Sarah had seen in him.

Only a few hours.

That was all the time I’d spent in George’s company, but I knew instinctively that he was a decent man, a kind man. A good man.

Like Cooper.

Suddenly the vision of George walking away was blocked by a man.

I blinked, as the man slid onto George’s stool.

I was about to tell him politely that I wasn’t interested, when I froze in recognition.

Jack Devlin.

Bailey hadn’t been exaggerating when she’d first told me about Jack. He was a handsome devil. The day I’d bumped into him at the music festival I couldn’t help but smile at him in return, he was so charming.

Of course I lost my kind thoughts as soon as I realized who he was.

Right then he wasn’t smiling at me.

He wore a cold, blank expression that I found more than a little concerning. “What do you want?”

He shrugged. “Just saying hello.”

“Hello. Now you can leave.”

That earned me a hint of a smirk. “Last I heard, you and Cooper were broken up.”

“So?”

“So that means we can talk.”

“No, it doesn’t.”

“You’re still loyal to him?” He scrutinized me.

“So loyal that if you don’t get your ass off that stool I’m going to make you.” I didn’t know how I was going to make him, since he had half a foot on me, but I’d try!

Jack took a swig of his beer in reply, looking around the bar casually as if I hadn’t just threatened him with bodily harm.

“Well?”

He flicked his gaze back to me. “You know, Dana came to me a while ago. Just after the music festival, actually.”

“I don’t care what you and Dana get up to,” I snapped.

He shrugged again. “Just thought you might find it interesting that the reason she came to me was you.”

“Oh?” I said, dryly, still not giving a shit.

“She wanted me to seduce you.” His eyes hardened with dark humor. “Seduce you. Those were the exact words she used.”

Fury moved through me, but before I could react he said, “My father isn’t going to use what he knows about you.”

I tensed, thrown by the sharp subject change. And then by the knowledge that Jack knew, too.

I started to tremble.

Shit. I had to get to Cooper. I had to tell him.

“And why is that?”

“You broke up with Cooper. You’re no longer of any use. That doesn’t mean my father doesn’t know a good resource when he sees it. He’ll keep that information on a back burner until it proves useful again.”

Disgust roiled through me. “You son of a bitch. Both of you.”

Jack shrugged, his eyes narrowing in the direction where George had gone.

Relief moved through me as I saw George making his way back to me.

Jack got off the stool but rounded the table to face me.

I tensed as he studied me, and then he offered quietly, “Cooper’s liquor license.”

“What?”

He gave me a pointed look, his face hard with frustration. “Cooper’s. Liquor. License.”

And that was when understanding dawned.