Every Little Thing (Hart's Boardwalk 2)

“Yeah. All of it good. I’m sorry he cheated on you, Bailey.”

“I’m sorry Erin cheated on you.”

When he kicked at the sand, staring despondently at his feet as he did so, he reminded me of a sad, lonely little boy. My heart hurt for him. “Rex?”

“I . . . I feel angry all the time,” he admitted. “Not because . . . I . . .” He sucked in a deep breath and exhaled. More composed, he continued, and he spoke so quietly I had to lean in to hear. “I told Erin things about my life, about my family, that I haven’t told anyone. I decided to trust her. She was the first woman I trusted.”

“And she betrayed you.”

Our eyes met. “Yeah,” he whispered.

“I’m so sorry, Rex.”

“Me, too. Because now . . . now I’m scared shitless that all the stuff I thought I got over, all my goddamn trust issues—” He broke off in a hollow laugh. “I can’t believe I’m telling you this shit.”

“You’re telling me because you need someone to tell it to.”

He stopped to stare out at the water. “I don’t want to be that bitter guy who ends up with nothing and no one because he couldn’t bring himself to trust anyone.” I found myself captured in Rex’s soulful gaze. “I’m not that guy, Bailey. I . . . Life has tried to make me that guy but deep down it’s not in my nature. But I can feel it happening . . . and I just want to put a stop to it before it’s too late.”

Moved by his honesty and touched that he’d shared it with me, even if he only came to me through lack of options, I curled my hand around his wrist in comfort. “You’re talking to me. And you might not believe this yet, but you’ll learn that you can trust me. There are people out there worth trusting.”

He covered my hand with his other one and closed his eyes. He stayed like that for a while and I let him, enjoying the calm surroundings with him, even as the sounds of laughter and conversation drifted toward us from the people on the beach.

Eventually Rex opened his eyes and he gave me this small, amazed little smile.

I couldn’t help but smile in return. “What?”

He shook his head in disbelief. “That’s the first time since you called that I’ve felt a modicum of peace.” He nudged me with his shoulder, playful, teasing. “You’ve bookended this chapter in my life. Chaos and peace.”

I gave a huff of laughter. “There are many people who would say that is a very apt description of me: bringer of chaos and peace.”

“There are worse monikers.”

We shared a grin and I was pleasantly surprised by the feeling of warmth that suffused me. There was no doubt in my mind that I’d made a connection with young Rex, and that life might just have handed me a new friend.

FOURTEEN

Bailey

One Month Later

“We’re supposed to be discussing the bridesmaid dresses. Bailey. Earth to Bailey.”

My head jerked up from my phone at the sound of my name. “What?”

I had a day off because I had a new manager to help take care of things at the inn.

The whole business of finding a manager had been stressful after the Devlin incident. If I’d found it hard to put my trust in someone before the attack, now I was even more wary. Thankfully, Cooper’s sister Cat had come up with a suggestion that surprised me.

Aydan, her best friend, was working two jobs because her cheating scumbag husband had taken off a couple of years ago, leaving her alone to look after their teenage daughter, Angela. Aydan bartended at Germaine’s, a bar off Main Street, at night and she worked as a part-time receptionist for a hair salon. Moreover, her daughter worked weekends at the fun park the Devlins owned a few blocks back from the boardwalk.

Aydan was exhausted and even working the two jobs together, she wasn’t earning what she could be earning as my manager. Cat swore that her friend was hardworking and a quick learner. With her character reference I hired Aydan, despite her lack of qualifications. My father said I was nuts, my mother used other adjectives, but I did it.

I worried about it.

But I did it.

A month later I was happy. Relaxed even. Between the Devlins backing off entirely because of Stu’s stupid stunt and my new manager, I was almost stress-free.