Some Kind of Wonderful (Puffin Island 2)
“Not every stray dog can be tamed.”
“Agreed. So what happened after he’d performed epic spider removal? He left?”
“Right after I virtually accused him of stealing from my purse.”
“You didn’t! Brit? Why would you do that?”
“Because—because—I don’t know.” She was upset with herself. “I was feeling vulnerable. And he had just broken into my house.”
“To save you! Do you want to know what I think?”
“No.”
“I think seeing him really messed with your head and you wanted to see the worst in him.”
“Of course it messed with my head. I was naked! And I have no idea what I’m going to say next time I see him.”
“You say ‘thank you for removing my spider.’ What are you doing this morning?”
“I’m supposed to be meeting Em for breakfast. She’s in love.”
“I know. Can you believe it? And Ryan is gorgeous. How come we never met him when we came to stay?”
“Bad timing, I guess. Up until four years ago, he was
always traveling. How do I handle the fact that Zach is here?”
“How do you think you should handle it?”
She went through the options. “Anger would imply I still care, happy would be too hard to play, so I was going with indifference.”
“Indifference sounds perfect to me.”
“But he saw me naked.”
Sky laughed. “Honey, it’s not the first time.”
CHAPTER FOUR
BRITTANY TOOK THE PRETTIEST route to the harbor and the Ocean Club, walking up the coast path and then cutting across the fields that skirted the wooded interior of the island.
With the sun shining and the air filled with the scent of grass and wildflowers, it was impossible to feel anything other than pleased to be home.
The spectacular coastline of Maine matched anything she’d seen in the Mediterranean. From the lush, emerald perfection of Acadia National Park to the granite islands inhabited only by puffins and cormorants, Penobscot Bay was a wild, unspoiled paradise.
From high up on the bluff she could see fishing boats bobbing in the sheltered harbor and yachts and windjammers dotted across the bay.
It took her a little over an hour to walk to the Ocean Club. She arrived to find Ryan and Emily already sitting on the deck along with Lizzy, Emily’s six-year-old niece who was now living with her. The little girl was clutching a wooden boat to her chest and the moment she saw Brittany she moved closer to Emily.
Brittany watched as her friend scooped the child onto her lap and murmured words of reassurance.
She knew how hard the past few months must have been for Lizzy, but she also knew how hard it had been for her friend who had always vowed never to have children.
“That boat,” she said slowly, “looks exactly like the Captain Hook. Can I take a look? Where did you get it?”
Lizzy hesitated and then handed it across the table. “John made it for me.”
“He did? I’ve never known him to make anything like this for anyone before.” She turned it in her hands and read the words on the side. “The Captain Lizzy. This is beautiful. You’re lucky. John must think you’re very special to have made you this.”