Beach Rental(77)

“Yes, she does.” His sentence hung in the air between them like a question.

“You two make a nice-looking couple.” There, it was said.

Luke stepped back and sat on the edge of his desk. “Do you think so? If you have something on your mind, just say it.”

She cleared her throat. “Not at all. I was walking up the passageway out there.” She pointed to the window. “Trying to avoid the guests, not wanting to disturb the party. I guess I didn’t manage so well.” She shrugged and crossed her arms. “I wasn’t trying to spy or anything, but I saw you two through the window.”

Luke glared. Or was it a stare? She didn’t know. But her heart jumped and she trembled. “Sorry. None of my business.”

“You’ve gone this far, don’t back off now. You saw me giving Leslie a safety pin. She had a wardrobe issue, as she called it.”

“Wardrobe.”

“Yes.” Luke stood and moved closer, his eyes still glued on her face.

She was transfixed. He looked intent. Angry. Not angry. She took a step backward, forgetting the door, and it slammed shut.





Chapter Twenty-Five



Were her eyes now bluer? Her lips were parted slightly as if in question. Were they redder, softer, more delicately shaped? More intriguing?

So much tension had been between them from the start—negative tension. In an instant it seemed to have flipped, perhaps revealing its true nature. How did he feel? Not lightning struck, but as if someone had opened a curtain.

He’d seen her as a person before. What was new?

He was staring and she, well, she looked scared. Luke took a step forward to reassure her and she moved back, bumping against the door and causing it to slam.

The noise jolted him back to his senses. Before he could speak, Juli fumbled with the door knob, opened the door and left. Fled.

He followed her through the back room and out into the alley.

“Juli. Wait, please. What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know. You looked, well, I don’t know. I’ve stayed too long and you’ve got guests and an artist, your guest of honor, in there who need your attention.” She shifted feet.

She looked like she was about to break into a sprint. Why had he followed her outside anyway? Because she was about to walk alone to her car in the dark, that’s all it was.

“Where are you parked?”

“Across the street in the marina lot. Not far.”

“Are you going to walk the alley alone?”

“I’ll take the shortcut through the passageway. Is the office light still on?”

“Yes, but—”

“Then I’m off. Thanks, Luke. Do you know when Maia will be setting things back up?”

“Tomorrow morning, I think.”

“Please tell her I’ll be here to help. If she needs me before eight a.m. she should call.” She pivoted and dashed off into the dark.

“Wait, I’ll walk you to your car.”

“No need.”

By now she was nearly to the road and calling thanks back to him. It made no sense to chase after her. He felt compelled to follow, to make sure she was safe.

All the more reason not to—rationality was reasserting itself.

He and Juli were doing fine as they were, gradually becoming friends.

He walked slowly down the passageway by the light of his desk lamp. He stopped near the sidewalk and watched as the overhead light came on in her car, then the headlights. The overhead light was doused and then the soft sound of the engine crossed the distance of the quiet street to reach him. She backed out of the parking space, pulled onto Front Street and was gone.

She’d be back in the morning when it was time to put everything in its place.

So would he.





Chapter Twenty-Six



“Hi, Juli. It’s Luke. Call me when you can.”

She disconnected from voicemail.

If there were two of her, one would’ve run scared and the other would’ve danced around the room.

Doubt chilled her. Maybe it wasn't personal. It might be a problem with the estate or something.

But they’d worked together—well, the group had worked together—to put the gallery back in order after the showing. Luke had been attentive and funny. She hadn’t expected him to have such a sweet sense of humor.

No time like the present to find out what he wanted. She called his number.

“Juli?”

“What’s up?”

“I was thinking about taking the boat out.”

She opened her mouth to say something light, but lost the words when she remembered Ben and their sunset cruise.

“Are you there?”

“Yes.” Ben wouldn’t be jealous. He’d want her to move on with her life.

With Luke?

“It’s a beautiful day for a sail,” she said.