Page 18 of Unhurried Hearts

He scoffs. “Yeah, for a haircut. Not to mess with her. She’s a nice girl.”

The banister is rough under my grip, a prickly feeling forming at Isaac’s assumption I’donlybe interested in messing around. I guess it takes more than six months for people to change their opinion of me.

“Smooth things over with her.”

I know I have to. Iwantto. I’m annoyed with my friend for pointing it out before I had the chance.

“I’ll make sure to ask your permission on who I kiss next time.” I have to relax my hand on the sandpaper, so I don’t mess up the work.

That moment with Anna in my arms, pressed together, is on repeat. A tinkling crash from somewhere on the second floor has Isaac on his feet and running inside in seconds.

“I’m firing that apprentice if he broke another window.”

I lean against the railing with a sigh. Mulling over the fact that I hurt Anna’s feelings, I’m vaguely aware of Dean’s heavy work boots on the steps.

“This is coming along pretty good.”

I smooth my hand over a spindle. “It better. It’s fucking tedious. You here to give me the third degree too?”

Dean holds up his hands, some of his faded tattoos visible beneath the sleeve of his jacket. “Nope, I come in peace.”

“Good.”

“I might have overheard that though.”

“You and I have different ideas of peace. We’re not talking about me anymore. What’s up with you?”

He brushes his hand over his buzzed head. “Spent the weekend fiddling with the electrical.”

“Still?”

“Yeah, still. You ever looked at a manual for advanced marine electronics?”

He’s talking about the boat he parks next to his other boat. The one he’s been fixing up for years. Dean lives in the snug cabin down in the West Isle harbour and that’s exactly how he likes it. Whenever I feel weird about living in a basement suite at almost thirty, I remember Dean lives on a boat. Although maybe that’s cooler? I settle into the rhythm of sanding. The noise of the job site fades away, and I let myself slip into my new favourite moment. Anna’s hands in my hair, the small of her back beneath my fingertips, my stiff dick pressed against her belly. And when her bright eyes fade into disappointment, I lock that shit down. Imagining making her sad is like a stone in my stomach. The dark cloud stays firmly in place while I work and wrack my brain over how I can make sure I never see that look in her eyes again.

Chapter nine

Anna

The line at the Roastery is even busier than normal. The shorter daylight hours forces people to up their caffeine intake to make it to supper time. I fan my throat ineffectually, the cardigan I’m wearing totally unnecessary in the crush of people looking for their afternoon caffeine fix. River, my favourite barista, is totally killing it on the espresso machine while her co-owner, Fiona, takes the next customer’s order. Over the hiss of the steam wand, I hear a sigh of pure exasperation behind me.

“Comeon, haven’t they ever heard of mobile ordering?”

Immediately defensive of my favourite female-owned business and in a fairly shitty mood to begin with, I turn and say, “Haven’t you ever heard of a small business?”

My bravado dies off as I see who I’m speaking to.

“Whaddya know, I didn’t expect to see you here, Anna,” Darren drawls.

Of course, I run into him for the first time with a messy ponytail on top of my head and makeup that’s barely hanging on. I fold my arms tight across my chest. “I live across the street, so it shouldn’t be that surprising.”

I haven’t seen him sincethatnight and the sight of him puts me on edge. The knowledge that I’ve touched this man in an intimate way makes my stomach squeeze in a manner that almost has me changing my mind about my coffee. Of course, my stepdad’s voice is there with the reminder that this is my own fault. If I hadn’t been intimate with someone without the commitment of marriage, this would be a non-issue. But that’s not what bothers me, not really. It’s that Darren treated me shitty and I didn’t deserve it.

“You still working over there?” He points his thumb behind him.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

“I don’t work there. I own it.”

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