Page 45 of Suddenly Single
Vanessa sighed. “Love you, man,” she returned softly.
Jenny slid the phone into her pocket and began a slow walk back to the inn.Her head was full of the conflict of doubts and the steady drum of confidence that this was right. It was a huge thing for her to do, and it was true she had no track record of doing huge things. But there was always a first time, wasn’t there? Something had brought her to this inn.Something had drawn her to Edan Mackenzie, something deeper than a surface infatuation. This place, and that man beckoned her soul.
It sounded insane, even to her. But Jenny believed, and while it very well might be insane, it didn’t mean she didn’t feel it any less.
What Edan felt about her, she couldn’t say. And she couldn’t concern herself with it—whatever happened, the most important thing was that she was true to herself.
At the moment she had that thought, the sun divided the clouds and Edan emerged from the wooded path that she now knew led up to his aunt’s grave.Jenny stopped walking. This was true serendipity.
He looked up and paused on the path just ahead of her. “Jenny?”
“Hi,” she said, and waved a little.She took a cautious step forward.“Nice evening.”
“Aye.” His expression was soft.Slightly affectionate.
“So umm…” She could suddenly hear Lorenzo in her head, warning her not to pursue him. So she said, “I was hoping I’d run into you.” Forget Lorenzo.
“Were you?” He smiled warmly.
“I want to ask you something.”
“Aye, and what is that?”
Good question, Outlander.Jenny took another step forward.“I wanted to ask about lodging.Not for me. For others. Like, how is it?”
His brows dipped.“I donna understand.”
She drew a breath.She’d never been good at beating around a bush. “I guess I should come right out and say it. I’m thinking of buying the inn.”
He looked stunned. “You’rewhat?”
“I’m thinking of buying your inn.” She smiled hopefully.
He shoved his hands into his pockets as she took another step toward him.“Thisinn,” he said, as if there were dozens to choose from.
“This one.”
One of his dark brows slowly arched above the other. She was struck by the amazing shine of his eyes in the waning light of day. So deep, so sexy, so full of want.Granted, that might be a bit of projecting on her part, but still.
“It’s no’ easy, managing an inn,” he said.
“I know.Well, I assumed.But I will learn.I reallywantto learn.”
He nodded.His eyes moved over her.“We should talk about it, aye?”
Jenny nodded.
He gestured to the path. Jenny pulled her sweater tighter around her and began to walk with him.
She sucked at this, the silent strolling. She could imagine if they were married for fifty years, she’d still feel that insane urge to talk at moments like this.“I had the most amazing salmon tonight,” she said, apropos of nothing.
“Ah.”
“I thought you’d be interested.Since you love fishing so much, you know. I am finally getting why someone would like to fish.It’s thrilling when you actually catch something, and honestly, I feel a little enlightened.You know how it is, you go along in life thinking that you really hate something, like brussels sprouts, and you are so convinced that you hate brussels sprouts that you begin to believe you must hate them because they give you hives or something, and then one day, you end up eating brussels sprouts and they’redelicious,and you think hey…why did I think I hated brussels sprouts?” She looked at him.“That’s fishing.”
“Interesting theory,” he said, his eyes, which were deep sea green now and shining with amusement.
Jenny imagined a tiny version of herself getting on a tiny boat to explore the sea of Edan.“Is it?” she murmured.
