Page 6 of Chasing Stars
“Okay.” Melanie holds her hands up in defense, smiling as she backs away. “Let me get you guys some menus.” She comes back a moment later and hands them to us. Miles doesn’t even open his. “So, are you planning to live in it now?” she asks. “We don’t get too many year-round newcomers.” Cape May is a gorgeous Victorian beach town that draws tourists year after year, but in the off-season, things seem to be much quieter.
I lift my gaze from the menu. “I think I have to sell it,” I say, regretfully. “I lost my job, and I could really use the money.”
Miles flicks his gaze my way. “I don’t think it’s exactly in a livable condition right now,” he says. “I mean, maybe. But you’ll have some work to do before you can sell it. We can talk about that tomorrow.”
I sigh. “So much for a quick buck,” I mutter. Then, to Melanie, “Can I have the cheeseburger, please? Medium.”
“Make that two,” Miles chimes in, handing Melanie both of our menus.
Melanie taps on the computer kiosk, her nails clicking against the screen. “Got it. So where are you going to stay then?” Melanie asks me, but it is Miles she’s looking at with a raised eyebrow.
“Actually…I was thinking,” Miles cuts in. “Liam, is Ellie’s guesthouse open?”
Liam coughs and clears his throat. “I can ask her,” he says, picking up his phone and hammering out a text message.
Miles turns back toward me. “Ellie is Liam’s next-door neighbor. She’s a dear friend to all of us. She has a little guesthouse on her property. If it’s open, I’m sure you can stay there tonight.” He awkwardly pats my shoulder in an effort to be reassuring. “In the morning, I’ll pick you up, and we’ll figure out the house situation.”
“Guesthouse is booked, but Ellie says she can stay in one of the rooms in the main house. She’ll get it fixed up right now,” Liam calls from his spot across the bar.
I scrunch up my nose. “Is that awkward? Me staying with a strange woman I’ve never met before.”
Miles barks out a laugh. “I mean, you’re welcome to stay with me.” He takes a swig of his beer. Heat pricks the back of my neck.
Melanie pats my hand. “It won’t be awkward. Ellie is in her seventies, and she is the kindest soul. She’ll make you feel comfortable.” She gives me a reassuring smile as a food runner brings out our burgers.
“That was fast,” I say, and suddenly, I’m starving. I take one bite of the burger and all bets are off. It’s a good thing I’m not trying to impress anyone because I devour it like I haven’t eaten in weeks, all traces of dignity gone by my second bite. Miles eats his equally fast. We must be a sight.
“I got to jet,” Danny announces from his spot on the corner. He walks over to us and puts a hand on Miles’s shoulder. “Miles, call me if Jenna needs anything with the house.” He pulls a business card from his pocket and hands it to me. “I’m a contractor,” he adds with a smile.
“I probably can’t afford you,” I grumble, wiping my mouth with a napkin. “But thanks.” I take the card and drop it into my tote bag, probably never to be seen again.
“I’m out too,” Jack says, throwing some money on the bar. “Kid sports tomorrow. It was nice meeting you, Jenna.” He smiles and holds up his hand in a wave to everyone as he and Danny exit together.
I am finishing my burger when Miles says, “Liam, do you mind giving Jenna a lift to Ellie’s since you’re right next door? I have something I need to take care of.”
A wave of nerves swirl in my belly, threatening to send that burger right back up. Liam seems kind enough, but his quiet,serious demeanor puts me on edge. He’s a stark contrast to Miles’s happy-go-lucky energy and easy charm that has already started to wear down my walls. I shoot Miles a concerned look, but suddenly he’s all business like I’m another task on his to-do list. It stings more than I’d like to admit.
“Sure thing. Whenever you’re ready, Jenna. My wife is going to kill me for being out this long while she’s home with the babies.” Liam chuckles, and it puts me at ease.
“Okay. I’m ready.” I push back my barstool and fumble in my purse for my wallet. “Melanie, can I have my check?” I call. She’s the only bartender working and things are picking up. I note the flyer sitting next to me:Fridays in September: Open Mic Night.
Miles waves his hand, shaking his head. “Don’t worry about it. I got it.” He stands and throws three twenties on the bar. “Let’s get your bag out of my car.”
If I were anywhere but Cape May—with its small-town-everyone-is-family feel—I’d probably call a ride share and book it to the nearest hotel, but something stops me from doing the one thing I know is most rational. Maybe it’s Miles, maybe it’s this town that inherently feels like home, or maybe it’s just that I’m realizing now how damn lonely I’ve been all this time. Either way, something about Miles makes him seem instinctively trustworthy. So, I blindly follow the two men out of the bar to get in a car with the second strange man in one day.
As it turns out,Liam is totally and completely fine. As we drive over to Ellie’s house on Perry Street, he tells me how he met his wife, Sophie, when she was staying at Ellie’s cottage. I listen intently and the nerves in my stomach settle almost immediately. It’s already seven p.m., and I know most of theanxiety I was feeling is due to the condition of the house, losing my mom and my job, and the uncertainty of my life before me. It has nothing to do with the kind stranger driving me to a place I can stay for the night.
He pulls into the driveway of his house and kills the engine. A pretty woman that I assume is his wife stands on the porch, holding a baby girl. He gestures toward them. “That’s Sophie and our daughter, Leah. Come on, I’ll introduce you.”
I gather my small duffel bag and purse and climb down from his enormous truck. Liam looks like the kind of guy whowoulddrive a pickup this big. I walk around in front of the truck, where Sophie meets us in the driveway.
“You must be Jenna.” She smiles. “I’m Sophie. This is Leah.” She gives the squishy baby a little nuzzle and her chubby hands grip Sophie’s cheeks.
“Hi.” I force cheerfulness into my voice, hoping to contradict the melancholy I feel inside from the absence of my own family. Liam clears his throat and gestures at the sage-green Victorian house next door. “That’s Ellie’s house.” He reaches for Leah. “Soph, why don’t you walk Jenna over?”
“I’d be glad to.” Sophie smiles, the epitome of a warm fire on this cool autumn night. “Let me take something from you.” She reaches for my tote bag.
I shake my head. “Oh, no. You don’t have to. I’ve got it.”
