Page 13 of Love At The Shore
“We’ve heard so much about you,” Maureen said.
Really? She made it sound like Jenna had been talking about Lucas nonstop. And thinking about him too, which she most definitely hadn’t.
Keep telling yourself that.
“All good, of course,” Maureen added.
“Nowyou’relying.” Lucas sipped his tea.
They’d officially ventured into awkward territory. Maureen shifted her gaze to Ian. “Should we go?”
Ian wasted zero time grabbing his toolbox. “I think we should go.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it. See you guys.” Jenna waved as they headed down the deck’s staircase.
Once Ian and Maureen were out of sight, Jenna turned to find Lucas watching her with unabashed amusement. How had she never noticed the dimple in his left cheek?
Her face went hot. “Just so you know, the fence is for Tank. To help me ‘relax,’ as you so poetically put it.” She made little air quotes around the wordrelaxbecause she just couldn’t resist.
Lucas took another long, lazy sip of tea before responding. “Sure it is.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He said nothing. He just kept looking at her like he could see straight inside her head, and then the corner of his mouth hitched into a smug half-grin as he started to walk away.
Good. Didn’t he have a wave to ride somewhere?
But before he could take more than a step, Nick and Ally came bounding down the outdoor stairs from the house’s upper deck.
“Don’t go too far. Stay where I can see you,” Jenna said as they ran past her, headed toward the beach.
“Okay, Mom,” Ally called over her shoulder.
“Have fun!” Jenna crossed her arms and watched to make sure they didn’t get too close to the water. “Be safe but have fun.”
Ally tossed a frisbee to Nick as they crested the dune and he caught it just before it plowed into the sand.
Beside her, Lucas nodded. “I’m just saying I get it.”
Why was he still standing there?
“Get what?” she asked before she could stop herself.
“I get it. I’ll keep my furry kid on this side, if you keep your kids on…” He pointed to the space opposite his portion of the patio. “That side.”
“Oh, you want me to keep my kids contained?” Of course he did. Why was she the slightest bit surprised?
“It only seems fair.” He shrugged and ambled back toward the door to his half of the house. “Doesn’t it?”
She pasted on a smile. “All right. Fine.”
And to think she’d actually felt guilty when he’d first walked outside and spotted the fence. His easy smile had vanished the second he’d set eyes on it. Jenna hated to be the source of such a crestfallen expression, and her first thought had been that she’d taken their war of words too far by putting an actual, physical barrier between them. She’d also been somewhat worried that she’d hurt his feelings somehow, despite his refusal to cooperate with her—at all.
What had she been thinking? She had zero reason to feel guilty. The fence was the perfect solution. Lucas McKinnon was impossible. Jenna couldn’t deal with him for five straight weeks, and now she wouldn’t have to.
Out of sight, out of mind.
She took a deep inhale of salty sea air and smiled at the white picket masterpiece. “I feel better already.”
