Page 42 of Summer Ever After
“The city offices take Fridays off, so I was helping my friend with flowers for the wedding tonight.”
“Do you get paid to do that?”
“No.” She points to the golf cart on the right, letting me know which one is hers.
“Then why do it?”
“It’s called being a good neighbor and friend.” She shoots me a sideways smile as she slides into the driver’s seat. “You help people out, are there for them in their time of need.”
“Is that what I keep seeing happening on this island?” I joke.
“Yes, I know it’s a foreign concept to you.” She looks both ways before pulling out of the parking lot onto the main road. As our speed increases, so does the wind, causing the hem of Jane’s dress to flap up. My eyes instantly drift to her bare thighs.
“Are you seriously checking out my legs?” She grabs her dress and tucks it under, sitting on the hem.
I laugh. “I blame the wind on this one.”
“Oh, yeah, no fault of your own.” She shakes her head, the slightest blush pinkening the sides of her cheeks. “So when is Dax going to be done with your golf cart?”
“Early next week. He should also be done with Stan’s boat by then too. But I can delay it if you want to keep chauffeuring me around.”
Her head flops to me. “No, thanks.” With her vibrant eyes and brown hair flying in the wind around her, she looks absolutely irresistible.
“But I do need to stop by your place sometime and fix your mailbox. What about tomorrow morning?”
“I already have plans.” Her head turns back to the road. “Besides, there’s no need to come over. I told Jim what happened, and he’s going to fix it when he delivers the mail.”
My brows lower. “Jim? As in Jim Skinner? Is he still the mailman on the island?”
“Yep.”
“How is he not dead yet? I swear he was eighty years old when we were in middle school.” I shake my head, trying to wrap my mind around that.
“Well, despite his age, Jim said he could fix it. He owes me a favor because I took care of his dog while he had a hip replacement.”
I glance over at Jane, studying her.
“What?”
“I was just thinking about how you seem to be best friends with everyone on this island. Is there anyone that you don’t know?”
“No.” Her lips push out into a frown. “Except for the new family, the Tolleys. They just bought the Pattersons’ Airbnbon the canal. I haven’t met them yet, but I don’t think they’ve fully moved in. When they do, I’ll take some cookies over and introduce myself.”
I shake my head. “I couldn’t live this way.”
“What? In a community?”
“Not one where everybody knows each other.”
“And what’s so bad about people knowing each other?”
If people know me, then I have to pretend to be what they want. It’s too much pressure. I’d rather keep relationships at a distance. It’s much easier this way.
I scrunch my nose. “I just prefer privacy.”
“Well, I think it’s a blessing to have people around that care about you and want to know what you’re up to and how you’re doing.”
“That doesn’t sound like a blessing. It sounds like a nightmare.”
