Page 18 of Charlie and Her Sweet Escape
Regretting this yet?
Bennett
I really should be.
Haydn
But you’re not?
Bennett
Hansel has one leg for every sibling who has abandoned me in Winterhaven.
Rosie
I’m literally getting on a plane to come to you RIGHT NOW.
Haydn
You have GOT to be kidding me.
Jules
I’m cool with a chihuahua leg taking my place.
Breaking up with someone when you live in a small town? Not ideal.
Someone breaking up with you when you live in a small town? Torture.
It’d been three years since Lily Savage broke up with me, and I still got pitying frowns and arm squeezes every time anyone saw the two of us in the same place. Which was often. Because Winterhaven wasn’t only a small town; it was a small island. And Lily Savage wasn’t some random woman; she was the sister of my brother-in-law—who just happened to be Winterhaven’s most famous resident, the starting center for the Peaks professional hockey team.
It probably didn’t help that I hadn’t dated anyone since she dumped me. Risk getting my heart publicly shredded again? No thank you. I had better things to do. Like watching rom-coms with my siblings. Jump-starting my truck again. Making areally delicious meal that’d last me an entire week. Helping out-of-shape businessmen from Los Angeles or Phoenix catch fish they’ll brag about for the rest of their lives. Buying pee pads for Hansel.
My schedule was packed.
“How are you really?” Mrs. Mabel gripped my arm as I helped her walk up the dock ramp toward the parking lot. She’d dropped off lunch for me as my three-day expedition had arrived back in town. She said she’djust been thinking of me. But as delicious as they were, her lunches always came with strings… of the inquisitive variety.
“I’m great,” I told her. Spending three days on the ocean with a couple of repeat clients who were generous tippers? I was in desperate need of a shower, though.
“You don’t have to pretend with me.” She squeezed my arm sympathetically as she steered me toward her car. “I’ve seen how you look at her. It really is romantic.”
“I don’t know who you’re talking about, Mrs. Mabel. I’d love your chicken salad recipe, though.”
She gave me the stink eye. “Don’t play dumb, Bennett Forrester. I may not have taught you in high school, but that doesn’t mean you can get away with gaslighting me.”
I scrubbed a hand over my face, feeling how wild my beard had gotten. This was a bit much, even for me. “I’m over Lily.”
“Ha! I’m not talking about Lily.”
“Okay.” I liked Mrs. Mabel. I didn’t always like her observations on my life.
“Don’t you want to know who I mean?” she pressed.
“Nope, doesn’t sound like it’s my business.”
She huffed. “Who else’s business would it be, besides Charlie Savage’s, I guess?”
I whipped my head toward her before I could stop myself. Her satisfied smile told me I’d given her the exact reaction she’dbeen looking for when she’d picked her way down the dock with two homemade sandwiches for me.
