Page 32 of Love In Harbor Falls

“Sounds great. I’ll see you then. By the way, the boat is called Betty Lou.”

“Great. I’ll see you soon.”

“Looking forward to it.”

I ran upstairs, changed into a sundress, grabbed my straw hat, and packed a small bag with sunscreen and other essentials I thought I might need.

“Hello, hello.” I heard Annie’s voice from the foyer.

“I’m up here,” I shouted.

Within seconds, Annie was standing in the doorway.

“I just dropped by because I’m headed to the store to pick up everything I need to start baking, and I wanted to see if you needed anything.”

“Not that I can think of, but thanks for asking.” I smiled.

“It looks like you’re heading out for the day,” Annie spoke.

“I am. Colin invited me on his boat.”

“You two sure seem very friendly.” She winked as she sat down on the edge of the bed.

“We’re friends, Annie.”

“Well, he’s a good man, and it was awful what that wretched woman did to him right before their wedding. She was cheating on him with some guy from Seattle that she met online.”

I stopped what I was doing and turned to Annie.

“Does Colin know that?”

“He sure does. It took him a long time to get over it. In fact, you’re the first woman he’s paid any attention to since.” She smirked.

I wondered why Colin left out that part of the story, even after I bared my soul about Darren to him.

“He’s a good friend, Annie. Nothing more. After what Darren did to me, I’m not sure I can fully trust anyone for a long time.”

“And I’m sure Colin feels the same way after what Olivia did to him. So maybe the two of you could help each other out with that.” A perky smile crossed her lips.

“As much as I appreciate your advice, I really need to get going,” I said as I walked out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

“Alright. I’m off to the grocery store. If you think of anything you might need, just shoot me a text message.”

“Thanks. I will.”

I drove to the marina and found the boat called “Betty Lou.” As I approached it, I saw Colin standing on the deck in his khaki shorts, a navy blue t-shirt, and dark sunglasses that made him look very dapper.

“Hey there.” He grinned. “Welcome to the Betty Lou.”

He reached his hand down and helped me onto the boat.

“This is great.”

“Thanks. I’ll show you the cabin, and then we can get sailing.”

I could tell he was proud of Betty Lou. She was a 34-foot cruiser, which was just enough for him. A well-arranged kitchen, bedroom, one bathroom, plenty of storage, and a comfortable sitting area made up the cabin space. I knew he was a simple man, and seeing his bachelor pad confirmed just that.

“This is really nice. So why Betty Lou?” I smiled.

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