Page 92 of Booked for Summer

His mom, April, Sabrina… they’d all left in the end. Hell, Jade even had one foot already on the plane.

And if I choose to go home.She’d not exactly leapt up and down with joy when he’d asked her to stay on and run the bookstore. Not like she had when he’d agreed to keep it on, regardless of what she did.

She loved the shop. Her feelings for him were much less clear.

ChapterThirty-Two

Jade flipped the sign on the bookstore toclosed for an hourand jogged along the waterfront towards the resort. The colours were so vibrant, the blue of the water in the harbour, the white of the boats, red of the walkway, green and pinks of the plants that burst out of the planters. Seagulls squawked overhead, the sun beamed down from a cloudless blue sky and the air was crisp with the smell of the ocean.

What a frigging awesome day.

She’d spent the morning replying to emails asking her to give a talk to various groups; the school, who’d just received an anonymous donation to build a new library, the new mother’s group who were looking for book recommendations on the early years, and The Heritage Society, via Emma, who wanted to expand their reading into historical fiction. It was amazing how the bookstore had integrated into the community.

And she, Jade Taylor, still blonde, still inclined to clumsiness and dizzy moments, had led that change.

She wasn’t just managing a business, she was expanding it. Thanks to the evenings Liam had spent taking her through business planning and strategy, she even felt confident that she could replicate the success elsewhere. Okay, those fiddly spreadsheets weren’t totally locked down, but Liam had agreed she’d tripled the sales compared to the same time last year.

Her phone buzzed with a message. From Liam.

You have been spotted running away from your post. I hope you have a good reason. I hear the boss is an asshole.

Smiling to herself, she quickly typed back.

He used to be an arsehole. Now he’s very forgiving of his staff taking a quick break to calm the nerves of a groom-to-be

Liam sent a face-palm emoji, then:

Why does he get a visit and not the best man?

Her smile turned into a grin. The last few weeks Liam had definitely relaxed, let her see some of the man behind the very significant walls he’d built. There had been no declarations, not since he’d announced she could stay and manage the shop, ifshewanted. Yet in little ways, she felt cared for. Appreciated. Like wanting to see her in the middle of the day even though they’d woken up together and would see each other tonight. Taking her to Smith’s Point to watch the sunset. Hiring two bikes to cycle back to Sankaty Head Lighthouse because she’d not seen it properly the last time. Including her when he went to see his grandma. Patiently helping her put together the Little Bay Book Shop business plan even though she wasn’t sure she would still be here to implement it.

Pushing the miserable thought to the back of her mind, she typed back a reply to Liam.

Do you need help deciding where to put a dozen fibreglass flamingos?

Liam sent another face-palm then a message.

If that’s what it takes to get a visit from you, I’ll buy a damn flamingo.

Oh yes, she felt wanted. It’s just… he hadn’t said he loved her. And time was marching on. Only two weeks before she was due back home and she really needed to make a decision. Could she leave her job, her family, on the whim of ayou can stay if you want?

She’d achieved what she’d come to Nantucket to do. Could she risk her newfound confidence by hanging on here, when the reason she’d be staying was wrapped up in her feelings for him? What happened when he decided to get rid of the shop, get rid of her?

Her phone buzzed again. Liam.

Am I buying a flamingo?

Laughter bubbled and she pushed the worries aside. They had no place interfering with such a glorious day.

No need. YOU are enough. See you in a bit.

She hurried the rest of the way to the resort beach, the sight that greeted her enough to send the bubble of laughter whooshing straight out of her.

Waves lapped up the pale gold sand where Jeremy stood. Surrounded by a pile of pink flamingos.

‘Don’t say a word,’ he cautioned as he spotted her. ‘And nope, I don’t want to see that big sunny smile, either. Or the twinkle in your baby blues. This is a legitimate emergency.’

She tried to school her features into that of concerned friend. ‘Where’s your fiancé? Shouldn’t he be here to help?’

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