Page 7 of Love Takes A Tumble
Audrey looked up to find an elderly woman with silver hair arranged in a neat bob watching her from the parlor doorway.Though they hadn't been formally introduced, Audrey had seen her around the inn, usually carrying food or offering unsolicited advice to Elise and Jacob.
"Miss Doris, isn't it?" Audrey said, closing her laptop.
"The very same." The older woman moved into the room with surprising grace, settling into the armchair opposite. "How's that ankle treating you?"
"It's fine, thank you." Her standard response, though the throbbing told her otherwise.
Miss Doris's shrewd eyes seemed to see right through the polite fiction. "Mmhmm. And I suppose our Harry's been mother-henning you half to death."
"He's been attentive," Audrey admitted, unsure why the observation made her cheeks warm.
"That man," Miss Doris said with a shake of her head, though her tone was fond. "Always needs to be fixing something. Been that way since he checked in two weeks ago, wandering around like someone who's lost his purpose." She leaned forward, as if sharing a confidence. "Not that I blame him. Thirty years of running toward danger, then suddenly told his heart can't take it anymore? Bound to leave a hole."
Audrey blinked, processing this unexpected information. "His heart?"
"Minor issue, he says. Enough to push him into early retirement." Miss Doris waved a hand dismissively. "But you can imagine what that does to a man who's built his whole life around being the hero."
Something shifted in Audrey's perspective, puzzle pieces rearranging themselves. The way Harrison seemed to materialize whenever someone needed help. His restlessness. The shadow that sometimes crossed his face when he thought no one was looking.
"He seems to be handling it well," she offered.
Miss Doris's laugh was gentle but knowing. "Does he now? Is that why he's been hanging around this place more than necessary, finding loose hinges to fix and guests to rescue?" Her gaze was suddenly direct. "He was supposed to leave three days ago. Extended his stay right after he carried you back from the beach."
Audrey's pulse quickened, though she told herself it was simply surprise. "I'm sure that's a coincidence."
"I'm sure it is," Miss Doris agreed, in a tone that suggested exactly the opposite. She stood, smoothing her skirt. "Well, I should get back to my baking. Did those cookies find their way to you?"
"Yes, thank you. They were delicious."
"His idea," Miss Doris said, moving toward the door. "He said you seemed like you could use something sweet." She paused, glancing back. "Interesting, isn't it? Two people at crossroads, both a little lost, both a little stubborn. Makes you wonder."
Before Audrey could respond, Miss Doris was gone, leaving behind only the faint scent of vanilla and the unsettling awareness that perhaps she and Harrison had more in common than she'd realized. Both at turning points. Both unsure of what came next.
Both, perhaps, a little afraid of needing someone else.
She turned back to her laptop, the cursor still blinking steadily. But now, instead of her lighthouse keeper's dilemma, all she could think about was a silver-haired firefighter with a heart condition and a knack for showing up exactly when she needed him.
Purely coincidence, of course. Nothing more.
Chapter Four
Harrison leaned against the porch railing, coffee mug warming his hands in the early morning chill. Four days past his planned departure date, and somehow he was still here, still finding reasons to linger at the Pelican Inn.
"Nice view, isn't it?"
He turned to find Jacob approaching with his own steaming mug, his knowing smile suggesting he wasn't just talking about the garden.
"Peaceful," Harrison agreed noncommittally.
Jacob leaned against the railing beside him. "So. You extended your stay again, I hear."
"Just a few more days." Harrison kept his tone casual. "Thinking about heading down to Charleston after."
"Mmhmm." Jacob took a sip of his coffee. "Nothing to do with our injured librarian up in the Magnolia Suite, I'm sure."
Heat crept up Harrison's neck. "I’m being neighborly."
"Is that what they're calling it these days?" Jacob's grin widened. "Funny how many things around here need fixing since she sprained her ankle."
