Page 2 of Always in Watch Hill
“I hate when that happens. First time to Watch Hill?”
“Yep.” I shrugged and glanced at the farmhouse, which was well-kept and clearly well-loved. “Never been to the Cincinnati area in general.”
“Really? Huh. Wouldn’t normally put this town on top of a travel list.”
“You wouldn’t? Well, it sounded great to me.”
I paused, taking in the sight of him. Justin wore a ballcap and sunglasses in his profile photo on the website, and that obscured his face. Now that I could see him up close, I realized he had fine features and a squarer jaw than I remembered, with a pile of sandy-brown hair that curled around his ears, complemented by two bushy eyebrows and a spray of freckles across his nose.
“What can I say? I like checking out new places and I figured I might as well try this on. Small town, edge of the big city...”
“And a quiet escape. Taken right from the listing, huh?”
I laughed. “You write good descriptions.”
“Thanks. At least I have that skill.” He bit back a smile. “Very important, given the current job market.”
“It’s tough out there.”
“It is, but since you pointed that out, I’ll make sure I add that skill to my résumé. Anything to get an advantage.”
“Happy to help.”
Justin handed me the keys. “Here you go. I feel like you earned them, since you memorized my listing.”
I chuckled at his comment. “Thanks.”
He stepped backward. “And if you need anything, the one sheet I left by the door should have plenty of info. But don’t hesitate to ask.”
“I won’t.” I rocked on my feet for a beat. “Okay, I’m going to head back to the rental.”
“You probably should,” he said, then stepped even farther away. “Have a good day.”
Justin walked back up the stairs, then disappeared into the house without another word. I stared at the door for a moment, a little surprised at his abrupt departure.It’s probably nothing, Lynne. Some people are just like that, though, especially now, after everything...
I pushed that thought from my mind. Whatever with up with this guy, whatever his story was, I wasn’t the person to discover it. I’d come to Watch Hill to finish my book, not make friends or try to solve people’s problems. That’s it. That’s all. Sighing, I walked back to my luggage. Now the least favorite part of travel—unpacking.
