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  “Parker sells circles around me and I look like a fool? Or it becomes too miserable at work being around him?” Her thoughts spiraled downward and she wasn’t convinced she’d made the right decision.

  “Have you told Martin yet that you plan to decline the job offer?”

  She scooted her chair back and stared at the ceiling. “No. I figured I’d wait until Monday.”

  “Something’s holding you back,” Maggie observed. “Otherwise you would have called him immediately after you made the decision.”

  “No, nothing’s holding me back. However, that doesn’t mean I’m looking forward to the conversation.” She’d spent so much time convincing Martin to hire her that she felt foolish declining his offer. But sharing the position with Parker had never been her intention. This was a completely different situation than she’d signed on for. She hadn’t even accepted the offer and she already felt drained.

  “Because you know it would be in your best interest to take the job.” Maggie swept her hands in the air. “Look around. You’re living in a carriage house instead of the house you love.”

  “Yeah, so? What does that have to do with the sales job?”

  “You’re willing to give up your house and live in this tiny space because it gets you closer to your goal of moving to Seattle, but you won’t do the one thing that has the possibility of making that dream a reality.” Maggie sighed. “I don’t understand what’s going through your head.”

  “I can figure out a way to achieve my goal without taking the job with Parker.”

  “Yeah, you can work a part-time job for minimum wage.” Maggie stood and paced in circles along the length of the loveseat. “Do you know how long it will take you to earn enough money at the rate you’re going? Probably years.”

  From the double bed on the other side of the room, Reilly’s eyes followed Maggie’s pacing. His ears perked up as if he was listening to his owner and her friend argue.

  “I’ll make it work,” Gretchen said stubbornly. Maggie’s advice had created doubts in her mind. Would her plan succeed? There had to be a way to make it work without this job.

  “If this was truly your dream, you’d do anything you could to make it happen.” Her eyes clouded in memory. “I missed years of Alex’s life working extra shifts at the café to gain experience before buying out the owner when he retired. I knew it was something I had to do if I wanted to make a real life for us in Candle Beach.”

  “That was different. You had a son to worry about. I can figure something else out.” Gretchen got up and filled a glass with water, and drank deeply. She shivered from the cold water, but felt more alert.

  Maggie switched tactics. “Why don’t you want to take the job? Is it only because of Parker?”

  “Yes, but that’s a big only.” She drained the rest of the water in one long gulp and refilled it.

  “So you’re going to let him waltz into your life, create havoc with your emotions and then take your dream job?” Maggie sat on the loveseat and clasped her hands in her lap.

  “What’s done is done.” Gretchen glanced at the clock on the wall. “I’d probably better get going. I promised my parents I’d meet them for dinner.”

  “It’s four o’clock,” Maggie said dryly. “Your parents are older, but they’re not old enough for the early bird special, and neither are you.” She crossed the room to Gretchen. “You’re not getting out of this so easily.” She stared out the window toward the big house. “Charlotte is Parker’s sister, right?”

  “Yes, why?” Where was Maggie going with this?

  “Well, he’s going to be visiting her right across the lawn from you.” She pointed to the back door. “You’re going to see him, whether you like it or not.”

  The thought had occurred to Gretchen, but she’d tried to convince herself that Parker wouldn’t be around much. But if he had been there to help Charlotte make the rental decision and then to help her move in, they probably had a close relationship. Close enough that he’d be present frequently and she’d have the chance of running into him.

  “You can’t avoid him,” Maggie said. “You might as well take the job and earn some money and experience.” She put her hand on Gretchen’s arm. “This is your town. You know everything going on here. You deserve this job. Don’t let your fear of seeing Parker take that away from you.” Then she put her jacket on. “I’ll let you get to your ‘dinner’ plans, but please think about what I said.”

  The wind slammed the door shut behind her, leaving Gretchen alone. The small space seemed to close in on her. She opened the kitchen window to allow fresh air to fill the room. The salt-scented air reminded her of the view she’d given up by renting out the main house. It hadn’t been very long and she already missed seeing the ocean first thing in the morning when she woke up.

  She looked across the lawn at Gram’s house. Maggie was right that she couldn’t avoid Parker. But did it make sense to take the job and have to see him every day? As much as she wanted to not feel that way, every time she saw Parker it was like a sharp piece of glass cut into her soul. How had that man gotten under her skin so quickly? And how could she make the feeling stop?

  Gretchen collapsed on the bed and hugged Reilly. “Am I doing the right thing?” He licked her hand. She lay next to him, enjoying his warmth. Sometimes it was nice to have someone to love you unconditionally.

  She scanned the room. Maggie was right; the carriage house was small for one person, but downright tiny when you added in a medium-sized dog. She’d sacrificed their roomy house to get closer to her goal. How could she give up on something that would get her even closer to that goal?

  “Reilly, let’s go.” She grabbed her coat and his leash off the hooks by the door. He raced to the door. She clipped the leash on his collar and they walked out through the gardens to the main street.

  A walk usually cleared her mind. She hoped it would work its magic this time. They trotted at a brisk pace down the hill toward town and the beach access trail.

  The tourists hadn’t arrived yet and the beach was practically deserted. Candle Beach had a strict on-leash policy, so she let out Reilly’s leash to give him the maximum length to run. Seagulls gathered at the shoreline, wading in the surf and squawking amongst them. Reilly tried unsuccessfully to reach them while leashed, but only succeeded in scattering a few.

  The sun had fallen low in the sky and the temperature had dropped. She shivered and zipped up her jacket. Reilly pranced on the sand and she laughed at his antics. She couldn’t wait until summer came and she could take him to the beach more often without drowning in the rain.

  Candle Beach, both the town and the beach itself, were breathtaking in the summer. She thought back to last summer’s Founder’s Day festival and how cute Maggie’s little boy had been in the parade. The whole town had come out to celebrate and Gretchen had ridden on a parade float herself. Labor Day weekend had been crazy with all the tourists, but there was something wonderful about seeing the whole town come together, townies and tourists alike.

  Would she be able to find that sense of community in a bigger city? Would she have friends with whom to celebrate the good times and the bad? She could always come back to Candle Beach to visit, but it wouldn’t be the same. Maggie and Dahlia would move on with their lives and there would always be in-jokes and things that she was no longer a part of.

  She sighed. Time to start walking again. Being alone with her thoughts wasn’t working so well.

  She whistled for Reilly and tugged at his leash. He jogged over to her and stayed by her side as they climbed up the beach access stairs to Main Street. In front of Pete’s Pizzeria, a crowd of friends had gathered. They stood in a circle, chatting. One person must have told a funny story, because his friends all laughed in unison.

  A twinge of pain shot through her. She’d miss the town and her family, but most of all, she’d miss her friends. In the past year, she’d bonded with Maggie and Dahlia and it felt like together, they could handle anythin
g. Now, if she left town, she’d break that connection.

  She turned away from the pizzeria and started up the hill toward her house.

  A woman was jogging down the hill. She wore patterned yoga pants and a turquoise tank top, not seeming to notice the cold. She stopped in front of Gretchen and jogged in place as she pulled ear buds out of her ears. Reilly recognized her and nudged against her leg.

  “Hey.” She lowered herself to pet Reilly, who rubbed his head against her hand. “I thought that was you.”

  “Charlotte, hi,” Gretchen said. “I didn’t know you were a runner.” In reality, other than her excellent credit score, she didn’t know much about her tenant.

  Charlotte laughed. “Oh, I’m not. It seemed like a good idea. New town, fresh start. I’m trying to convince myself I love exercising.”

  Gretchen smirked. “I know what you mean. Every few months, I try to convince myself of the same thing.”

  “We should ‘exercise’ together sometime.” She wiggled her eyebrows at Gretchen. “How does a downhill run and then a stop at the donut shop sound? We could walk back.”

  “Sounds like my kind of exercise.” Gretchen stopped. What was she doing? Making friends with Parker’s sister had trouble written all over it.

  “Oh, I meant to congratulate you on the new job. Parker told me you were both chosen to sell the properties at that new housing development.” Charlotte pushed herself up from her crouched position. “That’s so exciting.”

  “It is, thank you,” she said automatically. This was why making friends with Parker’s sister wouldn’t work. Her brain was going crazy. What was she supposed to say to her about the job? Should she admit that she wasn’t going to take it? Did she even want to do that?

  “I bet you two will be working closely together,” Charlotte said slyly.

  “Not too closely. We’ll both be trying to sell the properties on our own.”

  “Of course. But you’ll see each other every day, that’s all I meant.” Charlotte smiled. “It’s great that two locals were chosen for the sales job. Between the two of you, you must know everything going on in this part of the coast.”

  Gretchen nodded, but anxiety had crept in. Charlotte’s words echoed Maggie’s sentiment. With her knowledge of the coastal area, she would have the ability to provide good service to potential clients. But it came with the price of working with Parker.

  Charlotte seemed to notice her distress and changed the subject.

  “I’m so excited to be opening Whimsical Delights next week.” She danced in place. “This has been my dream for so long. All those years of working at my parent’s business to save up for it.” Her face glowed with pride.

  “I’m happy for you,” Gretchen said. “Do you plan to keep it open in the winter, or only operate it in the summer season?” Charlotte’s lease went until the end of September, so she wasn’t sure of her tenant’s plans after that.

  “I’m not sure.” She shrugged. “I’m hoping it’s a raging success and I’ll be able to make enough in the summer months to keep it open during the winter. If that doesn’t work out, I’ll reassess my plans.”

  “I think that’s what a lot of the business owners here do.”

  “Hey, I never asked, but I’m assuming it’s alright for me to keep my excess inventory in the house.”

  “That’s fine,” Gretchen replied. “I wondered why you wanted such a big house for only one person. I have to admit I was surprised that it was just you.”

  “Well, that’s one reason. The other is that there wasn’t much choice in town. But I’m so happy I found your house to rent. It’s beautiful.”

  Gretchen smiled. “Thank you. It belonged to my grandmother. I have many happy memories there myself.” A pang of sadness hit her at the thought of someone else living in Gram’s house. But renting it to Charlotte brought her one step closer to her goal of a new life in Seattle. From what she’d observed, she was taking good care of the house. If she had to rent it out, at least she’d found a good tenant.

  The sun hung just over the horizon, showering the sky with vibrant hues of red and pink. She wished she’d brought her camera with her to take a picture of the sunset. That was something she wasn’t going to see in Seattle.

  The setting sun reminded her of the time. She hadn’t lied to Maggie, there really was a family dinner tonight at her parent’s house.

  “I’ve got to get to a family thing,” she said to Charlotte. “It’s been nice talking with you.”

  “You too,” Charlotte said. “And Gretchen?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Parker really is a good guy. He may not always say or do the right thing, but he has a good heart.”

  Gretchen nodded and waved at her before tugging on Reilly’s leash. She knew Charlotte meant well in her efforts to convince her of Parker’s finer qualities, but it wasn’t going to work. Her romantic relationship with Parker was over. She needed to decide if she could forge a working relationship with him, or turn down the job and cut ties with him permanently.

  13

  “Are you really dating Gretchen Roberts?” Denise Gray’s voice rang out from the speaker of Parker’s phone.

  He groaned and made a U-turn back into the McDonald’s parking lot. How had his mother found out?

  “We’ve been out on a few dates.” He unbuckled his seatbelt and grabbed a greasy fry from the bag of takeout on the passenger seat. This could be a lengthy conversation. He might as well eat the fries before they got cold.

  “Why didn’t you say something to me when I mentioned meeting her in Haven Shores?” Denise accused.

  “Because you were already bashing her. She’s a nice woman and neither of us needed you butting into our relationship.” They were doing badly enough on their own, he thought.

  “But a Roberts? You couldn’t have found someone else? What about your brother’s friend? Anastasia?”

  “You mean Annabelle.” He sighed. “Mom, I have no interest in Annabelle. I need to be focused on my career. I never intended to get involved with Gretchen, it just happened.”

  “How does something like this ‘just happen’?”

  He could hear her pacing the floor, like she always did on the phone. His mother had so much nervous energy that she easily maintained a rail-thin figure without exercise.

  “We met, we went out on a date. That’s how it happened. Not that it’s any of your business.” He paused. “How did you find out?”

  “Charlotte told me.”

  “Charlotte told you,” he repeated. That figured. His younger sister couldn’t keep a secret if her life depended on it.

  “Yes. She let it slip when she was telling me about your new job. Congratulations, by the way. It’s a pity that you have to work with that woman though.” She cleared her throat. “I don’t know why you didn’t tell me yourself about the job.”

  He tried to calm himself, but anger still seeped through as he spoke. “Mother, please don’t talk about Gretchen that way. She’s not like her parents. Correction, I don’t even know what her parents are like, but if they’re anything like her, you and Dad have been holding a nonsensical grudge for way too long.”

  “Well, it doesn’t really matter. Charlotte said you two were on the outs. Probably for the best.”

  He gritted his teeth. “Charlotte doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Things are fine between Gretchen and me.” That was a total lie, but he wasn’t going to give his mother the satisfaction of knowing their relationship was shaky.

  “How does she feel about you applying for the job after I told you about it?”

  “You shouldn’t have said anything to me, Mother. She trusted you.”

  “Well, you got the job didn’t you? I’m proud of you. Sometimes in business, you have to go for things, even if other people get hurt.”

  “I can’t talk to you right now.” He hung up the call and stared at the darkened screen. He hadn’t sought out Martin after his mother told him about her conversation wit
h Gretchen. He’d told Gretchen the truth. He’d run into Martin the week before meeting her and he had encouraged him to apply for the position at his new development.

  When his mother came to his condo to tell him about the job, he hadn’t felt any obligation to tell her he already had an interview scheduled. He hadn’t wanted to hurt Gretchen by telling her about the call from his mother, but he wasn’t sure she’d see it the same way. There was no way she could ever find out about his mother’s interference or he’d lose her forever.

  “I’m so happy to have my team together.” Martin beamed. Gretchen and Parker exchanged awkward glances.

  She shifted her weight from foot to foot and leaned against the wall before looking up at Martin. “I’m excited to be here,” she said. In truth, she’d rather be at the dentist’s office having a tooth pulled, but it didn’t seem smart to say that to her new boss.

  “We’re going to be a great team,” Parker said smoothly. “Right, Gretchen?”

  She forced a smile and nodded.

  “Fantastic.” Martin motioned for them to follow him inside. “Here’s a map of the development. You can see there are some properties up on the hill here, some further below, the area around the model home, and then a choice few right on the cliff.”

  “How many houses total?” Parker asked as he scanned the map.

  She leaned in to see the map more clearly. “I love how every house has a view of the ocean. That will be a great selling point.” They were grouped in sections of about ten houses in each neighborhood within the development.

  “There are a total of forty houses available. We’ve found thirty to fifty building lots to be the best range for community cohesiveness and manageability,” Martin said. “Let’s get out there and I can show you the sites in person.” He strode out ahead of them, waving his arms at the future home sites as he went.

  The streets had been paved since she was there the week before. Flags atop metal stakes marked the lot lines between properties. The lots were close together, but she remembered seeing on the plans a few communal green spaces and pocket parks scattered amongst the development. It was strange to see a housing development before the houses were built and landscaped.