Free Promise Cove (A Pelican Pointe Novel Book 1) by Vickie McKeehan

o get her e . C a n ’t m iss i t. I f y ou ’ r e ma k i n g a t r i p t o t own, woul d y o u min d p ic k i n g up the floo r in g while y ou ’ re ther e . I t ’ s been on back order for four wee k s, should be there n o w fo r sur e . I h a ve n ’ t ha d a chance t o pick it u p . W ould y ou mind b r i n g i n g it back?”
    N ick s t ood u p , his l arge frame f i ll i n g th e r athe r s ma ll spac e . I nstinctivel y , J or d an backed up in t o the hall w a y . “ S ure, but I ca n ’t b r i n g f l oo r i n g back on the bik e . ”
    “ W h y do y ou r ide i t , the bike I mean?”
    “ I t ’ s open . ” Ey ei n g the pu z zled look on her face, he added, “ I do n ’t like cl o s ed - up spaces, bei n g confined inside a vehicle for t oo lo n g . ”
    “T h at might r ule out the S U V then. N o problem. I can pick up the fl oo r i n g whe n H u t t o n w ak e s u p f ro m he r na p . ”
    A s he d r ied his hands on a r a g , he calmly t old he r , “ J or d an, I think I can handle a r ide in t o t own and bac k . ” A t least he hoped he could.
    “ T he n t a k e th e S U V . T h e ke y s ar e o n th e pe g b y the bac k doo r . ”
    F if t een minu t e s l at er on the r ide in t o t own, he rolled all the w indo w s down on the E xplorer and fought off a panic at tac k b y g ul p i n g i n dee p breat h af t er deep breath. W hen the trapped feeli n g be g an t o a ba t e, he s t a r t ed t o wo r r y over J or d a n ’ s si t uation. H e remembered in de t ail h i s ta l k s w ith Sco t t who had g iven him the impr e ssion that the hou s e w as pret t y much good t o g o , e ven ready for g u e sts. E ver the e t ernal optim i s t , that a sses sment w as s o like Sc o t t. N ick shook h i s head. H e could alm o st hear Sc o t t ’ s v o ic e .
    “ Y eah , no w tha t I thin k a b ou t i t , I migh t h a v e bee n a little t oo o pt im i s t i c i n tha t re g ard . ”
    N ic k alm o st drove of f the road when he g lanced over to look at the pa s s enger s ea t . T h ere sat Sc o tt w ith a b i g goo f y g r in on h i s fac e. “So r r y budd y , but you were n ’ t ready for the t r ut h . ”
    “ S hit . ” N ick forced himself t o focus on the t w o - l ane road w a y . “ Y ou are n ’t her e . ”
    “ Of cou r s e, I ’ m her e . W h y would n ’t I be here, the p l ace where I w as the happi e st? I ’ m all around here, eve r y where here a c t uall y , espec i ally The C ove, t o help y ou adjus t , N ic k . J or d an needs hel p . A nd whether y ou w ant t o accept it or no t , y ou ’ re it . ”
    “ I ’ m not a contra c t or or a ca r pen t e r . S he needs b o th. The hou s e i s no w here near ready for p a y i n g g u e sts. E ven if both of us worked t welve hou r s a d a y for the next t en wee k s, it ’ s gonn a b e cu t t i n g i t cl o s e . ”

“ J u s t d o y ou r b e s t . T h at ’ s a l l I as k , N ic k . Y o u prom i s e d m e . ”
    A s N ick hit the c i t y limits, he poin t ed ou t , “ Y ou’ve sure g o t t e n a l o t o f m i l e s ou t o f tha t , t o o . L oo k , ins ta l li n g plum b i n g f i x t ures i s n ’t m y fo r te . I could offer t o hire hel p , b r i n g in a professional, but how would I exp l ain that t o J or d an . ”
    “ Y ou’ll f i g ure it ou t , N ic k . ”
    N ick spo tt ed F er g u s o n ’ s on the same s ide of the street and pulled in t o a slot t ed spac e . H e cut the e n g ine and looked over at the pas s e n ger s eat. Sco t t w as gon e . N ick puf f ed out a sha k y breat h. Ma yb e slee p dep r i v a t io n ca u s e d ha l lu c ina t ions. Ma ybe he needed t o look that up on the In t ernet. H e continued t o s it there and rack his brain for inspiration. Ma ybe he should simply head back t o L .A . I t w as, af t er all, the ea s y w a y ou t an d woul d mak e mor e s en se tha n th is cr az y ide a e ver had. B ut if he did tha t , he k new he prob a bly would n ’t be a ble t o sleep a g