Seaview Inn. Sherryl Woods

brightened. “Luke agreed with me that a little color was just what this place needed.”

      “Did he really? Or did you bully him into saying what you wanted to hear?”

      “He’s a man who knows his own mind. Besides, I was asking his opinion. Why would I bully him into anything?”

      Hannah dropped the no-win subject. “Where’s Luke now?”

      “He went for a walk. He told me he’d get supper in town.” She gave Hannah a sly look. “He mentioned something about The Fish Tale. You could join him if you wanted to. I can fix something for Kelsey. It’ll give us a chance to talk. Maybe I can get to the bottom of what’s going on with her.” She paused. “Unless you managed to do that.”

      “We talked. She told me the baby’s father wants to marry her, but she’s not ready for that. Then she changed the subject.”

      “And you didn’t push?”

      “I thought it would be counterproductive,” Hannah admitted.

      “Well, I’m not so timid.” She waved Hannah toward the door. “Go on now. Take a walk and see if you can find Luke. Maybe you’ll have better luck figuring out what’s going on with him than you had with Kelsey.”

      “What makes you think there’s something going on with Luke?”

      “He appears back here after all these years without any explanation. He’s all alone. A man who looks as good as he does ought to have a woman in his life, a family.”

      “He has children, so there must be a woman.”

      “Well, she’s not with him, is she?” Grandma Jenny said. “Don’t even try to tell me you’re not curious. I saw you studying him the other night. And I remember the look in your eyes when he and Abby used to be over here every single day. You had a crush on that boy then, and something tells me it wouldn’t take much to spark it again.”

      “You see entirely too much,” Hannah muttered.

      “And I can hear, too, so don’t be making comments under your breath,” her grandmother retorted.

      Hannah chuckled, despite her annoyance. “Just stop matchmaking, okay? Promise me.”

      Her grandmother gave her a guileless look. “What can I say? It’s second nature. Besides, you need a man in your life. A real man and not some ne’er-do-well who’ll take off, rather than face his responsibilities.”

      Hannah didn’t want another lecture on her ex-husband. That water was too far under the bridge. “I’m going to put these things back in the supply closet and then I’m taking a walk,” she announced.

      Her grandmother gave a nod of satisfaction. “Tell Jack I said hello.”

      “I never said I was going to The Fish Tale.”

      Grandma Jenny shrugged. “You’re a fool if you don’t, and I don’t think we raised any fools in this house.”

      “You just finished telling me I made a foolish choice when it came to picking a husband,” Hannah reminded her.

      “You were young. It was a mistake. Now you have a second chance to do things right.”

      “Why are you so sure Luke would be right? You don’t know anything about his life since he left here.”

      “I know enough,” she replied. “And I’ve seen that look in his eyes before. He’s seen his share of sorrows. A man who feels things that deeply has strength of character.”

      “If you say so,” Hannah said doubtfully. “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay and fix dinner?”

      “I already told you I want some time alone with my great-granddaughter.”

      Dismissed, Hannah put away the cleaning supplies, washed her face and hands and brushed on a light coating of lipstick. As she gazed at her reflection in the mirror, she noticed that her cheeks had some much-needed color in them. Her hair, usually tamed with spray, was windblown from her earlier walk on the beach and had more curl than she was accustomed to. She looked almost carefree and relaxed. Which was a lie, given everything she had on her mind, but maybe for a few hours she could pretend that all was right in her world.

      And her grandmother was correct about one thing: Luke was the most intriguing male distraction to cross her path in eons. She’d enjoyed talking to him on the porch last night. She’d enjoyed testing her out-of-practice flirting skills on him. If that was as far as things ever went between them, it would be enough to remind her that, cancer or not, her life wasn’t over yet. She needed to live every moment that remained as if it might be her last.

      * * *

      Hannah strolled through town, assuring herself that The Fish Tale didn’t have to be her destination. She could explore for an hour or so and go home. Luke would never have to know that she’d gone out intending to track him down.

      She shook her head. She was acting like a teenager with her first crush. How many times had she and Abby plotted to run into Luke “accidentally on purpose”? More times than she could count. None of those encounters had had the desired result, though. It had taken something far more dramatic to finally catch Luke’s attention. Abby had nearly drowned and Luke had saved her. Afterward, he’d finally taken notice. From then on three of them had been inseparable. The situation had tortured Hannah, who’d developed her own crush on Luke but kept silent about it, especially after Luke had chosen Abby. Girlfriends didn’t poach. Luke was as off limits to her as if he and Abby had had rings on their fingers.

      When she reached The Fish Tale, she stood outside the door debating whether to go inside.

      “The food’s really good,” a chipper voice announced behind her. “I can vouch for it. My family owns the place.”

      Hannah whirled around, a smile spreading. “Lesley Ann?”

      “Oh, my gosh, Hannah! I can’t believe it,” Lesley Ann said, enveloping her in a hug made awkward by the size of her belly.

      “You’re having a baby,” Hannah said, standing back to look at her. “And you’re absolutely glowing.”

      “My third,” Lesley Ann told her. “He’s due any minute, so I’m not even supposed to be here, but I like to come down and check on Dad about this time every day. Since my mom died, he works too hard, but getting him to slow down is like talking to a wall. I imagine you’re having the same problem with Jenny.”

      “Oh, yeah,” Hannah confirmed.

      “Come on, let’s go in. I’ll treat you to dinner on the house,” Lesley Ann offered.

      Hannah nodded, relieved not to be walking in alone.

      Lesley Ann pulled open the door and stepped inside. “Hey, Dad, look who I found lurking on the sidewalk.”

      Just as she spoke, Luke slowly swiveled around on his seat at the bar and met Hannah’s gaze. His lips quirked into a smile, though Hannah wasn’t sure if it was meant for her or Lesley Ann.

      “And look who turned up here earlier,” Jack called back to his daughter, gesturing toward Luke. “Why don’t you three find yourselves a table and catch up? I’ll bring over some drinks. Hannah, what can I get you? A beer? Soda? Something to eat?”

      “A beer and a fish sandwich,” she said at once.

      “Just some water for me, Dad,” Lesley Ann said, then wove her way between the tables. “Let’s take that empty table by the window, instead of a booth,” she added, rubbing a hand protectively over her stomach. “This tummy of mine doesn’t fit in the booths so well at the moment.”

      She led the way toward a table and pulled out a chair before Luke could get to it. He shrugged and gestured for Hannah to sit in the one he’d pulled out.

      “Same old independent streak,” he said to Lesley Ann.