Her eyes were locked on the guy climbing off the motorcycle.
The construction guy drives a Harley? Pete white-knuckled the steering wheel. He shifted his attention back to the road as he rolled past, just as Doophus bent down and took Jenna in a hot and heavy kiss.
Look at the road. Look at the stinkin’ road.
His eyes did not get the message. They shifted right and caught on Jenna, her arms wrapped around Doophus’s neck, her sweet hips pressed against his, and that was no little kiss. He was devouring her.
Pete hit the gas.
There was no way he was going to let that jerk take Jenna from him. So what if she confused him, or lost that blazing confidence around him? So what if his nights were interrupted by phone calls from his drunken father? One way or another, he’d make darn sure that he was on the other end of Jenna’s next kiss, and he’d make her forget the Harley-driving construction worker ever existed.
Chapter Four
“THAT WAS QUITE the PDA.” Amy looped her arm around Jenna’s as they walked down Main Street toward the Wellfleet Library.
“Tell me about it. That man knows how to kiss.” Jenna had been floored when Charlie showed up earlier that morning, even more so when he took her in a deep, passionate kiss. She’d been trying to convince herself all day that she’d enjoyed it. “But it just felt nice.”
“Oh, Jenna. I want a nice kiss like that.” Amy leaned her head on Jenna’s shoulder and sighed as they passed Town Hall.
“Want me to set you up with Charlie?”
“What? He’s your date tonight, not mine.” Amy laughed. “I’d never take another woman’s man.”
“Yeah, he is my date, but…”
“Oh no. What is it?”
“Charlie’s a great guy, but I still didn’t feel sparks. It was a good kiss. A great kiss, even, but it wasn’t a mind-numbing kiss.”
“Oh no. No, no, no. Jenna.”
“I hoped it was going to be. Believe me, I tried. I even deepened the kiss with the hopes of feeling that tingling sensation that would bring me up on my toes.” Jenna shook her head. “Nothing. Zilch. He had his hands in all the right places. His body…oh my gosh. It felt so good against mine, but the kiss? Eh.” She held her hand level with the ground and wiggled it from side to side.
“Why? It looked amazing. Even Pete was gawking at you two.”
“I’ve been trying not to think about Pete, thank you very much.” But he was all she could think about as they walked into the library. “I made a point of not looking at him when I crossed in front of his truck. I thought he’d just drive by, you know? But I heard his truck slow down, and then when Charlie kissed me, I was so focused on trying to feel something that I lost track of Pete altogether.”
“Hi, ladies.” Candy Taylor waved from behind the desk. Candy was in her late twenties and she’d worked at the library during the summers since her junior year of high school. Now she was married, with a little towheaded boy named Jason. Jenna thought she’d probably still work behind the front desk thirty summers from now.
“Hey, Candy. How’s Jason?” Jenna leaned over the desk and picked up the framed picture of Jason that Candy changed every few weeks.
“He’s on a lobster kick. I gave him a taste of mine one night, and now he thinks he should have it every night.” Candy set down the book she was reading and tucked her blond hair behind her ear. “I swear, I’ve never heard of a four-year-old even liking lobster.”
“It could be worse. He could want all of your chocolate.” Jenna wiggled her eyebrows. “This is adorable. Was it taken on the pier?”
“Yeah. He loves to go fishing there. Hey, I don’t suppose either of you wants to volunteer to help at the annual book sale this year? We’re shorthanded, and, Jenna, I know how you are about organizing. We could really use you.”
The annual book sale was a big event in Wellfleet. People planned their weekends and vacations around it. The sale was held in the front yard of the church and overflowed into the alley between the church and Abiyoyo, a novelty store on Main Street. Jenna and her friends enjoyed going to the sale, and Jenna had volunteered a few times. Working hadn’t been on her agenda for this summer, but it might be a good distraction from her mother and Pete.
“What kind of help do you need?” Jenna asked.
“We need people to handle the sales, organize the books, and you remember how it was when you volunteered. People drop off books all day long, so we also need people to coordinate the incoming books. If you want to help and have the time, we could also use some help in here getting ready before the sale.”
Amy and Jenna exchanged a glance. Jenna had no interest in giving up her time in the sun, but she wouldn’t mind helping later in the day, and she could tell that Amy was thinking the same thing.
“Can we help in the late afternoon or early evenings?” Jenna asked.
“That would be awesome. Whatever you can do. A day, a few days. Whatever works for you two. We appreciate any help we can get.” Candy wrote down her phone number. “Just let me know.”
Amy and Jenna spent the next two hours working their way through the romance and suspense titles, and after they’d each chosen a handful of books, they went around the corner to the Juice Café and shared a veggie pizza. Then they went back to Seaside and lay out in the sun, enjoying their newly borrowed books.
Vera was gathering her things when they arrived.
“Oh, I’m sorry I missed you girls, but I’ve had enough sun for one afternoon,” she said with a smile. Vera wore her hair in a pixie style, similar to Jamie Lee Curtis’s hairstyle. She wore a beach cover-up over her bathing suit and a big floppy hat.
“Want me to walk you up?” Jenna asked.
“Goodness, no. I’m fine. You girls enjoy your time, but the next time you go to the harbor, I’d love to join you. I fear Jamie’s not going to be up for a while.” Duck Harbor was one of Vera’s favorite beaches, as well as Jenna’s.
“You’ve got it, Vera.” Jenna waved and watched her walk back up to her cottage.
Just being at the pool made Jenna think of Pete. It had taken all of her willpower to look away from him this morning, and—heaven help her—when Charlie kissed her, she’d wished it was Pete kissing her like she was all he ever wanted and holding her like she was all he ever needed.
They stayed by the pool until the sun began to set and they saw Bella walking around the quad. They carried their towels and books and joined Bella on her deck.
“Hamburgers?” Jenna asked.