But considering what had happened the last time she’d seen Alison, she wasn’t that surprised.
“Sadie!”
Sadie turned and saw Lydia, her favorite intrepid Chamber of Commerce representative and fellow admirer of Eli’s butt. “Hi, Lydia. You’re out early.”
The other woman smiled. “Yes, I am. I thought I would see how it was all shaping up.”
“Nicely,” Sadie said, surveying the grounds. “It just might not fail.”
“Eli would never let it fail,” Lydia said. “Not to say you would,” she quickly amended. “Only that I’ve known Eli for the past six years and he’s always been so stable and organized. Just one of the many reasons I’m wholeheartedly endorsing his bid for sheriff.”
Sadie scanned the field, looking for Eli. She didn’t see him. “Yeah, I definitely think he’s the man for the job,” she said.
She thought back to last week’s conversation on his porch. About how he felt like he failed when it came to caring for people.
She couldn’t understand it.
Maybe because you suck and you threw a bunch of your issues at him?
Maybe because I really feel that way, she argued back with herself. Because maybe...if I ever thought there was such a thing as a knight in shining armor, it would have been him.
She didn’t even bother to push the thought away.
Didn’t bother to pretend there wasn’t more swirling around inside of her than simple lust.
Somehow, in the space of a month and a half, she’d gone from disliking Eli immensely to...well, whatever this thing was where she felt like the sun hadn’t really risen until she saw his face.
Whatever you called that.
“Sadie.” Lydia interrupted her train of thought. “I was wondering if you wanted to get brochures for the B and B down to the Chamber. And also, I was wondering if we could put some brochures in the B and B for some other businesses. Tourist attractions, whale-watching excursions, things like that.”
“That would be great!” Sadie said, feeling strangely warm toward Lydia at the moment. Not that she was cold toward her normally, but it was a little awkward to talk to the woman you knew had a thing for the guy you were semi-secretly sleeping with.
“Beneficial for all,” Lydia said. “Oh, there he is!” Her smile broadened when she saw Eli, and Sadie felt a sliver of guilt push its way beneath her skin. Lydia was more Eli’s type. They made sense. She was organized, passionate about the community. Caring.
She wasn’t terrified of interpersonal connection and more likely than your average startled house cat to tear off and hide under the furniture than forge any kind of meaningful relationship with someone.
Except...she and Eli did have a meaningful relationship. She could feel it. She was carrying it around in her chest, and it weighed a ton. And it was effing inconvenient.
“Eli!” Lydia called, waving.
Oh, man. Like it couldn’t get more awkward. Because she and Eli were not a couple, and when she stood near him in front of the general public she didn’t know what to do with her hands. Because they were itching to touch him but she knew she couldn’t.
He walked over to them, looking generally awkward, as awkward as you would expect the guy to feel in the situation.
“Hi,” she said, shoving her hands into her back pockets so they wouldn’t get all feelsy with him.
“Sadie,” he said. “Lydia. How are things going?”
“Great,” Sadie said. “And on your end?”
“Parking area is set. Connor is sober. I consider that a win.”
Sadie winced. “Is Connor going to come?”
Eli shrugged. “I don’t know. I kind of doubt it. Families and things...he doesn’t handle this stuff well.”
“Man,” Sadie said. “I didn’t think of it from that angle. I feel like crap now.”
“Don’t,” he said. “Connor objectively realizes the value in this. Okay, he didn’t say that, but I know he does. He’ll hide away. It’s his deal. Though Liss might be able to draw him out for a while when Jack and Kate ride.”
“I can’t wait to see them,” Lydia said. “Really exciting. It’ll be very fun. We’ve had a lot of calls about this down at the Chamber.”
“That’s great,” Sadie said. “And goes a long way in eliminating my deep fear that I will end up here alone, eating all of the food myself. Which is, in many ways, not a bad fantasy, but...you know. People are investing a lot of time and money in this, and there has to be a good turnout or it just won’t be worth it.”
Eli surprised her by putting his hand on her shoulder. “There will be a big turnout. Because you’ve done an amazing job. And I know I was kind of grumpy about it for a while, but this is great. You did great. And people have already started pouring in.” He slid his palm down her arm, the gesture going from casual encouragement to something that revealed a deeper level of intimacy between them.
And Lydia noticed. Her smile faltered for a moment, and Sadie inwardly cringed.
“Thank you,” Sadie said. “Thank you both for all your help and thanks...Eli, for saying that. I really...tried.” And in spite of herself, she had bonded with this place.
She looked around the picnic area, at the people there. Bud from the gas station sitting with his wife and smiling. Cassie from The Grind was with a very nice-looking man Sadie assumed was the same Jake she talked about with a dreamy smile on her face.
The group of fishermen from Rona’s were there with their families, and their beer. Her old high school friend Brooke with a group of women dressed in cutoff shorts and American-flag T-shirts.
It wasn’t just this place. It was these people.
This man.
