Somebody to Love. Kristan Higgins

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      CHAPTER FIVE

      THOUGH HE VISITED the great state of Maine at least six times a year, crossing the Kittery Bridge never failed to make James feel as if someone had hammered a nail in his eye. Ever since he was twelve years old, Maine had been a place to escape from, not Vacationland, as the license plates proclaimed.

       Dresner, his hometown, was not on the agenda. Rarely was, even though—or because—his parents still lived there. The town had grown up around a paper mill that had long moved operations to some third-world country, but the bitter tang of chemicals still hung over Cahill family events.

       Last night, James had stayed at his sister’s, set his phone to go off at five-thirty, since Gideon’s Cove was another two hours away. Whether or not Parker wanted his help—and she didn’t—she was getting it.

       Gideon’s Cove had been a cute town back then. There’d been a diner, he remembered, and a pretty girl about his own age who waited tables…he’d hung around, hoping she’d notice him, but she’d had a boyfriend, it turned out. Still, he’d managed to lose his virginity with a very, ah, generous woman about a decade older than he was. Chantal. Very nice woman. Just the thought of her had James grinning. Yep. All guys should get started out that way.

       Speaking of women he’d slept with, it occurred to James that he hadn’t called Leah. Not that they had an actual relationship…a hookup now and then, but still.

       James pulled over on the side of the road and took out his phone. One missed call—Parker Welles, the screen said. Cell-phone service was spotty up here, so no surprise there. The surprise was that she called him at all. He listened to the message, frowning. He didn’t know anything about a security system or code. When he’d called his uncle to tell him about his plans, James asked him if he knew the Harrington place. “Ayuh,” Dewey had said. “Needs a little work. I’ll make sure the electric’s on.” Nothing about a security system.

       Well. He’d be there in an hour. He could figure it out then. Besides, making Parker wait had its own appeal. And he did owe Leah a call.

       “Hey, Leah, it’s James.”

       “Hi there, stranger! How are you doing?” she said, her cheerleader-style exuberance making him hold the phone a little farther away from his ear. She was cute, but best in small doses, which explained why they only saw each other about once a month.

       “How are you?” he said.

       “I’m awesome! What’s up? You wanna get together this weekend?”

       “Well, actually, I’m in Maine right now, and I’ll be here for a while. Six or eight weeks. Figured I’d let you know.”

       There was a pause. “Oh,” she finally said.

       It was impressive, how much could be packed into a two-letter word. They must teach it at woman school. “Yeah. So, just wanted to say bye and have a nice summer and all.” James pressed his thumb against his eye socket, bracing for the relationship talk.

       “What about…you know? Us?”

       Ah, mooseshit. Was there an us? Because he’d seen Leah, a very pretty redhead who liked to play pool and flirt, maybe six or seven times since they’d met at a wedding on New Year’s Eve, and if there was an us, it was pretty anemic. There was him, and there was her, and the two of them intersected at a bar once in a while, which generally led to more intersecting in bed, which had always seemed like enough.

       Until this moment.

       “Well, I have to be in Maine this summer,” James repeated.

       “For Harry?”

       “Yep. So I figured I’d call, tell you I wouldn’t be around. And after the summer, I really don’t know where I’ll be jobwise.” There. Mission accomplished.

       “You want some company up there? I love Maine!”

       Mission not accomplished. James sighed and closed his eyes. “Well, I’ll be busy, Leah. And it’s far. Way up the coast. But it’s been fun hanging out. Good luck with everything.” He winced. He didn’t mean to sound like a dick. They just taught it in guy school.

       There was a lengthy pause, then a sigh. “Fine.” Another pause. “Where are you staying?”

       “A town called Gideon’s Cove. Harry’s daughter has some property up there.”

       “Harry’s in jail, right?”

       “Yeah. But his daughter needs a little help. Real-estate stuff.” James never liked talking about what he did, just in case what he didn’t do came out. Well, I sit in my office a lot. Shot thirty-nine Nerf baskets in a row one day. I was really stoked.

      Another pause. “Well, try to have fun,” she said, her voice a little brighter. “And thanks for calling, James! That was so thoughtful.”

       Atta girl. Leah was sweet. Not tremendously bright, but good-natured and fun. It’d been really easy, hanging out with her. And easy was good so far as he was concerned. “You take care, Leah.”

       “You, too, James. Give me a call when you’re back, if you feel like it.”

       “You bet. Take care,” he repeated.

       There. His condo was sublet for the summer. Leah had been informed. Stella, his secretary, had told James not to worry; she’d been about to quit anyway and become a jujitsu instructor. The guys he played basketball with on Saturday mornings had taken him out for a beer as a farewell. No point in telling Mary Elizabeth about work…she pretty much only cared if he brought her a present.

       His parents could wait.

       So. On to Gideon’s Cove to see Parker. Maybe she’d be glad to see him.

       Right. And the ice-skating in hell was fabulous this time of year. But she was Harry’s daughter, and James owed him more than he could say.

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