have the keys to the house?’
He leaned back studying her for a moment longer before opening one of his desk drawers and retrieving an old, heavy bunch of ancient looking keys.
‘Why do you have them?’ she asked curiously, ‘I just would’ve thought the realtors….’
‘We thought it best that I hang on to them,’ he laid the keys on the desk in front of her. ‘There have been several break-ins over the years, kids mostly scaring themselves with ghost stories and dares.’
‘Ghost stories?’
‘Like any house of that kind of age,’ he shrugged, ‘it’s primed for attracting gossip and rumors. I wouldn’t pay any attention, but I will warn you the keys won’t do you much good. Other than the padlocks for the safety fences we had to board up the entire ground floor after…’
‘After what?’ her eyes narrowed.
‘It isn’t safe,’ he hedged around her question as he reached for a yellow legal pad and picked up a pen. ‘I can’t guarantee what state the interior is in, you shouldn’t go in until it’s been thoroughly checked and declared structurally sound. Here’s the number of a local construction business, its family run, has an excellent reputation. They take care of pretty much the whole island and although they’re based here, they do take on work over on the mainland too, so if you do decide to fix up the house, they’re the ones you need to speak with.’
‘Thanks,’ she reached out and took the paper as he folded it and handed it over.
‘Sorry to cut this short,’ he looked down at his watch, ‘but I do have another appointment.’
‘Not at all,’ she scooped up the keys and tucked the paper in the pocket of her jeans. ‘Thanks for your time.’
‘My pleasure,’ Dennis smiled, ‘make sure you stop by and let me know how things are going.’
‘I will.’
Giving him one last look, she opened the door and hurried through the office as quickly as possible before Philippa freaked out again.
Once back in her truck she pulled out the paper Dennis had handed her and read his neat scrawl. Not only had he given her the name and number of the construction business but also instructions on how to get there.
She could’ve blamed the fact that she spent the next hour driving around in circles on the fact she’d been reading his map upside down, or the fact that none of the roads were marked clearly, but what the hell, it was a pleasant enough drive and she certainly got to see more of the island and the more she saw, the more she liked.
Her mother had always avoided places like this, instead preferring big bustling cities or dry, dusty, arid towns in the middle of nowhere. Perhaps small costal islands and towns reminded her too much of home, but then again, she never did understand what was going on in her mother’s head half the time.
But now, surrounded by the scent of briny waters and watching the glittering waves sparkle around the edges of the island she felt a strange sense of contentment. As the air cooled and the sun began to dip toward the horizon, setting the skies ablaze with powerful slashes of pink and purple, she abandoned any thought of finding the construction company and drove back toward town as her belly began to rumble loudly.
She parked out front of a local bar and grill. Now that the sun had gone down the air was cooler, so leaving Bailey in the truck she headed inside.
Kelley tore his gaze away from the game on TV as a collective denial rose up from some of the regulars. Although they still watched avidly, despite their rather vocal disapproval Kelley had already lost interest, he wasn’t really a sporty kind of guy anyway.
He picked up a cloth and resumed wiping down the smooth glossy wood of the bar. Absently glancing across to the doorway he saw her immediately. It took him a moment to process that he’d stopped cleaning and was just standing staring.
She stood out; even in jeans, a plain white tank, red sneakers and without a scrap of make-up she was stunning. All gold skin, dark eyes and hair as black as Indian ink. He watched as she crossed the room, heading toward the other end of the bar. She didn’t take a seat, instead she picked up a menu and began to read.
‘Hey, what can I get you?’
Ava looked up at the tall guy standing smiling at her from the other side