Jack heard through the grapevine about Gwen's divorce being finalized. When he saw her the following morning, he could tell she'd been crying. He made sure to charge her less than half for her salmon without her knowing about it.
When he heard she was dating someone, he didn't accept the coffee or breakfast items, telling her he'd already eaten. It felt odd, accepting her gifts when she should be giving them to the man she was dating.
As the years passed, they formed a friendship, something Jack had never had with another woman. He watched as Gwen gained confidence in running her business. He watched as she dated one man, then another, the relationships never lasting long. He watched as she became a pillar of the community, even though Hazel Island was a difficult place to be accepted if you hadn't been born there.
He watched Gwen because if he could do nothing else, he'd look out for her as long as he was able.
Chapter Two
Gwen Parker knew the answer before the bank loan officer opened his mouth.
"Unfortunately, Mrs. Parker..."
"Ms.," she corrected automatically. "Parker is my maiden name."
The loan officer shuffled the papers in front of him. "Pardon me. Ms. Parker. Yes, unfortunately, we are not able to extend a loan to you at this time."
Gwen felt heat creep into her cheeks. "May I ask why?"
"Unfortunately," the loan officer said for a third time, making Gwen hate the word, "your credit is not adequate for the bank to feel confident that you will be able to repay a loan of that size. That being said, we may be able to extend an offer of credit to you. Let me see..."
He looked at his computer monitor. "At 17.9% APR."
Gwen had to stifle a laugh. The business loan she'd applied for? The interest was capped at less than half that rate. The last thing she needed was to get a credit card and make her credit worse.
She thanked the loan officer after he did his best to get her to sign up for some other product. As Gwen left the bank, she saw at least three people who looked like they wanted to stop to speak with her. But she ignored them, hoping they wouldn't be offended.
Living on a small island was both a blessing and a curse, Gwen found. Blessing, because it was like living in paradise. A curse, because everybody knew everybody and there were no secrets here. It was as if the gossip grapevine was baked into the very earth itself.
"Gwen! Is that you?"
Gwen looked up, and belatedly realized she'd made eye contact. Now she was well and truly caught. Normally, she didn't mind stopping to chat with people. She was the owner of the local bed and breakfast: it was her job to be personable.
She just wanted to go home and brood. Judy Turner, though, always wanted to talk and was the biggest gossip on Hazel Island. Since her husband had passed away two years ago, she'd had no one to tell her to leave off.
"So nice to see you!" Judy gushed. As she approached, Gwen could smell her perfume, a scent that was a combination of roses and cotton balls. It always made Gwen want to sneeze.
"Hi, Judy. How are you?"
"Oh, you know me. The arthritis in my knee just keeps getting worse every year. I tell my doctor that, but he keeps telling me, 'Judy, if you would go for walks, it would help.' But how am I supposed to walk with a bum knee? Makes no sense."
Judy also tended to complain about her every health issue. Gwen had already heard accounts of pretty much every organ and limb in Judy's body: knees, hip, gallbladder, lungs, and then some.
Gwen realized too late that she was holding the loan documents in her hands, and Judy's eagle-eyed gaze zeroed in on them before she could stash them in her bag.
"Are you buying another building in town?" Judy tried to look more closely at the top piece of paper, but Gwen folded them in half to block her view. "You know, the Wrights are selling that old house down by Terrace Avenue, you know, the one where the kids all go to mess around?"
Gwen hadn't told anyone about her plans to expand the bed and breakfast. She wanted to open a restaurant right next door. After five years of business, Gwen had felt that it was time to push herself to expand the business.
But now that she hadn't gotten the loan, it seemed less likely that this restaurant dream of hers would come to fruition.
"I'm just talking to a few people," hedged Gwen. "Nothing has been decided yet."
Something in Gwen's tone must've had an edge because Judy seemed taken aback. "I didn't mean to pry, dear. You know me. I'm too curious for my own good. Not much else to do since Frank died, you know."
Gwen was about to apologize, but was stopped when a male voice said, "Afternoon, ladies."
"Oh, Jack, how wonderful to see you," said Judy. "How are the salmon? I've heard things have been terrible lately. Do you even catch any? I would imagine your nets are rather empty lately!"
Fortunately for both Gwen and Jack, Judy realized that the bank would close soon, and she hurried inside.
Jack towered over Gwen. When he folded his arms across his chest, she had to stop herself from gaping at the muscles in his tanned forearms.
"If we walk fast, she probably won't catch up to us," said Gwen.
Jack's lips quirked upward in a rare smile. "Are you trying to get away from the old lady?"
"If she asks me one more question, I might lose it entirely."
Jack, being Jack, didn't press Gwen for an explanation. That was something she'd always appreciated about the rugged fisherman. He didn't waste her time.
He was direct, and he didn't try to meddle in her life. They had a friendship based on business and mutual respect. And Gwen was fine with that.
And if she ogled him out of the corner of her eye, what of it? She was human. Nothing was going to happen between them. They'd known each other for five years, and Jack hadn't so much as said something flirtatious to her. Gwen knew she wasn't his type.
Jack seemed to like the girls who didn’t live on the island full time. Any time Gwen had a group of attractive, single ladies at the bed and breakfast, she knew one of them would end up going home with Jack.
It didn’t bother her. Jack could do what he wanted, even if Gwen didn’t understand why he preferred women who didn’t stick around.
Gwen sat down on a bench that overlooked the water. It was one of her favorite spots, especially at sunrise. She liked to come here and meditate before the bed and breakfast opened for the day.
Jack didn't say anything; he didn't even sit next to her. He stood and gazed out at the horizon. Gwen wondered if he'd forgotten she was even there.
"Why were you at the credit union?” Jack glanced at her.
"Is it so odd that I went to the bank?"
"No. But that isn't your bank."
Jack might not be particularly verbose, but he was observant. He'd probably noticed that she would walk to First National—the other bank on the island–every Friday to deposit any cash or checks.
"I'm trying to get a business loan," she replied.
Jack didn't say anything, which only made her want to explain herself more.
"I have an idea, but I need funding. Nothing more complicated than that." She shrugged, making certain that the paperwork from the bank was hidden from Jack's view.