Promise Cove (A Pelican Pointe Novel Book 1) (181 page)

B
ut
J
or
d
an
paid
no
at
t
ention
t
o
E
l
len
as
she
s
t
ood
up
t
o
tak
e
H
u
t
t
o
n
ou
t
o
f
N
ic
k
’
s
a
r
ms
.
“
Th
i
s
little
g
irl
nee
d
s
a
bat
h
.
W
e
’
re
off
t
o
s
c
r
ub
off
s
ome
of
th
i
s
food
.
”

“
Y
e
l
l
if
y
ou
need
hel
p
,
”
N
ick
volun
t
eered
jo
v
i
a
l
ly
before
ta
k
i
n
g
h
i
s
s
e
a
t
t
o
f
i
n
i
sh
h
i
s
cof
f
ee
and
d
e
s
s
e
r
t
.

B
ut
as
s
oon
as
J
or
d
an
d
i
sappeared
in
t
o
the
ha
l
l
w
a
y
,
out of
ea
r
sho
t
,
E
l
len
k
icked
T
om
under
the
ta
ble,
s
i
g
nali
n
g
it
w
as time
for
the
S
pan
i
sh
I
nqu
is
ition.
E
l
len
p
icked
up
her
w
ine g
l
a
s
s
and
g
o
t
comfo
r
ta
bl
e
.
W
ith
a
little
t
oo
much
e
a
ge
r
n
es
s in
her
t
one,
she
s
t
a
t
ed
f
l
atl
y
,
“
I
’
ve
t
r
ied
nic
e
.
N
ow
I
’
l
l
j
u
st
get
t
o
the
p
o
in
t
.
S
he
i
s
n
’t
over
Sc
o
t
t
.
”

“
I
beli
e
ve
y
ou
’
re
r
igh
t
,
”
N
ick
said
evenl
y
.

E
l
len
looked
at
T
om
for
suppo
r
t
,
ho
p
i
n
g
h
e
’
d
jump
in
w
it
h
h
i
s
o
w
n
t
o
ug
h
qu
e
s
t
ioni
n
g
.

B
ut
T
om
w
as
a
d
i
sapp
o
intmen
t
.
“
I
really
l
i
ke
y
our
H
arle
y
.
W
h
at
y
ear
i
s
it?”

Withou
t
w
ai
t
i
n
g
fo
r
N
ic
k
’
s
repl
y
,
f
ro
m
a
c
r
os
s
th
e
t
a
ble, E
l
le
n
s
t
are
d
do
w
n
he
r
h
usband
.
“
T
om
,
do
n
’
t
y
o
u
w
an
t
to
as
k
N
ic
k
a
b
ou
t
h
i
s
wor
k
,
i
f
h
e
mak
e
s
a
decen
t
li
v
i
ng
wor
k
i
n
g
a
s
a
ca
r
pen
t
er?”

F
ina
l
l
y
,
p
ic
k
i
n
g
up
on
the
hin
t
,
but
clearly
uncomfo
r
t
a
ble
d
o
i
n
g
s
o
,
T
om
asked,
“
U
h,
i
s
there
plen
t
y
of
work
for
a ca
r
pen
t
er
th
e
s
e
d
a
y
s
?”

“
A
c
t
ua
l
l
y
,
I
’
m
a
n
i
n
v
e
stmen
t
banke
r
,
”
N
ic
k
r
e
vealed
s
moothl
y
,
s
ip
p
i
n
g
h
i
s
cof
f
e
e
.

E
l
len
came
cl
o
s
e
t
o
s
p
itti
n
g
out
her
w
in
e
.
Q
uickly recove
r
i
n
g
,
she
jumped
on
tha
t
.
“
W
h
y
would
an
i
n
v
e
stment banker
be
wor
k
i
n
g
as
a
handyman?”

F
rom
ca
r
pen
t
er
t
o
handyman
w
as
a
b
ig
drop
in
a
few sho
r
t
minu
t
e
s,
N
ick
m
u
s
ed, as
he
p
icked up
h
i
s
coffee
c
up
ag
ai
n
.
B
ut
he
good
-
n
a
t
ure
d
ly
p
l
a
y
ed
alo
n
g
w
ith
the
n
o
s
y
s
i
s
t
e
r
.
“
I
t
ook
a
le
a
ve
of
a
bs
ence
t
o
recharge
and
ended up
here
alo
n
g
the
coas
t
.
”
N
ick
immed
i
at
ely
s
en
s
ed
E
l
le
n
’
s d
i
st
r
u
s
t
.
H
e
could
n
’t
in
good
con
s
c
ience
b
l
ame
her
for
i
t
.