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She glanced around. “Is it safe?”

“Anyone with common sense is in bed.” He grinned, showing he was teasing. “You’ll be safe with me. We might run into a deer or a squirrel, but we’ll be fine. I walk this path all the time.”

“Do you have a lot of late nights where you can’t sleep?”

“More than I’d like.” Asher stabbed a toe against a clump of grass at the edge of Hetty’s sidewalk. He jerked his head toward the path. “Come on. A walk will be good for both of us.”

She eyed him a moment, then grabbed a sweatshirt off the chair and pulled it over her head. Then she pocketed her phone, slid her feet into her flip-flops, and joined him in the grass. She shivered. “I’d forgotten how chilly the island can be in the evenings.”

“Feels good. So much fresh air.” As they headed down the narrow path, the wind rustled through the trees, stirring the leaves.

Next to him, Sadie stopped and grabbed his arm. “Is that an animal?”

“Where?” Asher scanned the nearby foliage. “I don’t see anything.”

“I don’t know. I thought I heard something.” She removed her hand from his arm and shoved it in the front pocket of her hoodie. “Must be my overactive imagination.”

“So, what has you awake at this hour?”

She didn’t speak for a moment.

Maybe she didn’t trust him, not that he blamed her. Even though they’d gotten along better lately, they weren’t exactly BFFs or anything.

“You knew my grandmother owned the bakery in town, right?”

“Yes, I used to go there all the time when I visited the island as a kid.”

“She’s considering selling the bakery so she has money for much needed updates on her cottage.” She explained about the problem with the appraisal.

“How does she feel about selling?”

“I think she’s sad. She and my grandpa ran it for over fifty years. After the hotel burned, the seasonal workers didn’t have places to stay. Then the pandemic hit, and businesses pretty much shut down. Then Gramps had a heart attack one morning before the bakery opened and passed away. I’m sure Gran would love to see it reopened for business, but I don’t know anything about running a bakery. And my dad can’t do anything from Hawaii. Dani made a couple of inquiries about getting someone to help with bakery repairs, but they’re booked out for the rest of the summer. I’m not sure who else I can ask.”

“What about me?”

“What about you?” She lifted a shoulder. “Have a cool half a million sitting around that you want to invest in a defunct property?”

Asher laughed. If she only knew…“I could lend a hand and help get things spruced up.”

“Thanks. That’s kind of you, but you’re busy enough as it is.”

“I’m busy by choice. I can make time to help you.”

She looked down at her feet, then glanced at him, her eyes soft and a bit vulnerable. “Again, thanks, but I can’t pay you.”

“I’m not looking to be paid. I love Hetty, and she’s a great neighbor. I’ll do what I can to help her stay in her home. I canmeet you at the bakery first thing in the morning.” Asher rolled around a sudden idea in his head, then stopped and faced Sadie. He tried not to be distracted by the way the moonlight captured her beauty. “What if we trade services?”

“What kind of services?”

“I’m restoring one of the carriages my grandfather built before starting his own touring company over seventy years ago. With more and more people coming back to the island, I want to revive our family’s tour company. That means an online presence, but I’m not good with that sort of thing. You have such fond memories of the island and knowledge that I don’t have.”

“You spent time here as a kid too. What about your fond memories?”

“Yes, but we didn’t visit every year like you did. Would you be willing to help me get the business online, then conduct a few trial tours? I could drive the team, and you could narrate for the guests.”

“Narrate? Like talk in front of people?” She swallowed, then shook her head, her eyes wide. “I’m sorry, Asher. I can’t. While I’m grateful for your offer of help, I don’t think I could return the favor, at least the touring part of it. I don’t do well speaking in public. I’d be willing to give you free marketing advice about how you can advertise and grow your business online though. I can write copy in my sleep.” She scoffed. “Except where the festival is concerned.”

“Why’s that?”