“Interrogate is a loaded word. I was interested.”
“Oh, was that it? You were dubious about what I had in mind. You already knew I wouldn’t last in finance, didn’t you?”
“I had no idea,” he said without hesitation. “I had a feeling you were doing what you thought you should do, not what you wanted to do.”
“That’s not unusual at eighteen, at least for a lot of people. Not for a Flanagan. You and Mark never did what you thought you should do. You did what you wanted to do.”
He grinned at her. “Calling us selfish bastards?”
“Driven.”
Gabe stared down at the water, aware of her eyes on him.
“That’s not a bad thing,” she added.
“I did have a sense of duty. Mark, too. We thought we should be here for our parents. Our mom especially, after she got sick. They never asked anything of us. Sometimes I wish they had.” He cleared his throat, surprised at the emotion he felt. “I know Mark and I didn’t abandon her, but sometimes it feels as if we did—at least that I did.”
“She was a good soul, Gabe.”
“A flake but a good soul.” He smiled, pulling his gaze from the water. “Do you want to go farther or turn around now?”
“Let’s go farther. Have you seen Kylie and Russ’s house since they bought it?”
He shook his head, and they continued up the road, more houses cropping up as they got closer to the intersection with the main highway.
“Kylie says she doesn’t see Russ’s brother, Marty, moving East,” Felicity said. “Knights Bridge is developing quite a Southern California contingency. Dylan and Noah are from San Diego, obviously. His personal attorney lives there. She’s not going anywhere, but she’s married now for the first time, thanks to Knights Bridge.”
Gabe nodded, familiar with the people Felicity referenced. “Loretta Wrentham and Julius Hartley, Russ’s former colleague with a Beverly Hills law firm.”
“You’ve met them?”
“When I was out in California,” he said, without elaborating.
“Did you meet Daphne Stewart, too?”
“Not yet, but Mark told me about her.”
“Her real name is Debbie Sanderson. She’s the great-granddaughter of George Sanderson, founder of the Knights Bridge Free Public Library and investor in the hat factory Mark has now renovated. She secretly sewed copies of movie stars’ dresses in the library attic before she ran away to Hollywood forty years ago. Now she’s a respected Hollywood costume designer.”
“I understand she’s quite a character.”
“She’s a total diva,” Felicity said with obvious affection. “I only met her briefly when she came back here in the spring to do a master class. I heard she considered moving back part-time, but she decided against it. Hollywood is home for her now. She’s a regular at Marty Colton’s bar. Ruby O’Dunn is staying with her while she’s out there.”
“I don’t think I’ve seen Ruby since she was in braces.”
Felicity smiled. “Our hometown is small, but its reach is wide.”
“The Knights Bridge effect?”
“I hope so. I’d hate to think we spread misery—Christopher and Ruby aside. Who knows, maybe you’ll meet someone because of Knights Bridge. I imagine the entrepreneurial boot camp could attract your type.”
“What’s my type?”
“Not for me to say—”
“Sure it is. You obviously have ideas.”
“Okay.” She considered for a moment, a twinkle of amusement in her pretty eyes. “In the spirit of not minding my own business, I would say your type is smart and accomplished but not as driven as you are. Someone who doesn’t work nine-to-five and can drop everything to accompany you when you’re indulging your wanderlust. She’d have money but not too much money, not because of your ego but because it’d be too complicated. How’s that?”
Gabe leaned in close to her. “You didn’t mention if my ‘type’ would be good in bed.”
She didn’t skip a beat. “No need. You’d see to it, wouldn’t you?”
Felicity was quick. Gabe would give her that. “Hair color, eye color, West Coast, East coast?”
“Doesn’t matter. You’re mobile. You cut your roots to Knights Bridge a long time ago.”
If he’d ever truly had roots. They came to Russ and Kylie’s house, gray shingles with black shutters, old stone walls, lilacs and maple trees. It was tucked up on a hill across from the river and oozed New England charm. Gabe doubted anyone would have put Kylie and Russ together a year ago, but now they were married, moving into a house on the river—and plainly in love with each other.
“Gabe?”
He yanked himself out of his thoughts. “Any other qualities to my type?”
Felicity screwed up her face, exaggerating how much thought she was giving her answer. “Hmm. She’d have to get my approval, of course. As your friend, someone who looks out for you. I couldn’t have you marrying just anyone.” She grinned, tugging on his hand. “Kidding.”
He swooped his arm over her shoulders. “What if you’re my type?”
“I do sort of fit the profile. Scary, isn’t it?”
“You didn’t have yourself in mind?”
“Definitely not. I doubt I’d ever be as indulgent of you as the woman of your dreams would be.”
He laughed. “That’s for damn sure.” They turned back down the road. When they came to a path to their swimming hole, he couldn’t resist. “Jump in the river in our clothes?”
“That would be indulging you.”
“Yeah, it would be, but I bet the idea crossed your mind, too.”
“It always does on a warm summer day.”
“Do you have time for a dip?”
“No, but—” She smiled. “If we make it quick.”
He took her hand into his. “Then let’s go.”
* * *
Felicity made Gabe turn around and stand behind a tree while she slipped off her dress and eased into the water in her bra and underpants. Gabe followed suit, diving into the river in just his underwear. She stayed underwater from the neck down, but it was patently obvious she was all but skinny-dipping.
“If anyone paddles by in a kayak or canoe, I’m done for,” she said.
“No one will.”
Probably true. The shallow, rocky river was popular with paddlers in spring with the winter runoff but less
