Trusting His Promise (Love on Sanctuary Shores #5)

Chapter 16

Jo scurried toward Fresh Catch, hugging her fleece jacket closer as a stiff wind whipped her ponytail around her head. The daintiest touch of color dotted the leaves of the trees she passed. Fall would be upon them before they knew it. And she needed to get in as many charters as she could before then.

She hadn’t had any since the one on Tuesday that Beckett had helped with, but her days had been plenty busy taking care of Dad. Or, more like, trying to keep him from taking care of himself. It was driving him mad to sit still—and her mad to try to keep him there.

She’d considered canceling dinner with her friends tonight, but Karen Stanley had been stopping by every day to check on Dad, and she insisted she could put Sam to bed.

And Jo had to confess that she could use the break. Only for half an hour, and then she’d hurry home.

There was really nothing to worry about, she knew that. Dad and Sam were in good hands. Still, she couldn’t escape the little niggle in the back of her heart that kept worrying at something . It had been there since Beckett got off the boat on Tuesday, and hard as she tried, she couldn’t make it go away.

Something about the way he had looked at her when she made that comment about him finding God when it benefited his career had stuck with her. He had looked so . . . wounded. And he’d barely said a word after that.

Maybe he had been genuinely hurt.

Well, so what? She tried to brush the concern aside. After the countless times he had hurt her? He deserved a whole lot worse than that.

He said he was sorry, her conscience argued.

But Jo pushed the argument aside. It was easy enough to say you were sorry about something. That apology was probably as sincere as his faith.

You can’t see his heart , her pesky conscience tried again.

No, Jo knew she couldn’t. But she’d had almost a decade to learn what kind of person Beckett Knox was. He was—

The kind of guy who would give up a whole day on an important movie shoot to help you out?

Jo huffed. She was more than fed up with her conscience, and she decided then and there that she wasn’t going to think about Beckett again tonight.

She reached Fresh Catch, and the wind practically pushed her through the door.

Lisa looked up with a surprised smile. “You sure do know how to make an entrance.”

“Thanks. I try.” Jo reached to smooth her ponytail, then gave up and pulled it out. “Are Angelica and Chloe and Harper here yet?”

Lisa shook her head. “I imagine they’re all with their beaus.”

Jo rolled her eyes. Only Lisa would use the word beaus.

“I’m surprised you aren’t with yours,” Lisa said slyly.

Jo stared at her. “What are you talking about?”

“Oh, come on. You think people haven’t noticed how much time you’ve been spending with Beckett Knox?”

“People?” Jo grasped the hostess podium. “What people?”

Lisa shrugged. “Me. Alex. Chloe and Angelica, I’m sure. Oh, Harper asked me about it the other day. Beckett’s castmates, definitely.” She opened her mouth as if to add more, but Jo had heard enough.

“Well, you’re all wrong. We’re not ‘spending time together.’” She made air quotes around the words. “He was just helping me out with a charter the other day. I haven’t seen him since then,” she said defiantly.

Lisa nodded, but Jo could see the mischief behind her eyes.

“I can’t help it if it’s a small island and we keep running into each other,” Jo added. “I spend a lot of time with Alex too, and no one says anything about that.” Instantly, she regretted the words. She didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize her friends’ relationship. “Not that we— Everyone knows we’re just friends—”

“So you and Beckett are just friends too?” Lisa raised a triumphant eyebrow, as if Jo had made her point for her.

“Yes. No! We’re not friends. He’s an— an—”

“He was asking about you, you know.”

Jo froze, but she refused to give Lisa the satisfaction of requesting more details.

“He wanted to know if you’re single.” Lisa stacked a pile of menus, but Jo could tell her friend was watching for a response.

“What did you tell him?” She wasn’t sure she succeeded in her attempt to sound unconcerned.

“That you are one hundred percent available and dying for him to ask you out.”

“Lisa,” Jo gasped, and Lisa laughed.

“Relax. I only said that you are, indeed, single. But I wouldn’t be surprised if he tries to change that.”

Jo opened her mouth to respond but found herself utterly speechless. Lisa’s comment was too ridiculous for words.

The door opened behind them, and in blew Chloe and Angelica and Harper.

Jo let out a relieved breath. Now they could move on from this whole ludicrous conversation and talk about more pleasant things.

“Saved by the bell.” Lisa laughed as she waved them to their usual table. If there was a lull, she’d join them once their food was ready.

“Saved from what?” Chloe asked innocently as they pulled out their chairs.

“Nothing.” Jo ducked her head and pretended to concentrate on the menu she didn’t need.

“Give us three guesses,” Angelica prompted. “But I bet we’ll only need one.”

“It’s nothing,” Jo insisted again.

“Beckett Knox,” the women said in unison.

Jo felt the color rising to her cheeks and desperately tried to tamp it down.

The other women exchanged triumphant grins.

“I knew it,” Chloe crowed. “He asked you out, didn’t he?”

“I— What? No.” If Jo had to guess, her face had gone from red to purple now. “He helped with a fishing charter. That was all.”

“But if he did ask you out,” Angelica insisted, “would you say yes?”

“Are you crazy? You know what he did to me.” Angelica was a year older, but their school was small enough that everyone knew.

“I still don’t,” Chloe said.

“He did something to you?” Harper, who hadn’t lived on Sanctuary Island long, asked.

Jo sighed. She really didn’t want to rehash everything right now. But it was likely the only way to get her friends to see reason—she and Beckett would never be together.

“His mom died when he was ten,” she started.

“Aw.” Chloe pressed a hand to her heart, and Jo shook her head. That wasn’t the point of this story.

“And since my mom had died when I was little, I thought that meant we’d have a . . . connection.”

Harper nodded, and Jo continued. “So I went up to him at school and said his mom was in heaven with Jesus. I’ll never forget his sneer. Or the way he said I was stupid if I believed all that garbage.”

“I’m sure he was hurting.” Lisa pulled out a chair and sat too.

“I’m sure,” Jo agreed. “But after that day, it was like he saw me as his mortal enemy. He called me names, played pranks on me, tried to get me in trouble with the teachers.” She stopped. Maybe that would be enough to make her friends see.

“I agree all of that was bad,” Lisa conceded. “But he was a kid then . . .”

“In high school—” Jo would have to tell the whole story. “He pretty much ignored me altogether. It felt like a sort of truce. And it worked for me. But then, our senior year, out of the blue, he asked me to the winter formal. I was so surprised that I said yes before I could think about it. And then when I did think about it, I thought, well, maybe . . .” She trailed off. There was no point in dwelling on what she’d thought. She’d been wrong.

“Anyway, the night of the dance, we were supposed to meet at the town square. My dad had splurged and bought me this beautiful blue dress we really couldn’t afford and these heels I really couldn’t walk in, but I made it to the gazebo and waited for Beckett. And waited. And waited.”

Chloe’s eyes were wide. “He didn’t show?”

“Oh, he showed. With his real date on his arm and a group of cronies behind him. And all he said was, ‘I thought you knew I was joking.’” Jo had to blink back the sting of humiliation even now. “I tried to march down the steps and away from them all dignified, but my heel snagged, and I fell, twisting my ankle. Beckett had the nerve to hold out a hand to help me up, but I ignored it and got up and walked home, refusing to limp until I was out of their sight.”

“You poor thing,” Harper murmured.

“I didn’t tell my dad about it for three days,” Jo continued. “And then he had to take me to the medical center because it turned out I had broken my ankle.” Jo drew in a shaky breath, trying to figure out if it felt better or worse to have that all out there.

“Wow.” Chloe looked stunned. “I can’t believe that’s the same person who’s making this movie.”

“That’s the point, though, isn’t it?” Lisa interjected. “He’s not the same person. Clearly, he’s changed. He knows Jesus now, for one.”

“And he’s clearly into you, for two,” Angelica added.

“Oh, yes.” Chloe nodded, eyes wide. “Very. Even Derrick said something about it.”

“How is Derrick?” Jo grabbed desperately at the chance to change the topic.

“He’s good.” Chloe’s eyes got a little dreamy, but then she lasered in on Jo. “And good proof that people do change.”

Jo rolled her eyes. “Maybe they do. But the only thing Beckett has asked me to do is forgive him. Not date him.”

“And do you?” Angelica leaned forward. “Forgive him?”

Jo sighed. “I know I should…” Guilt over what she’d said the other day pressed on her again. And it didn’t help when all three of her friends nodded.

“Can we talk about something else now?” she pleaded.

“Sure. How about the movie?” Chloe’s eyes sparkled.

Jo groaned. “Something else else?”

“No, seriously.” Chloe leaned forward. “Did Beckett ask you to be an extra tomorrow? We’re all doing it.”

Jo frowned. “He didn’t ask me.” At least that should convince them there was nothing to their theory that Beckett liked her. And that was not a twinge of disappointment she felt. It was relief.

“You should come anyway,” Lisa urged. “That would make Beckett’s day.”

Jo spluttered in exasperation. Would nothing get through to these people? “It wouldn’t, and I can’t. Now, can we please talk about something that isn’t even remotely related to Beckett?”

“How’s your dad?” Angelica’s question felt like a lifeline, and Jo smiled at her gratefully.

“Ornery.” She laughed. “He can’t understand why he has to be still. It’s like the words broken back mean nothing to him. Thank you again for flying him home the other day. I still think you should let me pay you for that.”

Angelica waved off the comment. “Colton said your dad was doing well when he checked in yesterday.” Her eyes went a little dreamy too, and Jo wondered suddenly what it must be like to be in her friends’ shoes, knowing not only that you were in love—but that the man who loved you was exactly who he said he was, and that he was deeply in love with you.

Her thoughts flitted involuntarily back to Beckett. Was it possible that he really was who he said he was now?

She pushed aside the question. It didn’t matter. Even if he was, it had nothing to do with her. No matter what her friends might think.