Awkward (cont.)

She put a hand to her hot face. Had he seen anything more than a flurry of towels and a hysterical woman? That aspect of it made her embarrassed to walk alongside him knowing he might have seen way too much of her soapy skin.

Otto glanced away as if he could tell what she was thinking, almost as if he was just as embarrassed as she was.

At least, he wasn't obnoxious as some other guy might have been. Or making jokes in poor taste. If he'd done that she would have changed the locks on the doors and thrown him out on his ear.

Iva squirmed thinking that Noah would have most likely been the kind of man joke about it, shaming the poor girl he'd barged in on. Had she been about to marry a man who was a jerk deep inside?

Iva gazed past the hulking bridge to the grass and parking lot on the other side. A family was taking pictures.

"Potential customers, Lina," she murmured, poking at her friend.

While they stood for a moment admiring the historic structure, two teenagers appeared out of the marshy area and began to climb the wooden planks of the bridge. A boy and a girl. The girl's shiny brown hair swung like a sheet of water down her back, sunglasses perched on her head while the young man in jeans and t-shirt, helped his girlfriend up the side.

"Oh, gosh," Lina said. "We used to do that all the time, Iva."

"Ssh! It's a secret. Hey, there's the bus. Gotta go. By Lina."

"See you at the house later." Otto said.

"Not unless I get there first and lock you out."

He lifted an eyebrow. "But I have a key."

"You'll have to come up with the secret password if you don't want to sleep on the porch with the dog."

"Hey, when did you get a dog?"

"I didn't get a dog. I meant you can sleep on the porch like a dog."

Otto's voice lowered. "Hmm, Miss Remington. I promise I'll be on my strictest best behavior. No chewing the furniture and no pissing behind the potted plants."

Iva pressed her lips together, trying to hold in a choke of laughter. He was clever and quick, but she wasn't going to give him the pleasure of knowing he made her laugh.

"And you can keep it just that, Mr. Bergmann. Strictly a business deal based on arm-twisting, not mutual agreement. I signed the lease agreement in good faith."

His expression was sober as he glanced across the water. "I think we understand each other. I'll stay out of your way."

Before Iva could say another word, he disappeared up the slope of lawn, retracing his steps to the waterfront road where most of the businesses, and the post office, including the Heartbeat Inn Bed &Breakfast stretched along the river.

"Where do you think he's going?" Alina asked.

Iva shrugged. "I don't know, and I don't care at the moment. But if you hear of a town petition to stop the highway, let me know so I can sign it."

"He's pretty nice, Iva. Don't be too harsh on him. His mistake was innocent, and he's obviously not a vagrant or weirdo."

Iva sighed. "I try to be polite, but I can't promise nice."

They waved goodbye and she headed back to the fry truck, relieved to be out of sight of Otto Bergmann, but unsettled inside.

Why was he really here? Just to take pictures for a magazine assignment?