It was almost ten when Jared stepped off his skiff at the dock in front of the small country store Ashley"s parents owned.
"What can I help you with?" An older man asked as he approached. Jared hadn"t seen him before. He looked a little like Ashley. Jared realized this was possibly her father.
"I need to pick some things up inside. Will this be in the way if I leave it there for a few minutes?" He"d deliberately pulled in as far away from the gas pumps as he could get.
"It should be fine." The older man looked down at the paper sack Jared carried. "Is that trash? I can take care of it for you."
"No, actually, it"s for Ashley."
The other man"s eyes narrowed. He looked Jared up and down a moment. "You"re the reason she"s distracted and too busy for her family."
Jared didn"t know what t
