they’d like to go.”
Nana spun around. “What a great idea! Why didn’t I think of that?”
Adrie’s stomach clenched, and she took a step back. “Wait, I thought you were looking for someone to go with you.”
“Oh, that’s okay. I go every year.”
“But I’m scheduled to work on Saturday, and so is Ross. We can’t leave you here all by yourself.”
“I’ll come in and help,” Barb said with a smug smile.
“Me, too,” Irene added with wide innocent eyes. “No need for you kids to miss out on all the fun.”
Adrie twisted the strand of silk fall leaves around her fingers.
“It’s a wonderful event. They cook the corn and the salmon right there on the Village Green. You can have a nice little picnic in the center of town.” Nana looked at her with a hopeful expression.
Ross cocked his head and smiled at Adrie. “I’m game, if you are.”
She bit her lip. The Salmon Bake did sound fun, but she wasn’t sure about spending that much one-on-one time with Ross. She was trying not to think of him as a threat, but now she was more concerned about the unsettling attraction she felt toward him.
His hopeful expression dimmed. “That’s okay. If you don’t want to go, I understand.”
“It’s not that, it’s just…” What? She couldn’t think of an excuse that made sense, not with everyone else standing around staring at them, holding their breath.
“It would be good PR for Ross to get out there and meet some of the other business owners. You could introduce him,” Nana added.
“I suppose that’s true.”
“It would be a shame to let the tickets go to waste.” Ross rubbed his chin. “I guess I could find someone else who’d like to go.”
Surprise shot through Adrie. He would ask someone else? Who? She straightened and met his gaze. “Well, I suppose it would be okay as long as Barb and Irene can cover for us.”
Ross’s face brightened. “So you’ll go?”
She pulled in a shaky breath. “Sure. It’s important for people to see that Bayside Books supports community events.”
The ladies all broke out in smiles. Irene clapped, and Hannah gave Nana’s arm a pat.
Adrie sighed and rolled her eyes.
“Here you go.” Marian passed them each a ticket.
“Are you sure? Saturday is usually our busiest day.”
“We’ll be fine. You two go, have some fun together. Take the whole afternoon off.”
“Okay. Thanks.” Adrie forced a small smile. Nana had good intentions, though it was clear she and her friends were still hoping to play matchmaker.
Nana joined the other ladies at the table, and they set up their Scrabble game. Adrie pulled a basket of artificial gourds and mini pumpkins out of the decoration box.
Ross stepped up next to her. “Don’t look so worried. I promise it’ll be a fun day.”
A shiver raced up her arm again. That was exactly what she was afraid of.
Chapter Seven
A drie looped the soft lavender scarf around her neck and checked her appearance in her bedroom mirror. The color was great, but was it too much? Did it make her look like she was trying too hard? Closing her eyes, she tried to regain her focus.
This was not a date. She was just going to the Salmon Bake with Ross.
Then why were her emotions getting so tangled up? She would be leaving Fairhaven soon, so there was no sense in even thinking about getting involved with Ross or anyone else.
A thump sounded on the other side of the wall, and she stepped back. What was Ross doing over there? He was usually so quiet she didn’t even know when he was home. But since they’d come upstairs to get ready, he’d been bumping around in what she thought must be his bedroom closet. She had been in that apartment many times to help her grandma clean and paint between renters, and that seemed to be where the sound was coming from.
She took one more look in the mirror then turned away. There was no need to redo her makeup or change her outfit. She grabbed her purse off the bed, but then she turned
Nana spun around. “What a great idea! Why didn’t I think of that?”
Adrie’s stomach clenched, and she took a step back. “Wait, I thought you were looking for someone to go with you.”
“Oh, that’s okay. I go every year.”
“But I’m scheduled to work on Saturday, and so is Ross. We can’t leave you here all by yourself.”
“I’ll come in and help,” Barb said with a smug smile.
“Me, too,” Irene added with wide innocent eyes. “No need for you kids to miss out on all the fun.”
Adrie twisted the strand of silk fall leaves around her fingers.
“It’s a wonderful event. They cook the corn and the salmon right there on the Village Green. You can have a nice little picnic in the center of town.” Nana looked at her with a hopeful expression.
Ross cocked his head and smiled at Adrie. “I’m game, if you are.”
She bit her lip. The Salmon Bake did sound fun, but she wasn’t sure about spending that much one-on-one time with Ross. She was trying not to think of him as a threat, but now she was more concerned about the unsettling attraction she felt toward him.
His hopeful expression dimmed. “That’s okay. If you don’t want to go, I understand.”
“It’s not that, it’s just…” What? She couldn’t think of an excuse that made sense, not with everyone else standing around staring at them, holding their breath.
“It would be good PR for Ross to get out there and meet some of the other business owners. You could introduce him,” Nana added.
“I suppose that’s true.”
“It would be a shame to let the tickets go to waste.” Ross rubbed his chin. “I guess I could find someone else who’d like to go.”
Surprise shot through Adrie. He would ask someone else? Who? She straightened and met his gaze. “Well, I suppose it would be okay as long as Barb and Irene can cover for us.”
Ross’s face brightened. “So you’ll go?”
She pulled in a shaky breath. “Sure. It’s important for people to see that Bayside Books supports community events.”
The ladies all broke out in smiles. Irene clapped, and Hannah gave Nana’s arm a pat.
Adrie sighed and rolled her eyes.
“Here you go.” Marian passed them each a ticket.
“Are you sure? Saturday is usually our busiest day.”
“We’ll be fine. You two go, have some fun together. Take the whole afternoon off.”
“Okay. Thanks.” Adrie forced a small smile. Nana had good intentions, though it was clear she and her friends were still hoping to play matchmaker.
Nana joined the other ladies at the table, and they set up their Scrabble game. Adrie pulled a basket of artificial gourds and mini pumpkins out of the decoration box.
Ross stepped up next to her. “Don’t look so worried. I promise it’ll be a fun day.”
A shiver raced up her arm again. That was exactly what she was afraid of.
Chapter Seven
A drie looped the soft lavender scarf around her neck and checked her appearance in her bedroom mirror. The color was great, but was it too much? Did it make her look like she was trying too hard? Closing her eyes, she tried to regain her focus.
This was not a date. She was just going to the Salmon Bake with Ross.
Then why were her emotions getting so tangled up? She would be leaving Fairhaven soon, so there was no sense in even thinking about getting involved with Ross or anyone else.
A thump sounded on the other side of the wall, and she stepped back. What was Ross doing over there? He was usually so quiet she didn’t even know when he was home. But since they’d come upstairs to get ready, he’d been bumping around in what she thought must be his bedroom closet. She had been in that apartment many times to help her grandma clean and paint between renters, and that seemed to be where the sound was coming from.
She took one more look in the mirror then turned away. There was no need to redo her makeup or change her outfit. She grabbed her purse off the bed, but then she turned
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