so, and I’ll go. I just thought….”
“I haven’t been to the beach in years.”
He almost jumped for joy at her softly spoken words. She wanted to spend time with him! “What time do you have to be back?”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Shannon’s tongue felt like a wad of cotton in her mouth, even though she’d downed nearly an entire bottle of water minutes before. Her heart was tapping out a crazy rhythm—had been since she opened her door to find Steve standing there.
God, he made her motor home feel cramped, made her feel cornered, trapped—but in a good way—sort of. He seemed solid, like someone she could depend on, like an immovable object she could cling to in a storm. It had been a very long time since she’d had anyone to cling to, and she’d never had anyone like this man.
He was right. She didn’t have any experience with one-night stands, but the time they’d spent together had been more than sex for her. Knowing he’d felt something, too, scared the living daylights out of her. She had no idea what he wanted from her, and she had no right wanting anything from him. But that hadn’t kept her from reliving every minute of their night and wishing she could have the same kind of connection in her life.
“Noon. The faire opens at ten, but the crowds don’t show until then.” He looked as disappointed as she felt. “If you give me a minute, I can ask someone to watch my booth for me.”
“You can do that?”
The hope in his voice buoyed her. She nodded, rising to her feet. “Wait here. I’ll be right back.”
Shannon hurried to the small camper parked next to hers and knocked on the door. “Nadya, it’s me, Shannon.”
The gypsy fortune-teller opened the door, a smile on her face. “Come in, come in.”
“I can’t stay.” Shannon stepped into her friend’s living space. The older woman had been nothing but kind to her since the day Shannon had joined the traveling troupe of actors and craftspeople. She didn’t actually believe the old woman could tell fortunes, but that didn’t matter as much as her friendship did. “You’ve turned me down every time I’ve offered since your tent burned, but, please, can you use my booth today? You don’t have to try to sell anything; just keep it open so no one steals anything.”
“Has something happened? Is everything all right?”
Shannon hugged the other woman. “Nothing’s wrong, but thanks for caring. I just want to get away for the day…you know, see the beach, do some shopping, enjoy the area before we move on.”
Nadya held her at arm’s length, her gaze assessing. “Yes, I see. You’ve found the man the crystal showed me.” She nodded. “This is good.”
Shannon opened her mouth to cut the fortune-teller off before she could get started again on her prediction that a big, strong, handsome man would come and sweep her off her feet, but before she could get a word in, she was being shoved out the door.
“Go. Spend the day with your young man. He is strong, no? His shoulders are wide enough to carry your burdens.”
Shannon’s feet hit the ground.
“Hurry. Don’t keep him waiting.”
She stared at the closed door for a second before turning back toward her motor coach. Unbelievable. Nadya had made the prediction months ago. Shannon had joined her for dinner in her tiny camper one night. After dinner, the woman had brought out her crystal ball—claimed she heard it calling her—and began to spout nonsense about a man searching for Shannon. The last thing Shannon needed was a relationship, and the idea of a man out there looking for someone like her—someone with enough baggage to sink a ship—was ludicrous. The prediction had been nothing more than an old woman’s wishes and a way to nudge Shannon back into the living.
Hand poised on her own door latch, she paused. A wave of panic overtook her. What if the prediction is real? What if Steve is the man Nadya had been talking about?
The night before had
“I haven’t been to the beach in years.”
He almost jumped for joy at her softly spoken words. She wanted to spend time with him! “What time do you have to be back?”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Shannon’s tongue felt like a wad of cotton in her mouth, even though she’d downed nearly an entire bottle of water minutes before. Her heart was tapping out a crazy rhythm—had been since she opened her door to find Steve standing there.
God, he made her motor home feel cramped, made her feel cornered, trapped—but in a good way—sort of. He seemed solid, like someone she could depend on, like an immovable object she could cling to in a storm. It had been a very long time since she’d had anyone to cling to, and she’d never had anyone like this man.
He was right. She didn’t have any experience with one-night stands, but the time they’d spent together had been more than sex for her. Knowing he’d felt something, too, scared the living daylights out of her. She had no idea what he wanted from her, and she had no right wanting anything from him. But that hadn’t kept her from reliving every minute of their night and wishing she could have the same kind of connection in her life.
“Noon. The faire opens at ten, but the crowds don’t show until then.” He looked as disappointed as she felt. “If you give me a minute, I can ask someone to watch my booth for me.”
“You can do that?”
The hope in his voice buoyed her. She nodded, rising to her feet. “Wait here. I’ll be right back.”
Shannon hurried to the small camper parked next to hers and knocked on the door. “Nadya, it’s me, Shannon.”
The gypsy fortune-teller opened the door, a smile on her face. “Come in, come in.”
“I can’t stay.” Shannon stepped into her friend’s living space. The older woman had been nothing but kind to her since the day Shannon had joined the traveling troupe of actors and craftspeople. She didn’t actually believe the old woman could tell fortunes, but that didn’t matter as much as her friendship did. “You’ve turned me down every time I’ve offered since your tent burned, but, please, can you use my booth today? You don’t have to try to sell anything; just keep it open so no one steals anything.”
“Has something happened? Is everything all right?”
Shannon hugged the other woman. “Nothing’s wrong, but thanks for caring. I just want to get away for the day…you know, see the beach, do some shopping, enjoy the area before we move on.”
Nadya held her at arm’s length, her gaze assessing. “Yes, I see. You’ve found the man the crystal showed me.” She nodded. “This is good.”
Shannon opened her mouth to cut the fortune-teller off before she could get started again on her prediction that a big, strong, handsome man would come and sweep her off her feet, but before she could get a word in, she was being shoved out the door.
“Go. Spend the day with your young man. He is strong, no? His shoulders are wide enough to carry your burdens.”
Shannon’s feet hit the ground.
“Hurry. Don’t keep him waiting.”
She stared at the closed door for a second before turning back toward her motor coach. Unbelievable. Nadya had made the prediction months ago. Shannon had joined her for dinner in her tiny camper one night. After dinner, the woman had brought out her crystal ball—claimed she heard it calling her—and began to spout nonsense about a man searching for Shannon. The last thing Shannon needed was a relationship, and the idea of a man out there looking for someone like her—someone with enough baggage to sink a ship—was ludicrous. The prediction had been nothing more than an old woman’s wishes and a way to nudge Shannon back into the living.
Hand poised on her own door latch, she paused. A wave of panic overtook her. What if the prediction is real? What if Steve is the man Nadya had been talking about?
The night before had
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