able to get a good look at his eyes. They were the color of a graying ocean tide with a storm coming, fierce, ominous and powerful.
Shelby had to concentrate to keep her mouth from hanging open and embarrassing her. She really needed to get a life. When she began seeing dating possibilities in her boarders it was a sure sign she needed to make a change. The next thing she knew she’d be after Monroe and John Henry, and both of those old fishermen were in their eighties.
“I missed you this morning. You were already up and gone by the time I got up.”
The tone was intimate, much more so than she was comfortable with. Thank goodness, there was only Monroe and John Henry in the store to overhear. Even if his words were purely casual, the town’s gossip network would make her a branded woman by nightfall. And within a couple of days, they’d have them engaged and on their way to the altar. All, without leaving the confines of their own snug little houses.
“You must get up pretty early to get here and get everything done. It has to be a big job doing all this by yourself.” His voice was a mix of a soft caress and a yawning purr. Goodness, the man could give the maritime broadcast and make it sound sexy.
Shelby did her best to concentrate on setting items on the counter and checking her list.
“I always leave before dawn. We’re busy first thing in the morning and then the wharf business picks up in the afternoon. Most of my work happens before the sun is up.” She finished ringing up the other items and placed them in the bag with the other stuff. Then she placed the bags in a blue plastic box.
Like an idiot, she was doing everything in her power to avoid looking at him and it was unnerving her. She hadn’t felt this kind of attraction for anyone in a very long time and she certainly wasn’t used to the heated feelings that came with the unfamiliar territory. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so out of sorts.
Shelby tried to ignore him as he walked around the store, picking up items here and there. She was being foolish, but she just didn’t know what else to do. She was a capable and responsible woman. For goodness sake, she was a widow with two businesses to run. She didn’t have time to be mooning over a man she’d just met.
“I was just wondering when it is that you do sleep?”
Her heart fluttered as he stopped next to her and leaned over to inspecting a small seagull miniature glued to a piece of driftwood, a tourist trinket. He was close, too close. She could smell his soap and feel him much too close to her.
“Are you keeping tabs on me, Mr. Rivard?” She said stiffly. “I don’t think my sleep patterns are of much concern to you.” Now that sounded huffy. She grimaced a little and fidgeted with the bags and items as she put them into the box. She was beginning to sounds like a crazy old lady.
Setting the last of the item into the box, Shelby began to pick it up when Jamie reached down, swing the box out of her reach and lifting the box by the handles onto the edge of the counter.
But not before she saw the slightest falter in his movements.
The hesitation was nothing more than an unsteady hitch in his rise. She’d been right to suspect that he had some sort of injury. Whatever it was, it appeared he didn’t want to call attention to it.
“I notice a lot of things about you. Including, the late night walk you took last night. It must have been a nice out there. Maybe you’ll allow me to come with you sometime?”
He’d seen her leave? Shelby dared a look at him and saw the twinkle of amusement in his eyes. She looked away, embarrassed as a schoolgirl. What was it about this man that made her alternate between irritation and attraction?
“I don’t think you’d like walking with me, Mr. Rivard. I walk a very brisk pace around the point. I found that it helps to clear my head and help me sleep.”
“I’m not above a good, brisk walk,” he said. “Besides,
Shelby had to concentrate to keep her mouth from hanging open and embarrassing her. She really needed to get a life. When she began seeing dating possibilities in her boarders it was a sure sign she needed to make a change. The next thing she knew she’d be after Monroe and John Henry, and both of those old fishermen were in their eighties.
“I missed you this morning. You were already up and gone by the time I got up.”
The tone was intimate, much more so than she was comfortable with. Thank goodness, there was only Monroe and John Henry in the store to overhear. Even if his words were purely casual, the town’s gossip network would make her a branded woman by nightfall. And within a couple of days, they’d have them engaged and on their way to the altar. All, without leaving the confines of their own snug little houses.
“You must get up pretty early to get here and get everything done. It has to be a big job doing all this by yourself.” His voice was a mix of a soft caress and a yawning purr. Goodness, the man could give the maritime broadcast and make it sound sexy.
Shelby did her best to concentrate on setting items on the counter and checking her list.
“I always leave before dawn. We’re busy first thing in the morning and then the wharf business picks up in the afternoon. Most of my work happens before the sun is up.” She finished ringing up the other items and placed them in the bag with the other stuff. Then she placed the bags in a blue plastic box.
Like an idiot, she was doing everything in her power to avoid looking at him and it was unnerving her. She hadn’t felt this kind of attraction for anyone in a very long time and she certainly wasn’t used to the heated feelings that came with the unfamiliar territory. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so out of sorts.
Shelby tried to ignore him as he walked around the store, picking up items here and there. She was being foolish, but she just didn’t know what else to do. She was a capable and responsible woman. For goodness sake, she was a widow with two businesses to run. She didn’t have time to be mooning over a man she’d just met.
“I was just wondering when it is that you do sleep?”
Her heart fluttered as he stopped next to her and leaned over to inspecting a small seagull miniature glued to a piece of driftwood, a tourist trinket. He was close, too close. She could smell his soap and feel him much too close to her.
“Are you keeping tabs on me, Mr. Rivard?” She said stiffly. “I don’t think my sleep patterns are of much concern to you.” Now that sounded huffy. She grimaced a little and fidgeted with the bags and items as she put them into the box. She was beginning to sounds like a crazy old lady.
Setting the last of the item into the box, Shelby began to pick it up when Jamie reached down, swing the box out of her reach and lifting the box by the handles onto the edge of the counter.
But not before she saw the slightest falter in his movements.
The hesitation was nothing more than an unsteady hitch in his rise. She’d been right to suspect that he had some sort of injury. Whatever it was, it appeared he didn’t want to call attention to it.
“I notice a lot of things about you. Including, the late night walk you took last night. It must have been a nice out there. Maybe you’ll allow me to come with you sometime?”
He’d seen her leave? Shelby dared a look at him and saw the twinkle of amusement in his eyes. She looked away, embarrassed as a schoolgirl. What was it about this man that made her alternate between irritation and attraction?
“I don’t think you’d like walking with me, Mr. Rivard. I walk a very brisk pace around the point. I found that it helps to clear my head and help me sleep.”
“I’m not above a good, brisk walk,” he said. “Besides,
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