bins, she had no trouble locating the foreman. His silvery hair stood out like a beacon in the dim light, and she strode forward, passing two pickers who were packing up boxes of work boots for shipment. As she’d known it would, the chilly reserve was melting, and she received several friendly greetings along the way.
“Good morning, Gary,” she called as she neared.
He nodded absently, continuing to study an inventory sheet he held. Knowing better than to interrupt him, she waited quietly, letting her eyes wander in the interim. She wasn’t consciously searching through the warehouse canyons, yet there was a definite sense of accomplishment when her gaze came to rest on Luke.
His back was to her as, unaware of her presence, he removed a strapped box from a heavy-duty scale, marked the weight on the top and shoved it aside. In deference to the heat he’d rolled up the sleeves of his blue cambric shirt, but there were damp circles underneath his armpits and the back of it was soggy with sweat. When he reached for another box, the wet material stretched tightly across his back, delineating each vertebra and emphasizing the musculature. The sight of it caused her heart to knock against her ribs.
He paused between boxes to swipe his arm across his brow. The same sweat that beaded in his dark hair now glistened on his forearm. Even in repose there was no mistaking the strength of those arms. What would it be like to be held in them? Her mouth went dry, and her breath clogged in her throat at the thought of being wrapped within the powerful circle—
“Roxie,” Gary prompted.
She returned to reality with a jolt and swung her startled gaze to the foreman. As she focused on him, she had the sinking feeling it wasn’t the first time he’d spoken her name. A bristling irritation quickly chased away her embarrassment. What was the matter with her? She was acting like a complete fool!
“What brings you back to the warehouse?” Gary asked a shade impatiently.
She could see he would consider talking with her a waste of time, but now that she was here, she had to say something. She plunged in. “I just wondered if you’d solved yesterday’s problem—the lost order for Lasater’s Clothing Store in El Dorado, Kansas. Did you ever find out what happened?”
If Gary thought her inquiry odd, he didn’t show it. “The order never got out of the warehouse,” he told her. “We didn’t have a shipping slip on it, and I was about to chew Willie’s—tell Willie to find out what had happened when Luke found the slip stuck behind one of the bins.”
Involuntarily her gaze veered to Luke. He moved with an economy of motion, a supple strength that mesmerized her. How long she stared at him she didn’t know, but it was long enough for the silence to strike her, long enough for her to realize Gary had followed the direction of her stare. He was eyeing Luke with speculation, and she winced mentally.
“Luke found the slip, you said?” she asked, striving for an offhand tone.
Gary shot her a sharp look. “Yeah. It must’ve fallen off a pile of cartons or gotten misplaced or something. Just one of those things that happens. Mr. Stewart had us ship out a couple of extra shirts, gratis, to make up for it. The whole load went out this morning.”
“Well, I’m glad it all got straightened out.” She knew she should leave. She’d used up her meager excuse, but still she lingered. Gary, too, waited, seeming to expect something more. Feeling awkward, unsure in a way she’d not felt since adolescence, she finally brought herself to ask, “How’s he doing, by the way?”
Gary didn’t pretend not to understand. “Does his job and keeps to himself.”
She could have shaken him until his teeth rattled. She wanted details, descriptions, something to point to the next time she talked to Fesol so she could say, See? I told you he’d make it . Instead, Gary gave her a laconic pat on the head.
“Still, in a week, you
“Good morning, Gary,” she called as she neared.
He nodded absently, continuing to study an inventory sheet he held. Knowing better than to interrupt him, she waited quietly, letting her eyes wander in the interim. She wasn’t consciously searching through the warehouse canyons, yet there was a definite sense of accomplishment when her gaze came to rest on Luke.
His back was to her as, unaware of her presence, he removed a strapped box from a heavy-duty scale, marked the weight on the top and shoved it aside. In deference to the heat he’d rolled up the sleeves of his blue cambric shirt, but there were damp circles underneath his armpits and the back of it was soggy with sweat. When he reached for another box, the wet material stretched tightly across his back, delineating each vertebra and emphasizing the musculature. The sight of it caused her heart to knock against her ribs.
He paused between boxes to swipe his arm across his brow. The same sweat that beaded in his dark hair now glistened on his forearm. Even in repose there was no mistaking the strength of those arms. What would it be like to be held in them? Her mouth went dry, and her breath clogged in her throat at the thought of being wrapped within the powerful circle—
“Roxie,” Gary prompted.
She returned to reality with a jolt and swung her startled gaze to the foreman. As she focused on him, she had the sinking feeling it wasn’t the first time he’d spoken her name. A bristling irritation quickly chased away her embarrassment. What was the matter with her? She was acting like a complete fool!
“What brings you back to the warehouse?” Gary asked a shade impatiently.
She could see he would consider talking with her a waste of time, but now that she was here, she had to say something. She plunged in. “I just wondered if you’d solved yesterday’s problem—the lost order for Lasater’s Clothing Store in El Dorado, Kansas. Did you ever find out what happened?”
If Gary thought her inquiry odd, he didn’t show it. “The order never got out of the warehouse,” he told her. “We didn’t have a shipping slip on it, and I was about to chew Willie’s—tell Willie to find out what had happened when Luke found the slip stuck behind one of the bins.”
Involuntarily her gaze veered to Luke. He moved with an economy of motion, a supple strength that mesmerized her. How long she stared at him she didn’t know, but it was long enough for the silence to strike her, long enough for her to realize Gary had followed the direction of her stare. He was eyeing Luke with speculation, and she winced mentally.
“Luke found the slip, you said?” she asked, striving for an offhand tone.
Gary shot her a sharp look. “Yeah. It must’ve fallen off a pile of cartons or gotten misplaced or something. Just one of those things that happens. Mr. Stewart had us ship out a couple of extra shirts, gratis, to make up for it. The whole load went out this morning.”
“Well, I’m glad it all got straightened out.” She knew she should leave. She’d used up her meager excuse, but still she lingered. Gary, too, waited, seeming to expect something more. Feeling awkward, unsure in a way she’d not felt since adolescence, she finally brought herself to ask, “How’s he doing, by the way?”
Gary didn’t pretend not to understand. “Does his job and keeps to himself.”
She could have shaken him until his teeth rattled. She wanted details, descriptions, something to point to the next time she talked to Fesol so she could say, See? I told you he’d make it . Instead, Gary gave her a laconic pat on the head.
“Still, in a week, you
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