Read Online To Live by Dori Lavelle - Free Book Online

ringing of the house phone ripped Kelsey out of her sleep. She had been up half the night wondering what Shaun was running from. When she'd finally fallen asleep at dawn, she dreamed of him.
    "Hello?" Kelsey was too sleepy to raise her voice above a thick whisper.
    "Hi, Kelsey. It's Shaun. I got your phone number from Brian." His voice was strong and clear—no trace of sleep. He sounded like he'd been awake for hours. "Did I wake you? I can call back later."
    "No, it's fine. I'm awake." She ran a hand through her hair.
    "There's a place each cook, or wannabe cook, must see. The farmer's market. I discovered it a few weeks ago. It's open only on Saturdays. I'll be going there in two hours. Do you want to come along?"
    Kelsey blinked the sleep from her eyes and moved the phone to her other ear. A smile spread across her face. She couldn't resist another chance to be with him. "I'm not a cook yet, but okay."
    When Kelsey left the cottage at noon, Shaun met her outside the gate. He was wearing a black leather jacket and his hair lay flat on his head, damp from the soft drizzle.
    During the twenty minutes it took them to drive to the market, Kelsey was thankful for the music playing on the radio; there was no uneasy silence to fill.
    Shaun kept his hands firmly on the wheel and his eyes focused on the road. He was an incredibly careful driver, and she still found it odd. Apart from a word here and there, he hardly even spoke. It seemed as though he didn't want to be distracted.
    She couldn't help shooting him occasional sidelong glances. She studied his strong jaw, chiseled face, and five-o'clock shadow, then moved to his manly hands. She had to clasp her own hands in her lap to prevent herself from resting her hand on his thigh.
    "Like what you see?" he asked and she peered out the window so he wouldn't see her blush.
    "I don't know what you mean."
    "I could feel you watching me."
    Kelsey swallowed hard and clasped her sweaty hands tighter. Had she been so obvious? "Sorry." What else could she say?
    He chuckled from deep within his throat and didn't say anything more.
    She relaxed when they finally pulled into a parking lot.
    "It's only a five-minute walk from here."
    Kelsey smiled and unhooked her seatbelt. She climbed out of the truck and quietly walked beside him. The rain had stopped now and the sun gleamed down from the spaces between the clouds.
    "So, what's special about this farmer's market?" Kelsey asked.
    "It's a culinary delights heaven. If you loved food before, you'll fall in love with it all over again."
    He was right. As they approached a sea of stalls overflowing with fresh jams, chocolate, pastries, fruits, and vegetables, a thrill coursed through Kelsey and the awkward moment in the car was forgotten.
    Social banter and bargaining filled the air, and traditional music and cheerful laughter welcomed them.
    Shaun placed the palm of his hand on the small of her back and guided her through the river of people. Even through her jacket, heat flooded the place where his palm rested so casually.
    "This is amazing," she said as they passed a stall with a pig on a spit.
    "I agree. I come here almost every Saturday."
    "I can see why."
    "Shall we get something to eat?" he asked.
    "How can I refuse?"
    They found a free bench under a blue tent and feasted upon warm, freshly baked bread smothered with herbs and seeds. Small cubes of homemade butter melted from the loaf's heat.
    "Thanks for inviting me here." Kelsey sank her teeth into her bread and watched Shaun watching her. She didn't look away. The man she saw in him seemed so different from the one everybody gossiped about. They called him a womanizer, but she hadn't seen a single woman enter or leave his cottage.
    The bread was the most delicious brunch Kelsey had ever eaten. But it wasn't just the food that she enjoyed. It was the cool air on her cheeks, the sound of children laughing in the distance, the genuine smiles of the people all around them... and