“I was born and raised in Atlanta, graduated with a master’s degree from Georgia Tech, and I currently work in business development.”
Although Cavin was pretty sure he and Georgia were on the same team in this town, he didn’t want to reveal too much too early.
“Do you travel frequently?”Georgia inquired, her heels clicking on the sidewalk.
“Yes, quite a bit.”
“For business or pleasure?”she asked.“Or both?”
The question made Cavin think more about the Cancun trip he was missing right now than his work travels.If he met someone like Georgia there on the first day, the rest of the stay would be all fun and games.Appearances and outcomes wouldn’t be much of a concern.
“Business, but I try to make time for both,” Cavin answered cautiously.
“What is your all-time favorite destination?”
Surprisingly, Cavin never really considered this question which struck him as odd as he struggled to find an honest answer.“I am not sure I have one.I like exploring pretty much any new area, but I guess I particularly enjoy small towns like Beaufort.”
“Why is that?”Georgia inquired.
“I guess I appreciate the people and, like you, the potential.”
“That’s a great response, but it doesn’t really answer my question,” she teased.
“It’s hard to pick just one.I really try not to fall in love with any specific place.I appreciate each for what they are; I enjoy the experiences and move on to the next.”
Cavin realized that pretty much summed up his romantic life as well.He didn’t have time to fall in love.He almost mentioned that he was supposed to be in Cancun, but that would certainly spark questions about his purpose for being here.
“Maybe you can think about it and tell me more next time we see each other.”
Next time.Cavin was glad to hear Georgia wanted to get together again, and his excitement split between business and pleasure.He enjoyed her company this evening.She was the type of woman he would have wanted to meet in Cancun—professional, flirty, attractive, carefree.
“This is my current residence,” Cavin relayed when he spotted his rental vehicle in the driveway from the creek side of the street.The walk seemed less cold with someone to talk to.
“You have good taste,” Georgia complimented.
Cavin grinned.“I appreciate the finer things in life in which category you seem to fall.”
Georgia blushed as they came to a stop in front of the house.“You appear to have some valuable qualities yourself.”
Only a narrow street stood between them and a warm, inviting house, yet the words of warning the drunk guy delivered earlier flashed through Cavin’s mind.
13
Noel slept like a rock and woke up on Small Business Saturday with more energy than expected.She imagined it would take forever to fall asleep because when she first crawled into bed, her mind raced about the fate of the candy shop.She remembered wishing for Fletcher to be lying next to her with his usual good advice.He probably would have spoken his encouraging words softly while giving her a back massage although not expecting anything in return.However, once his fingers started caressing her body, one thing usually led to another.The intimacy they shared seemed otherworldly, and she would give anything to be wrapped up with him in these sheets feeling the warmth of his skin against hers right now.He always had a way of setting her at ease.Maybe last night, he found a way to comfort her because her tired body somehow overpowered her busy mind.Hopefully that would make life easier today.
“Thanks, Fletch,” Noel whispered into the universe that seemed to swallow her more often than not these days.
Shockingly Noel found the kids not only awake in their bedroom but also out of bed and on the floor working away at something.
“What are you up to?”she asked as she pushed their door all the way open.
Laney’s and Levi’s necks jolted at the sound of her voice, and they wore a guilty expression on their faces.
“Um, we are making signs,” Laney announced.
“What kind of signs?”
“Hot chocolate stand signs,” Levi exclaimed.
