Behind the counter, the woman tossed her long brown braid behind her shoulder.“Hey, Strauss.”
“Millie, how’s the family?”He leaned a hip against the counter, keeping his body language open to bring me into the conversation.
“They’re good.”Millie carried a tray with my club sandwich and a steaming bowl of corn chowder to my table.
“Glad to hear it.”
There were a few moments where the only sound was plates clattering together, before Millie said, “Did you see the animal clinic’s page this morning.”
Laughing, he shook his head.“What bet did that man lose?”
“I don’t know but I’d make a bet with the devil before Nora.”
“Giant fool.”The man jerked his head toward my food Millie was carrying to me.“That looks good.”
Fixing my most polite and not at all encouraging grin on my face, I agreed.“It does.”
“Mind making me the same thing, Mill?”
“Sure thing, Sterl.”
His grin grew even wider, as if encouraged by the sarcasm in her voice.“You’re a gem, Mih.”
She snorted.“You’re a snot, Ster.”
He fixed those incredibly blue eyes at me, and I wondered if he had ever modeled.Even in a Carhartt jacket and worn jeans, he was artfully beautiful.Not my normal type, but he was easy to appreciate.I had my rules, anyway.Really just the one: No fraternizing with the men folk.
Extending a hand, he introduced himself.“I’m Sterling.”
“Pleasure.I’m Alicia.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“She was just telling me that there’s some sort of development going in over by Creger stables,” Millie explained.I still didn’t have a read on how she felt about it, but the news was going to get around now.It was hard to be a stranger in these communities.It could be lonely.And when they didn’t want me around, the isolation could feel a bit suffocating.
The tags on Furgie’s collar jangled.
I wouldn’t be completely alone.
A crease formed between his eyebrows.“Whereabouts?”
“You know that marsh that Mr.Lewell did the mud crawl in a few years back?”Millie sliced a tomato and spoke as if she didn’t have any feeling about the land at all.Maybe she didn’t.
“For the theater department?”
“Mm.”She nodded.
They were having a conversation that I couldn’t decipher.Insider telepathy that I wasn’t privy to as an outsider.
When Sterling fixed his eyes on me again, they carried a sharp focus they hadn’t before.“What are you planning on developing there?”
“I work for a non-profit, the Great Lakes Water Protection Agency.So, I’m here to protect the marshland.”
His gaze softened.The easy smile returned to his face.“Nice.”
The knot that had formed in my gut loosened.Clearly, he felt positive about the job I was here to do.
“So, you’re like”—his grin went lopsided.Behind him, Millie rolled her eyes—“a total badass.”
