Matt couldn’t help the eye roll this time.
If she only knew. Ifanyof them knew. He was far from a saint, or Superman, or any other hero this town deserved. He had his mother to thank for instilling in him a strong sense of compassion for his fellow man at an early age, but benevolence had very little to do with any of the things he did. Much of what he did for the people of Gauthier had to do with assuaging his own guilt.
“It’s not as if I do any of it alone,” he said. “It’s a community effort. This is a small town. We take care of our own.”
“I find that utterly charming,” she said. “Everything about this town is charming. I’ll have to sign up for the 5K you’re sponsoring.”
“You’re a runner?” That explained the killer legs.
“I wouldn’t consider myself a runner,” she said with a laugh. “A moderately competent jogger is probably a better label. It’s a great way to clear the mind. It also allows me to indulge in food I shouldn’t eat.”
“We’ll have to go running sometime,” Matt said.
“You run?”
“I do now.”
That instant crimson stained her cheeks again, and the effect it had on him was downright frightening.
She was the last woman he wanted to affect him in any way whatsoever. She posed a direct threat to his future plans. If she succeeded in her mission of uncovering his family’s past, he could kiss that state senate seat goodbye.
Yet affect him she did. He was stunned and just a bit disturbed at the potency of his feelings. He’d been completely enraptured from the moment he spotted her walking along that dirt road.
Matt had already decided to keep an eye on her during her stay in Gauthier, but as he peered at her across the table, he acknowledged that keeping an eye on her wouldn’t be the hardship he’d initially anticipated. In fact, he had the appealing suspicion that he would enjoy every minute of it.
As her pen traveled swiftly across the small memo pad she’d found in the bottom of her purse, Tamryn cursed herself for forgetting to bring her iPad. Of course, when she’d left the B&B this morning, she had not anticipated finally getting the chance to interview Matthew Gauthier one on one. During the course of an hour-long lunch, she’d managed to get more information out of him than from dozens of emails and phone calls over the past six months.
“What kind of special privileges come with being a member of the town’s founding family?” she asked him.
“What makes you think I have special privileges just because I’m a Gauthier?”
“Well, I don’t know. Maybe it’s the opposite. Maybe being a Gauthier comes with lofty obligations. So, which is it? Do people expect more of you because of your family lineage? Is that why you’re so involved with the community, because you have no other choice?”
He trained those hazel-green eyes on her and an easy smile drew up the corners of his mouth.
“Don’t you think we’ve talked enough about me for today? Why don’tyouanswer a few questions?”
“Because I’m the interviewer, not the interviewee.”
“I’m turning the tables on you.”
Tamryn set her pen on top of the memo pad and settled back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. “And just what could you possibly want to know about me?”
“Oh, there is so much I’d like to know about you, Professor West.”
Seductive tremors traveled up and down her spine at the alluring lilt to his voice. That penetrating stare that seemed to look right through her only added to the trembles.
“However,” he said, “you can start by telling me how you became interested in this subject.”
The waiter came to their table and offered them coffee. Tamryn was grateful for the interruption. She needed the few moments to clear her head.
She also decided that, after occupying their table for so long, it was only fair to Emile’s Restaurant that she order dessert to go. It was the easiest decision she’d made in at least a decade.
“So?” Matt asked as he added a teaspoon of sugar to his coffee. “What sparked your interest in this subject? Is it for one of the classes you’re teaching, or just because you’re a history buff?”
She nodded as she sipped her coffee. “I’ll definitely incorporate my findings into my classes,” she said. “However, my interest in Gauthier is related to another project, something much more personal.”
One brow hitched in inquiry. “Too personal to share?”
