“What gets you excited about life?” His tone was quietly inquiring.
She had a mouthful of fruity morsels and had to awkwardly gulp them down before attempting to answer. “Um…” She blinked. “I’ve never really thought about it before.”
“It’s okay if you don’t have a ready answer.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I think…I think I do, actually.” When he lifted a dark eyebrow, she continued. “I like experiencing new things.Learningnew things. That’s why I took up pottery and yoga. I like tasting new tastes. Seeing new sights. Which is why I indulge in the tragically un-American habit of taking four weeks of vacation every year to travel.”
She popped another piece of dried fruit into her mouth and chewed in consideration. “I like to think of myself as a work in progress. And it’s theprogressthat gets me excited, that keeps me looking forward to the future.” She donned her most serious voice and lifted an imperious hand as if she were orating in front of a crowd of philosophers. “She who is not busy living, is busy dying.”
“Mmm.” He nodded. “That’s a good answer.”
She shrugged, unsure how good or bad it was, just knowing it was her truth. “And you? What getsyouexcited about life?”
“I used to think it was gettin’ up every day and runnin’ my businesses, visitin’ with my friends, meetin’ new and interestin’ people.” He bit into one corner of the Pop-Tart and she was struck once again by the whiteness of his teeth. “Then, when Leo and the boys started the salvage business and I retired to help them, the thought of findin’ the treasure kept me hoppin’ out of bed each mornin’.”
“And now that you’ve found the treasure?”
He frowned heavily. “I don’t rightly know. And the not knowin’ has been buggin’ the piss outta me. ’Scuse my French. But I keep comin’ back to the same question. What’s my next big adventure?”
She stared at him thoughtfully. “Anything you want, right? You’ve got plenty of money. The sky’s the limit. You want to buy a beach house in Fiji? Go for it. You want to sail to Antarctica and see some penguins? Who’s to stop you? You want to do none of the above and spend the rest of your life fishing off the end of a dock? Well, that sounds nice too.”
His low, throaty chuckle bubbled in her ears and then slid down to effervesce in her belly. “Who needs Fiji when I got me a little slice of paradise right here?” He threw out an arm. “And Antarctica?” He shivered. “I’ve never been one for the cold. Besides, if I wanna see some penguins, I’ll go to the zoo. Now, Idolike to fish off the end of a dock. That’s a good way to spend a mornin’. But a life? No.” He shook his head. “I want somethin’…different. Somethin’more.”
He took another bite of Pop-Tart and then completely caught her off guard by changing the subject. “You reckon you’ll get married again?”
She sputtered awkwardly because butterflies fluttered to instant life inside her belly. “Why? Are you asking?”
His smile was indulgent. And the fluttering butterflies multiplied until she could barely catch her breath. “Oh, I don’t know. I kinda think marriage is an antiquated institution. But maybe I’m talkin’ outta my ass, seein’ as how I’ve never done it before.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I don’t think you’re talking out of your ass. Not that I think marriage should be outlawed or anything. I know a lot of people who like the security of being tied to someone by the law. But me?” She shrugged. “I rather like the idea of someone being with me because theywantto be. Waking up every day andchoosingme instead of feeling like they’re bound to me by a vow they made years ago.” She waved a hand. “Which is not to say I’m closed off to the idea of alifepartner. If someone comes along who wants to spend the rest of their days with me, I’d be open to that.”
“Life partner.” His tone was thoughtful. “I like the sound of that. A partner to do life with.”
“A partner to do life with who makes lifebetter,” she added, circling back to their earlier conversation.
The wink he gave her was flirty. “Naturally.”
“And, uh, speaking of our earlier conversation,” she said haltingly. “Were you…” She had to swallow and drum up her courage. She’d never been overtlyforward. But life had taught her that time tended to pass a person by. And it tended to take the opportunities of the moment with it.
She couldn’t miss out on this opportunity.
Something told her it might not come around again.
“Were you thinking of kissing me earlier?” She sounded short of breath. Shewasshort of breath.
“Woman, I’ve been thinkin’ of kissin’ you since the moment you stepped off that chartered seaplane.”
“Oh.” She felt her cheeks heat at the same time she envisioned tossing her bag of dried fruit aside and jumping into his lap.
Do it then, a little voice whispered in her head.You’re too old not to go after what you want.
Not giving herself time to think, she chucked her half-eaten package of fruit to the foot of the bed and scooted to the edge of the mattress.
The wooden rocking chair wasn’t wide enough for two. And the arms made hopping into his lap impossible. But she did the next best thing.
Grabbing both sides of his lapel, she pulled him forward.
He wore a grin that looked wholly self-satisfied. And his eyes sparkled with desire as he held her gaze captive, not letting her look away even as she drew him closer. Closer. Closer still.
