Chapter Two
She should beshoving him away or, at the very least, moving as far as she possibly could away from him.Ellie’s whole body was strangely heavy, though, her feet not reacting to any of the hysterical messages from her brain.
Oh, he was a marvelous specimen of a man, nobody could mistake that.This close, his musky maleness was overwhelming.Those broad shoulders, the ripple of muscles under his denim shirt, that knee-buckling smile…
“What do you say?”he was muttering, his lips mere inches from hers.
“About what?”she got out, not sure what he was talking about.
“My suggestion we kiss and make out.Come on, live a little, be reckless.”
With his hot breath fanning the fire in her belly, kissing and making out sounded so exciting and, yes, reckless.She wanted to step closer, put her hands on those rippling muscles and kiss away that grin.
Sanity, fortunately, prevailed.Turning on her heel, she stepped behind the counter.“So not interested.Thanks for your… um… help, but please don’t waste your lines on me.I’m happily single; proud to be a spinster.That… um… box you’ve bought is obviously intended for one of your conquests.”To her chagrin, she was breathless, something he obviously didn’t miss.
“My offer stands; do let me know if you change your mind.I can always buy another box.”Lifting his cowboy hat, he flashed her another smile before he stepped out of her shop.
“Not ever gonna happen!”she called out after him before she could stop herself.
Stopping, he turned.“Never say never, sweetheart.Your button…” He motioned with his hand.
Looking down, she saw what he was talking about—the top button of her dress had come undone, exposing part of her breasts and her bra.
With a soft groan, she turned her back on him and fastened the button with unsteady fingers.Her breasts felt heavy… Oh, my goodness, she was imagining things.
Taking a couple of deep breaths, she tried to get her breathing under control.He was just another man.No need to get all hot and bothered and worry about heavy breasts, seriously.
She looked over her shoulder, her eyes searching for him without conscious thought.And, of course, he would choose that moment to look back, catching her watching him.Her face flaming again, she stomped away.
“Was that Becket Weston who just left your shop?”a voice behind her asked.
Ellie rolled her eyes before she turned around.Of course, Janice O’Sullivan, teacher at the local high school—and apparently the town matchmaker—would choose this exact moment to walk into her shop.“Hi, Janice.Yes, it was Becket.He thought I needed help with the ladder.It was really quite unnecessary for him to step in, because I was fine.”
Frowning, Janice looked at the ladder.“That thing is not safe.I have one at home I never use.I’ll ask Craig to drop it off for you.”
Craig, Annie’s husband, was also Janice’s nephew and, if the town gossip was anything to go by, Janice was the one who got Craig and Annie together.
“That’s really not necessary…”
But Janice had seen the new yarn and rushed forward with an excited exclamation.“Ooh, Ellie, these are so pretty.What other colors do you have in this yarn?”
As Ellie moved to show Janice more colors, she glanced across the street again.There was no sign of Becket.Why was she still thinking about the man?Irritated with herself, she tried to focus on Janice’s questions.
By the time Janice was paying for her purchase, Ellie had convinced herself she’d forgotten all about Becket Weston.
“I’m really enjoying our book club evenings,” Janice was saying.“I can’t wait to start reading Elizabeth Gaskell’sNorth and South.It’s not your regular love story, I believe.”
“It’s not.”Ellie smiled.“The social disruptions caused by industrialization at the time is one of the themes, but don’t worry, there is also a beautiful love story.”
Janice picked up her bag of yarn.“Great, I’m looking forward to discussing it in our group.”Frowning, she looked at Ellie.“I do worry about you, though,” she said.“Reading is all good and well, but you’re still so young—you should go out more.I don’t think you’ve been to any of the events in and around town since you’ve arrived.”
“I’ve only been here since the beginning of February, remember?”Ellie smiled.“And honestly, I prefer a night at home to going out.Too many people, too much noise.By the way, before I overstay my welcome at Annie’s, I should find my own place.I’m looking for something to rent, so do let me know if you hear about anything.”
“And there you go changing the subject again, as you always do.”Janice smiled.“But if I hear about anything, I’ll let you know.Talking about going out reminds me about something.It’s probably a very selfish request and if you really don’t want to go, it’s fine, but there’s an outdoor music festival on the fairgrounds this Friday.They’re grilling burgers, everyone in town usually goes.We take chairs, have a picnic and listen to music.I was wondering if you would like to go with me?I mean, I’ll of course understand if you don’t want to go with someone my age, but I would like to give my godchildren a break for once.They must always accommodate me when there’s an event.”
Ellie knew very well she was being manipulated, and she honestly didn’t want to go anywhere on a Friday evening, but Janice had been so nice to her since her arrival in Marietta.Also, the word ‘outdoor’ made the whole idea much more appealing.Outdoor meant she didn’t have to be up close and personal with anyone.
“Thanks, Janice, you had me atoutdoor.”
