Instead, she ignored him and stared glumly at the infernal ice machine, stumped. Her head was starting to throb in time with the racket.
“How did you stop the banging noise?” Tanya yelled from her checkout station.
Beryl turned to her, using the move to step away from Sam. Had the man never heard of the term, “personal space”?
“It’s a loose bracket on the back that’s banging into the wall. I don’t know if it’s a standard size—likelynot, given my luck—but probably replacing that would fix the banging noise. The grinding growl sounds like it’s coming from the motor. I’m not sure what to do about that except call the repair guy who keeps telling me I need a new ice machine.” Beryl crossed her arms and walked toward the cashier in a further effort to shake off her ardent admirer.
“Maybe Jake could make a bracket for you,” Tanya said.
“Jake?” Beryl asked.
“He owns Dark Matter Metal & Leather downtown. His stuff is usually more artsy, but I know he makes specialty metal items on request. He made a coat of arms for my cousin a few months ago. It was amazing.”
Sam, who had followed Beryl to Tanya’s checkout like a helium balloon tethered to her wrist, said, “I thought Jake was in the hospital.”
“Hospital?” Beryl asked, surprised.
“Oh, no,” Tanya said. “He’s back at work now. I saw him on my way here yesterday.”
“Was he sick?” Beryl asked, feeling like she was barely keeping up with the conversation. All she wanted was for someone, for the love of little space potatoes, to fix her dang ice machine and give her some peace.
“Not exactly,” Tanya said. “A group of guys—you know the kind, Beryl, those guys who come out here for a manly-manbonding weekend in the woods—anyway, these guys found him in the middle of the road unconscious. Unconscious! Then they freaked out because they thought they’d hit him or something. They slammed on the brakes and jumped out to see. Luckily, they couldn’t have hit him, because he wasn’t flatter than roadkill. So they figured he must have staggered out of the woods and collapsed on the road. At least, that’s what they told 911 when they called to report it. He spent a week or more maybe in the hospital. Isn’t that right, Deputy?”
Sam nodded. “That’s the way I heard it.”
Tanya continued with her story. “I guess he was technically in a coma. But anyway, he didn’t have ID on him and they didn’t figure out who he was until he woke up and could tell them.”
“Weren’t people wondering about his business being closed?” Beryl asked.
“Well, he has a manager named Frederick who runs the business while Jake works in his shop making things. I guess the manager just thought he was sequestered away working on something. Anyway, it was almost a week before they found out where he belonged. When Jake woke up, he’d lost his memory! Can you believe it?” She didn’t give Beryl a chance to answer before adding, “But I’m sure he’s back to work now. He’s probably moving a bit slower, and if you met him before he was in the hospital, he won’t remember you.”
Beryl was certain she’d never met Jake, nor had she ever been inside Dark Matter Metal & Leather in downtown Alienn. Despite that, she felt compelled to ask, “Does he even remember how to do his job if he lost his memory?”
“Oh, sure,” Tanya said, nodding. “Metal and leatherwork is the only thing hedoesremember, from what I heard. He doesn’t remember anybody. Isn’t that crazy?”
“Definitely crazy,” Beryl agreed.
Tanya glanced toward the supermarket’s sliding doors and her face grew even more animated. Shouting to be heard over the tortured ice machine, she said, “Well, speak of the devil! Hi, Jake. We were just talking about you.”
Beryl followed her gaze to the gorgeous man who’d stopped just inside the doors at Tanya’s call. In fact, all eyes went in Jake’s direction.
The tall blond man’s puzzled expression slipped toward wary, like he was worried he might be in trouble. If Beryl had to guess, he might just bolt from the store, never to be seen again. She could relate.
His startled azure gaze landed on Beryl’s face and stayed there for several seconds. Those eyes. That face. Wow!
Spark!
Beryl caught her breath.For someone who was categoricallynotlooking for romance, she was quite enthralled.Settle down,said a strident voice in her head.You aren’t interested, remember?
“Are you Jake the metalsmith?” Beryl asked, shocked she had the ability to speak while inexplicably unable to pull her surely intense gaze away from him.
“Maybe,” he said, his gaze just as intense as he took her in. A slow smile shaped his beautiful mouth. “If you’re the one looking, then I am definitely the metalsmith.”
Beryl stared at him. He stared at her. This dual gazing lasted for a long, silent, extremely charged moment. She had to forcefully shake off the compulsion. “Iamthe one looking.”
“Perfect. Then I’m the one you seek.” His grin made her whole body feel lighter for some reason.
Drawing on reserves of control she had no idea she possessed, Beryl was somehow able to lift her arm to point at the noisy ice machine. He followed her gesture and his eyesnarrowed. “I don’t think I can produce an ice machine, but I’d be willing to try.”
