A couple came in just then and began asking Chantel questions. Behind them came Trevor. His face lit up when he saw her.
Or at least, she thought it did. But she was probably seeing more than was there.
“Hi, Jedidiah. Are you minding the store?”
She laughed. “Me? No way! I know absolutely nothing about art. Other than I like the tiny figures Gabe has given me over the years. Chantel is covering for Marla. If you want to wait she should be finished with these customers soon.”
“Nah. I just wanted to look around.”
He was looking, but not at the art. If she wasn’t mistaken, he was staring at her. “Trevor? Why are you staring at me?”
*
“Your hair isdown.” He realized he’d yet to see it down. At work she always had it pulled back in a braid, or ponytail, or that thing women do when they twist their hair up and pin it and the ends stick up. Which should look weird but it never did, at least not on Jedidiah. But her hair was…magnificent. Rich auburn waves and curls spilling over her shoulders and reaching past the middle of her back. It was tempting. The kind of hair that made a man want to plunge his hands in it while he kissed the hell out of her.
Oh, shit. No, no, no. Not happening. She works for you, dumbass.
Right. How many times have you already reminded yourself of that? And it was only getting worse.
She was speaking but it took a moment to sink in.
“It’s early. I’ll pull it back before long.” She held up her wrist, which had a band around it. “Sometimes I wonder why I don’t just cut it off. It’s such a pain.”
“God, no, don’t do that. It would be a crime to cut hair like yours.”
She laughed. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
“I would.” When she looked at him oddly, he realized he’d gone a bit overboard. “I mean, you must like it or you wouldn’t have grown it so long, right?” God, could he sound any stupider?
“I guess so. Anyway, thanks.”
Why had he thought it was a good idea to hire her? If he hadn’t, he could have asked her out and seen what developed. As it was now, he could only look at her and dream. Which was becoming more and more frustrating.
“I take it Gabe’s not here.”
“No. Chantel said he was out and about. I’m not sure when he’ll be back.”
“Okay. I’ll go look at Alexis March’s glassworks and come back later. Will says they’re something to see. Want to go with me?”
“Who’s Will?”
“Will Reynolds. He’s a friend of mine. He and his wife are the ones who convinced me to buy a place here. He’s a wood-carver. Does a lot of wildlife. You should check him out too.”
“I’ll do that.”
“So you never answered my question,” he said.
“Oh, the glassworks. Sure I’ll go once Chantel is through showing that couple around.”
“All right. I’ll look around in the meantime.”
A short while later he and Jedidiah left to find the glassworks booth. “I haven’t been to an artisans’ fair in a long time,” Jedidiah said as they walked toward the Square, which was where a lot of the booths were. There were more in the park. “I’m amazed at how many different types of art are on display.”
Besides Gabe’s metal art, Alexis’s glassworks, and Will’s wood carvings, there were booths of pottery and ceramics, textiles, jewelry, more woodwork, paintings, beadwork, needlework, and some that he wasn’t even sure what they were. And then there was food and drink. Booth after booth of both. Fair food and drink. Barbecue, fried everything including funnel cakes and fried ice cream, specialty lemonades and iced teas, beer from a local microbrewery, plus every Whiskey River business that offered food had some for sample and for sale.
“I think I’d explode if I tried all of the food and drink offered,” Trevor said.
“Yes, but what a way to go,” Jedidiah said. “I don’t know about you but I intend to try some of those concoctions.”
