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That night the men came and went without a hitch, and it was only after they left that Jacque realized George hadn’t even asked about Monique. Odd that he would come around one night supposedly on the off chance of checking in on her and yet he had never followed through.

Over the next week, Jacque and Monique settled into a routine. He took her to and from work, he cooked dinner for them, and then the rest of the evening passed with small talk.

He was definitely trying to keep his distance from her. The thought of the kiss they had shared continued to plague him, playing and replaying in his mind over and over again.

Her floral scent permeated all the air in the shanty, and he was acutely aware of her every breath, her every sigh when they were together in a room.

There had been no word from Daniel about the murder or the attack on Monique. Jacque didn’t know if Monique was still in danger or not, but he certainly wanted to err on the side of caution. Right now, he wasn’t in any hurry to send her on her way despite the discomfort of his own sexual desire for her.

He could tell she was feeling better with each day that passed. She had stopped taking the pain pills and didn’t wince as much when she moved.

“You know the fall festival is next week,” she said. Once again, she was seated on the sofa and he was in his chair. She was wearing a pair of pink jogging pants and a pink T-shirt. Her hair was a dark curtain of silk down her back, and she looked achingly lovely.

“Yeah, when I was in town yesterday to get gasoline and ice for the cooler, that’s all everyone was talking about,” he replied.

“Have you ever been to one before?” she asked.

“No, I never really had any desire to go in the past.” He hadn’t wanted to put himself in a place where happy people gathered with their families. He hadn’t wanted to hear their laughter when there was no laughter in his heart, in his life. “I’ll bet you and your sisters all went before.”

“We’ve gone every year since we were kids.” Her eyes sparkled brightly. “It was always a real treat for us kids from the swamp. There was so much food to eat and cool things to look at, and of course there was the carnival.”

“I suppose you all rode every ride,” he said.

“Oh no. We didn’t have enough money to do that. Mama would only give us a little bit of money. It was usually enough to get something to eat and ride on one ride. We always saved enough money to ride the Ferris wheel at night when it was all lit up with twinkling colorful lights.”

“Sounds like you had fun,” he replied.

“We did.” She fell silent for just a moment, and he picked up his book. “Jacque?”

He looked back at her. “Yes?”

“I was wondering if maybe we could be in town for the fall festival. I’d like to run a sidewalk sale at the shop, and I wouldn’t go anyplace else. So could we be there that day?”

He thought of all the logistics involved with such a plan. There would be tons of people on the streets, and he was relatively certain the murderer would be there. Would he make a move on Monique? Doubtful, especially if Jacque remained at her side wearing his gun.

Then there was his abhorrence to be at such a place with so many people, but as he saw the fragile hope in Monique’s eyes. He couldn’t deny her the pleasure. “Yeah, I think we could make that work.”

“Thank you, Jacque,” she replied. “I promise I won’t even make you smile that day if you don’t want to.”

That made him laugh. She was getting to him. Her cheerfulness, her optimism and teasing were definitely causing a change in him.

There was no question that he smiled more, and her little quips often made him laugh. He wasn’t sure he liked it. The more he enjoyed her company, the more difficult it would be when it came time to say goodbye.

And he would have to say goodbye. There would come a time when she would return to her shanty and her own life, and he would return to being the frowning loner of the swamp.

Chapter Nine

The day of the fair, the weather was absolutely perfect. The hot temperatures had cooled, making it comfortable to be outside. The sky was a perfect blue without a cloud in the sky. At eight in the morning, Monique and Jacque got into his car to head into town.

The past week with him had been confusing. One minute he was open and warm with her, and the next he was closed off and cold. She couldn’t begin to guess what demons he had inside him. She wanted to discover what they were and somehow exorcize them. She wanted him warm and open with her all the time, but she didn’t know how to make that happen.

Her ribs were definitely feeling better and the thought of returning to her shanty was happening more and more often. But today she didn’t want to think of anything but having fun and enjoying the day.

“Are you ready for this?” she asked as she gazed at his handsome profile.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” he replied with a quick smile at her.

As always, his smile blossomed a wave of warmth through her. Her desire for him continued to grow with each day that passed. She wanted him, and there were definitely times when she believed he wanted her, too.