it doesn’t.”
He laughed.
“What?”
“You’re a tough one, Tessa Vandergriff.”
That stung a little, deserved or not. She was all done being under Roan McAuley’s microscope for the day. “Having seen my work, you’d understand that a softie would never make it out there, doing what I do.”
He walked closer again, almost too close. He studied her for an unnervingly long moment, but she let him, determined not to allow him to get to her. Damn her racing heart. He’d rattled her good, but as soon as she moved on with her day, that moment in time would be forgotten—by her mind if not her body.
“But you’re no’ as much a hard-arse as ye think.”
Rather than bristle, she found herself swallowing a bit stronger than was absolutely necessary. “What makes you say that?”
He lifted his hand toward her. She instinctively flinched away—and hated giving him even that much of a glimpse at just how messed up her instincts were. He wasn’t going to hurt her. Far from it, if his expression was any indication. His eyes widened momentarily, but he let his hand drop rather than push it. “Because you needed this vacation. Or break, or whatever this time here really represents to you. A real hard-arse … the time off wouldn’t have mattered, so why bother?”
“Maybe that’s why I’m frustrated, because it’s precisely a bother.”
“And maybe you just wish you were more a hard-arse than you actually are.”
That was far too dangerously close to the truth she’d been forced to confront the past year. She definitely didn’t appreciate hearing it, ever-so-dismissively, from him. “As you said to me, you have no idea who I am, or what motivates me to do the things I do. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll be continuing on with my hike. I hope things work out for you getting into town and getting the bike fixed. I’ll be happy to contribute to the latter, since I was partly responsible. You can leave a message with Kira.”
She walked around him, with no intention of looking back, no matter the provocation.
“I’m glad you did, you know.”
Dammit. She kept on walking, then swore under her breath and stopped. Without turning around, she said, “Did what?”
“Took a break. You picked a good place for it. We’re happy to take ye in, Tessa. You’ll always be welcomed on Kinloch. No matter what.” Amusement entered his voice as he added, “We’ve a thing for misfits.” Then, a beat later, with humor still clear in his tone, he added, “I should know.”
She wanted badly to turn around. How could he think he knew anything about being a misfit? He’d been born and raised in the bosom of a loving, tightly woven community. As far as she could tell, he’d flourished under that umbrella of adoration and support, and seemed quite happy with himself and content in his life, whatever it was he actually did around there. Misfit? She didn’t think so. And she did know. She was an expert on the subject.
She managed to hold her tongue and continued walking. “Good,” she called back, without looking over her shoulder. “Then, one misfit to another, you won’t be insulted if I just walk away now.”
She heard him chuckle. And damn if she wasn’t smiling as she continued on her way.
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