the shop closed every day.
Kelly dreaded the evenings. They were far too long and gave her too much time to think. Even though she walked in the door of Ruth’s small, cozy house so exhausted she could barely make it to the bathtub, much less to bed, she still couldn’t sleep.
But nights had been her problem long before she came to Lane. And now with the empty afternoons, the past had ample opportunity to rear its traumatic head and haunt her once again. Soon, though, she would fulfill her obligation to her cousin and would be back at home in Houston where she belonged.
However, she reminded herself ruefully, her personal life hadn’t been any better there or she wouldn’t be here now. Inside, at the core of her being, her heart had been coated with cement that nothing could chip away.
“Phone for you, Kelly.”
When she picked it up, Ruth’s cheerful voice said, “Hi, toots, how’s it going?”
“It’s going.”
“I don’t want to keep bugging you, but I can’t stand not knowing what’s going on. I’m having major withdrawals from the shop.”
“I can imagine.”
“Have you met him yet?”
Kelly made a face. “Met who?”
Ruth chuckled. “The town hunk, the only single guy worth his salt around there.”
Kelly purposely hid her agitation. “If I met him, I didn’t know it.”
“Oh, trust me, you’d know.”
“You’re wasting your time, Ruth, playing matchmaker.”
Her cousin sighed. “It’s past time you looked at other men. Way past.”
“Who says I don’t look?”
“Pooh. You know what I mean.”
Kelly laughed. “Hey, don’t stress yourself about me. If I’m supposed to find someone else, I will.” Only not in this lifetime.
“Sure.” Ruth’s tone was a tad cynical. “You’re just telling me what I want to hear.”
Kelly laughed again. “Gotta run. I just heard the buzzer.”
Before Ruth could reply, Kelly hung up. Setting her smile in place, she came from behind the counter, only to pull up short and stare. Later, she didn’t know why she had behaved in such a manner. Perhaps it was because he was so tall and handsome.
Or better yet, perhaps it was the way he was looking at her.
Was this the “hunk” Ruth had just told her about?
To her chagrin, the stranger’s dark blue eyes began at the tip of her toes and worked slowly upward, missing nothing of her trim frame. He gave a pointed glance at her breasts and hair, making her strangely glad she had recently placed highlights in her short, sherry-colored tresses.
When those incredible dark eyes whipped back up to hers, the air was charged with electricity. Stunned, Kelly realized she was holding her breath.
“Like what you see?” she asked before she thought. God, where had that come from? Her real job. Being bold and forward was what had pushed her to succeed in her profession.
The big guy grinned, a slow, sexy grin. “As a matter of fact, I do.”
For the first time since her husband’s death four years prior, Kelly was completely unnerved by a man’s stare. And voice. She sensed, however, this stranger wasn’t just any man. There was something special about him that commanded attention. Rugged was the word that came to mind.
She wasn’t used to seeing men in worn jeans, washed so much that their color had faded, plus a flannel shirt, scarred steel-toed boots and a hard hat in his hand. Even in Lane, this caliber of man was rare.
He was still staring at her. Kelly shifted her feet and tried to look away, but failed. That ruggedness seemed to go hand in hand with his six-foot-plus height, muscled body and slightly mussed, sun-kissed brown hair.
Big and dangerous. A treacherous combination.
God, what was she thinking? No matter how attractive or charming the man, she wasn’t interested. If so, she would’ve encouraged other men’s affections—in Houston. He was probably up to his armpits in women, anyway, even in Lane.
No man would ever measure up to her deceased husband, Eddie. Having drawn that conclusion, Kelly had concentrated on her career and made it her reason for living.
Breaking into the growing silence, she asked in her most businesslike tone, “What can I get you?”
“What’s the special today?” he asked in a deep, brusque voice that matched his looks.
Kelly cleared her throat, glad some normalcy had returned. “Coffee?”
“That’ll do for starters,” he responded, striding deeper into the shop, pulling out a chair and sitting down.
“The specials are on the board.” To her dismay, Kelly was rooted to the spot like a tongue-tied imbecile. Then, red-faced, she finally whipped her gaze to the board behind the counter, which always listed the day’s coffee and food specials.
“Not this time,” he drawled, “unless I’ve lost a day.” He paused. “Today’s Wednesday, not Tuesday. Right?”
Convinced her face matched the color of her hair, Kelly nodded. She hadn’t changed the sign, which under ordinary circumstances wouldn’t have been a big deal. But for some reason, this man’s comment made her feel inadequate, a condition she despised.
Shrugging her shoulders, Kelly gave him a sugary smile and said, “French vanilla latte is the coffee flavor for the day.”
He rubbed his chin for a moment, then frowned. “Too bad a fellow can’t just get a plain cup of joe?”
Realizing that he was teasing her, she kept that smile in place and said, “Sorry, this is not that kind of shop. But then you know that. So if it’s supermarket coffee you want, you’ll have to make your own.”
He chuckled. “I know.”
Despite her reluctance, she felt a grin toying with her lips.
“I’ll take the plain brew that’s closest to normal old coffee.”
When she returned with the cup and placed it in front of him, Kelly didn’t look at him, hoping to discourage further conversation. Despite his good looks, for some reason, this man made her uncomfortable, and she wanted no part of him. Still, she handed him a menu.
He glanced at it, laid it aside, then looked back up at her. “So you’re the new Ruth?”
“Hardly.”
“So where is she?”
“Out of state caring for her ailing mother.”
