weren’t getting enough time alone with each other.”
“Hmm.”
Kate ushered him out of the terminal, and each of them paused to put on sunglasses. His wire-framed aviators made him look even more like a star on vacation than a doctor soon to be the best man in a wedding. So far this assignment of hers was beyond excellent. She could hardly wait to motor into Newport with this piece of eye candy in her passenger seat.
“My car’s down this way,” she said. “It’s not far, but if you want to wait here I could bring it around.”
“Do I look that feeble?”
She doubted there was a single feeble bone in his finely tuned body. Most MDs she’d met weren’t this muscular. “No, but you look that tired.”
His smile was wry, and adorably dimpled. “Well, I’m not that tired. Lead the way.”
“Okay.” Mmm. Great smile on this guy. “It’s right down here. The red Miata.”
“Sweet ride.”
“I like it.” Then she remembered how tall he was. “You might be a little cramped, though. Maybe I should have borrowed my cousin’s—”
“Good grief. From the way you’re worrying about me, I must look like something the cat dragged in.”
If she had a cat, it could drag in a specimen like Harry any day of the week. “Not at all,” she said, unlocking her trunk and shoving her suitcase aside. Not knowing what she’d be asked to transport down to Newport the next day, she’d decided to pack some clothes for herself and leave the suitcase at the inn where she’d be staying along with the rest of the wedding party.
That included Harry, of course, which was becoming an increasingly nice thought. “I’m guessing you haven’t had much rest in the past twenty-four hours.”
“You’re right. I haven’t.” He swung the garment bag from his shoulder and settled it in the trunk with a sigh. “I wasn’t even sure I’d make it here.”
“Well, you did, and the good news is that you have tonight to rest up before things get going again tomorrow. Kim and Stuart took the ferry to Block Island and they’re spending the night there by themselves to get their heads on straight before heading into the final stretch.” She closed the trunk and glanced at him to find out how disappointed he was that he wouldn’t be seeing Stuart right away.
He didn’t look disappointed, just bone tired. He nodded. “That makes sense. Good for them.”
Once he started toward the passenger side of the car, she walked around to the driver’s side. “I’ll take you to the inn, and you can just relax there for the evening. No need to get together with any of the family tonight. I think they all planned to go to an outdoor concert, anyway.”
“Relaxing in a cozy inn sounds perfect.”
Kate had already stashed her purse behind the seat and was ready to climb in when she saw a Great Dane sitting at the wheel of a Land Rover parked nearby. The dog looked for all the world as if it could simply turn the key and drive away. The window was down, probably because the owner knew nobody would try to steal the SUV with a huge dog in the front seat.
She had to have the shot. “Can you give me a second?” she asked Harry as she unzipped her purse and pulled out the camera.
“Sure, but—”
“I’ll be right back.” She walked over within range and snapped off a couple of frames. Then she moved to a different angle, shading her lens with her hand. Oh, this was terrific. She talked to the dog, who seemed to be posing for her by putting one hand on the wheel. She stepped closer. This was so wild, so totally—
The blare of the SUV’s horn nearly made her drop the camera as she leaped backward. The darned dog must have slipped and put his paw on the horn. “Don’t do that!” she said to the dog as she edged away, glancing around to see if anybody had noticed.
The dog continued to press the horn. As Kate backed toward her Miata, she began to suspect the dog was trained to honk the horn if anybody came too close. “Okay! I’m leaving!” she called to the dog. “Cut that out!”
Shoving her camera back in her purse, she jumped into the car.
Harry was laughing his head off.
“We’re so outta here,” she muttered, starting the car. “Who trains their dog to honk horns, anyway? Doesn’t anybody use good old car alarms anymore?”
“Guess not,” he said, grinning at her. “So, you’re a photographer, like Kim?”
“Yep.” She backed out and drove toward the exit.
“Freelance?”
“Technically I’m a studio photographer, like Kim. I handle the glamour shots and she’s into kids and pets.”
“What do you mean, technically?”
She hesitated, realizing she’d slipped up by qualifying her statement. When their dad had retired and left his two daughters in charge of the portrait studio he’d built into a fine business, they’d both been thrilled and honored. Kate was still thrilled and honored, except…except she wasn’t having fun with the glamour shots anymore. Been there, done that. Taking the picture of the Great Dane, even with the horn-honking added in, had been fun.
“I guess I meant that’s my main thing,” she said. “But, I’ve started taking candid pictures for the heck of it.”
“Where things aren’t quite so predictable?”
“Right. But studio photography’s rewarding, too. Very rewarding.”
“I’m sure it is.”
She had the oddest feeling that he understood her inner conflict perfectly, yet they barely knew each other. Intrigued by the thought, she glanced over at him. Damn, he was really shoe-horned into her car.
“Is the seat all the way back?” she asked.
He reached for the adjustment. “Uh-huh.”
“Sorry the car’s so small.” She’d been so intent on driving her zippy little convertible on this warm June day that she hadn’t stopped to think about how uncomfortable the car might be for a man who was at least six-three. Kim would have thought of that. Kim wasn’t so focused on pizzazz, which was why she liked family photography so much.
“Kate, after what I’ve been through, it’s minor.”
“I’ll get you to the inn as quick as I can.” While they waited in a line of cars to get past the ticket booth, she switched off the radio. He might like to sleep on the way to Newport, if he could possibly sleep crammed into the seat like that.
As they reached the booth, Harry lifted up slightly from the seat and took his wallet from his hip pocket. “Let me get the parking fee.”
“Absolutely not! It’s bad enough that I was late picking you up.” But in fumbling behind her seat for her purse, she nudged against
