Smitten Book Club (9 page)

Heather sank back onto the sofa. She wasn’t sure what to say. The kiss loomed between them.

He took a cookie from the tray. “Did you tell Molly there was nothing in the mine?”

“I did. She took it well. I don’t think she really expected us to find anything. But it would have been nice.”

“I’m sorry. I know you want to help her.”

She peeked up at his sincere face. “Thanks.”

“Anything I can do?”

“Send business her way when you can. The construction will be done soon, and we have to help her build her reputation.”

A frown settled on his brow. “Does she know anything about the expeditions she’ll be taking guests on?”

Heather waved vaguely. “She doesn’t need to. An employee does all that.”

“That’s quite a bit different from the hands-on work she’ll need to be doing. I hope she’s ready for this.”

She sipped her tea. “I don’t think she has a choice.”

He put his palms on his knees. His fingers were long and ended in clean oval fingernails. A sensitive man’s hand, but she’d never seen a sensitive side. Just like yesterday, he’d
taken advantage of a simple kiss of gratitude and turned it into something else.

You wanted
it
.

She pushed away the voice. Whether she’d welcomed it or not didn’t change the way he’d moved in.

“Look, Heather, I know you’re a little miffed I kissed you, but doggone it, don’t shut me out. I’m not the philanderer you think I am. I’m beginning to care about you, and I’d like to explore where we might go from here. Don’t close the door to a chance of happiness because of something that happened four years ago.”

His aunt had said he’d changed. Was it possible? She wetted her lips. “What does it mean when you say you care about me?”

He reached over and took her hand, then turned it over and rubbed his thumb against her palm. “I was a jerk that night, Heather. You want to know the truth? I was afraid.”

She dared to look up and capture his gaze. It was open, vulnerable. “Afraid?”

“You were different. I thought if I let you get too close, I’d never leave Smitten. I thought real life was out there somewhere, but I was wrong. I want to start over and do this right. I’m not asking for a commitment from you, but can we go out? Maybe see what happens?”

His deep, persuasive voice washed over her. What could be the harm? She could lower her guard just a little. Not all the way, but low enough to peek into his soul and see if he was the man she thought he could be.

“All right,” she said. “We can go for ice cream after dinner.”

“Ice cream?”

“I have to see if you choose the right flavor. I could never
spend time with anyone who ate only vanilla. If we could take a convertible, it would be a perfect ending.”

His smile broadened. “I think I’ll make you wait to find out.”

The beautiful April day lifted Paul’s spirits until he got out of the car and saw what awaited him at the organic farm. Flies buzzed around the large brown mound in the middle of the field.

He saw Heather standing at the edge of the field and hurried to join her. He waved his hand in front of his face. “Phew, that stinks.”

“But it will grow healthy plants.” Heather inhaled deeply. “Nothing like the smell of manure.”

“You are one crazy woman.” He dropped his arm over her shoulders. “Can we go for more ice cream after we get this done? I promise not to order razzmatazz again. I’ll go for something tamer like butter pecan. Or Rocky Road. Am I getting warm?”

“I think they’d run us out when they took one whiff.” A dimple flashed in her right cheek.

Whoa, he hadn’t seen that very often. Maybe he was making headway. Last night had been a blast as he’d sat with Heather and Charlie, licking their cones and talking about everything from politics to their faith. He’d been right. Heather was one in a million. He found himself fascinated by her mind, her moods, and the way she cared about other people.

She picked up a pitchfork. “We’d better get this done.”

“We’re doing it ourselves? I thought I’d hire some help.”

She poked a finger in his side. “Pansy.”

“Masochist.” When she smiled and turned toward the manure pile, he took her by the wrist and pulled her close. “I think I need fortification for the task ahead. A lot of fortification. Let me smell your perfume first.”

She stopped, and a blush touched her cheeks. “I doubt you can smell it. The, um, fertilizer is too strong.”

“Oh, I’d know your scent anywhere.” He touched her cheek, then tangled his fingers in her long blond hair. “I’ve been wanting to do that forever.”

She stilled as if she was afraid to move. He wound her hair around his hand. “Your hair is so silky, and it smells like flowers.”

He bent down and brushed his lips across hers. Her lashes fluttered down, and she leaned in. Her encouragement was all he needed to snake his other arm around her waist and deepen the kiss. She kissed him back, and he was smiling when their lips finally parted.

“I think you’re starting to like me,” he whispered.

Her blue eyes darkened. “You think?”

He nodded but didn’t release her. “Most definitely. And I’m crazy about you, Heather. You can trust me. We’ll move slow, but trust me. I’m not going anywhere.”

She pulled away. “If you say so.” She was still smiling when she moved toward the manure pile. “This isn’t going to get done by itself.”

“It’s going to take us hours,” he groaned. Sighing, he picked up a pitchfork. When was the last time he’d done something like this? Like, never?

She turned back to face him with an impish grin. “You just said you were crazy about me, and now you’re objecting to spending hours with me?”

“Well, when you put it like that . . . though I can think of a lot more fun things to do together than shovel manure. But for my girl, I can do anything.”

She froze, and her eyes widened. She wetted her lips, then looked down.

Paul stepped to her side. “Yeah, I’m staking my claim. Any objections?”

She peeked up at him, then shook her head. “Don’t hurt me, Paul. I can’t bear it. Not again.”

He tipped her chin and stared into her face. “I swear I won’t hurt you, Heather. Let me prove myself to you. And Charlie too.”

“I-I’ll try.”

There was still doubt in her expression and soft voice. What was it going to take before she realized he was sincere?

Everyone had left the bookstore except for Lia, Molly, Abby, and Heather—and Tess, who had stepped into her office for a few minutes. They were still talking about
The Light Between Oceans
.

Heather threw away the last of the paper cups. “I
hated
that ending. He could have gotten her convicted, then gotten custody.”

Abby shook her head so hard her brown hair whipped around her face. “It’s the way it had to end. It was real. I would have hated it if it weren’t real.”

Heather glanced at Molly. “Did you read it, Moll?”

Molly’s brown eyes were still haunted, but she managed a smile. “I skimmed it. Does that count?”

Heather tossed the paper plates in the trash. “Normally I would say no, but we’ll give you a pass this week.” She wrinkled her nose. “I’m so bummed about the mine. I really hoped we’d find that treasure.”

“I haven’t given up yet,” Abby said. “I want to look through the book and see if there’s something you missed. Can I have it for a bit, Heather?”

“Have at it. I’ll drop it by.”

Lia grabbed her spring coat, a bright green with a big flower on the lapel. “I saw you at the ice-cream shop with Paul. You looked very cozy.”

“We have spent some time together. Charlie loves him.”

“And what do you think?” Molly asked.

“I like him too. There’s something different about him. He’s more thoughtful. Quieter too.”

Abby smiled and pulled on her coat, a dull brown that did nothing for her complexion. “Well, I think it’s wonderful. You deserve a really great guy, Heather. I hope you’ll both be very happy.”

“They’re not getting married,” Lia said. “I mean, he hasn’t proposed or anything, right?”

Heather’s smile was beginning to feel strained. “No, of course not.”

“You girls are making her uncomfortable,” Molly said. “It’s much too early to talk about marriage.”

“Much,” Heather agreed. She slipped her arms into her
coat and held open the door. “Let’s get out of here before Tess comes out to see what we’re doing here so late.”

The wind ruffled her hair as she stepped onto the sidewalk. A red convertible was stopped at the stop sign, and her smile brightened when she realized Paul was driving it. She started to call to him, then saw the woman in the passenger seat.

Isabelle Morgan. The beautiful blonde turned heads wherever she went. Her perfect features were turned toward Paul in an attentive smile. Before the car left the corner, she leaned over and brushed a kiss across Paul’s cheek.

Heather whirled and dashed back inside. Her heart was nearly pounding out of her chest, and she felt faint.
Stupid, stupid
. What had she expected? That the toad out there had really become a prince? Paul hadn’t changed. Not one bit. Her eyes burned, and she swallowed hard.

Her friends followed her back inside. Lia touched her hand. “Heather, what’s wrong?”

She clutched her shaking hands together. “Didn’t you see? That convertible out there. Paul was driving. Isabelle Morgan was with him, and she kissed him.”

Molly put a hand on Heather’s arm. “It might be nothing. Don’t jump to conclusions.”

“I’m not jumping to conclusions. I
saw
it with my own eyes.”

Abby nodded. “I saw it too. I’m sorry, Heather. I know that had to hurt.”

“She kissed him, though. He didn’t kiss her,” Molly pointed out.

“What is he doing with her in the first place? He’s never
even told me he has a convertible, and I told him the other day I’d love to have one. It would have been the perfect opportunity to tell me about his and offer to take me for a ride.”

Molly nodded slowly. “I guess you’re right. Are you okay?”

“I let my guard down. I’m so stupid!” Heather wanted to slap herself. Hard. She wasn’t going to cry over him. Not again.

“What are you going to do?” Lia asked.

“I’m going to let him figure out his own stupid farm. I’m not going to work with him anymore. I can’t stand it.”

Molly put her hand on Heather’s shoulder. “I know you, Heather. You won’t be happy abandoning the project until it’s finished. This is close to your heart. Talk to him about it. Ask for an explanation.”

She shook her head. “I never want to talk to him again. It hurts too much.”

“It’s not like you to run away from a problem,” Abby said. “I might, but you wouldn’t.”

The vision of Paul with Isabelle had imprinted itself on her eyelids. It was going to haunt her for a long time. “Maybe I can talk about it later. I can’t do it tonight.”

Maybe never.

Every love affair runs strong on forgiveness. According to the Good Book, we are to forgive “seventy times seven,” but I suggest you stop counting.

P
EARL
C
HAMBERS
,
The Gentlewoman’s Guide to Love and Courtship

CHAPTER NINE

P
aul gave the red convertible another buff, then stepped back with a smile. He couldn’t wait for Heather to see it. She was going to love it. His cell phone rang, and he pulled it out and looked at it. His smile broadened. “Hey, Heather. I was just thinking about you. Want to go get ice cream tonight?”

“No, thanks. I just called to let you know I have turned over the farm project to my coworker, Jessica. She can take it from here.”

“W-what? No, I want you.”

“I’m afraid my schedule is too packed to let me finish it out.” Her voice could freeze an Eskimo.

“What’s going on? Has something happened? You sound mad.”

“Not a thing I didn’t expect. I have to go.”

The phone clicked in his ear, and he stared at it. She’d
hung up. He jammed the phone back in his pocket. What could have riled her up like this? Things were moving along nicely, and he had high hopes of putting a ring on her finger one day. She was so skittish and afraid of being hurt. Something had to have made those fears come back.