The Wedding Arbor. Valerie Hansen

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СКАЧАТЬ dry by the fire in no time.”

      “Good.” Adam swallowed hard. Having her staying there, even for one night, was going to be a lot harder on him than he’d imagined. “Are you through in the bathroom?”

      “For now.” Sara padded across the floor to stand beside the warm stove. “I left my other clothes on the floor in the corner. As soon as you’ve had your shower I’ll clean up everything. Okay?”

      “Sure.” He hoped his consternation didn’t show.

      “I kept my shower short so you’d have plenty of hot water.”

      “Thanks.” Adam disappeared into the bathroom. What in the world was the matter with him? Why was he so uptight? Anybody would think he’d never been alone with a pretty young woman before.

      Stripping off his shirt and jeans he threw them forcefully to the floor. Pretty was an understatement. How could he have been so wrong about Sara’s looks? And how in the world could she have managed to smell so good when all he had on hand was his usual generic shampoo?

      A quick glance at the shelf in the shower answered his question. She’d packed for any emergency, the way women did, and brought along all sorts of potions. The bottles were lined up on the lip of his shower stall like little tin soldiers.

      Adam closed his eyes and stepped under the stinging spray. He placed both hands on the wall of the shower and bowed his head, letting the water cascade over him. This was the feeling he’d dreaded; the moment he’d tried with all his might to postpone. For the first time in nearly two years he was forced to admit that maybe he didn’t really want to spend the rest of his life alone, after all.

      Sara heard her host turn off the shower. She had hung the red sweatshirt next to the stove to finish drying and was carefully checking the condition of her portable computer. It seemed to be functioning well.

      “You still there?” he called from behind the closed door.

      Sara thought the question totally absurd. “Nope. I went out for pizza. Why?”

      “Can’t you give a simple, straight answer?”

      Approaching the door she laughed lightly. “Apparently not. Is that all you wanted to ask?” She heard unintelligible muttering.

      “No. I wasn’t thinking. I came in here without clean clothes. Would you please hand me some?”

      “Sure.” Sara stifled another laugh. “Boy, with a memory like yours it’s a good thing you weren’t going to the store or something, huh?”

      “Very funny. Just hand me a pair of jeans and a shirt. There’s a stack of clothes piled on the chest at the foot of the bed.”

      “Okay.” Complying, she noticed that nothing was folded. Not that it surprised her. She supposed a bachelor did well to just wash and dry the dirty stuff once in a while. Never mind put it neatly away.

      “How shall I get them to you, shove them through the keyhole?” Sara waited for him to open the door.

      Again, she overheard muttering. The poor man must really be used to his solitude. Still, even a certified grump needed a little humor in his life. And besides, she was so thankful to have been rescued she was feeling the need to share her elation.

      A damp, hairy arm emerged from behind the door, fingers grasping impatiently. “Well?”

      “Here.” She crammed the clothes into his hand in a wad. When he didn’t express any thanks she added, “You’re quite welcome, Mr. Callahan.”

      Adam flung open the door seconds later, catching her by surprise. This was the first time she’d taken a really good look at her reluctant benefactor. He was tall and muscular. Adam Callahan was clearly a man who used his muscles. Oh, boy, was he!

      Stop that! Sara lectured herself. Since when have you been nuts about grouchy Neanderthals?

      “I’m not nuts.” She realized belatedly that she had spoken aloud.

      “Glad to hear it. Now, if you’ll step out of the way I’ll go tend to Samson.”

      “Oh, sorry.” In moments she had recovered her lucidity. “Can I help? I feel like I owe it to him. After all, he did rescue me.”

      One of Adam’s dark eyebrows raised. His deep-blue eyes peered down at her. “Who rescued you?”

      “Well, you did, in the end. But if Samson hadn’t heard my car and gone looking for me in the first place, none of this would have happened.”

      “Don’t remind me,” Adam grumbled, “or I may leave him out on the porch for the rest of his miserable life.”

      That stern warning sounded far too genuine. Sara placed both hands on her hips, her expression defiant. “Now look, mister. I don’t want to be the cause of any trouble for that poor, innocent animal, so knock off the threats. Samson didn’t do anything wrong and you know it.”

      “Well, well, you do have a serious side, after all, don’t you? I was beginning to wonder.”

      “I can’t help finding humor in lots of different things. It’s just my nature. I guess that’s one of the reasons I’m good at my job.”

      “Which is?” Adam grabbed a couple of large bath towels from the laundry pile and started for the door.

      “I teach kindergarten and first grade.”

      He paused and glanced over his shoulder. “What?”

      “Kids. You know, those cute, short people who like to play in the sand and eat cookies?” She chuckled at the droll expression on his face.

      “I have heard of them, yes.”

      “I love children.” She smiled sweetly, recalling the students she had just passed on to second grade. If it hadn’t been for Eric’s unnatural obsession with her, she’d probably have volunteered to teach summer school. The disappointing recollection wrinkled her brow.

      “So, do you have kids of your own?” Adam asked.

      She sighed. “No. I’m not married.”

      “That doesn’t seem to stop a lot of women these days.”

      “I’m a Christian. I have different rules of behavior. At least I’m supposed to.”

      “Ah.” Adam nodded. “I used to be one, too.”

      “Used to be?”

      “Yeah.”

      Sara could sense how uncomfortable he was so she changed the subject. “So, what do you do up here? Live off the land?”

      “In a manner of speaking. Why? Do you disapprove?”

      “Of course not I’m sure lots of people do it.”

      “I get by.”

      She smiled sincerely. “Good. СКАЧАТЬ