About That Kiss. Cindy Miles

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СКАЧАТЬ anyway. Even before Willa’s impromptu invitation, it had been pretty evident Sean didn’t want him there.

      This newcomer seemed edgy—not usually a characteristic of an off-islander. Typically, they wanted to be involved. Almost...like they wanted to become a local, he guessed. But this pair was different. Cautious. At least, Sean was. Willa, on the other hand, seemed like she was ready to take on any and everything that came her way. What a funny kid. And those fairy wings were... Damn, they were adorable. He couldn’t help but wonder where Willa’s father was. Deadbeat? Or just dead? Had to be, not to take part in their lives. Some men had it made and just didn’t realize it.

      Regardless, it wasn’t his place to wonder. Or worry. He’d done his duty. He’d delivered the biscuits and he’d been neighborly.

      Jep was waiting for him on the front porch.

      Nathan inwardly groaned as he took the steps and sat on the last one, leaning against the pillar. He hadn’t wanted to approach Sean and Willa. Hadn’t wanted to go to their home. He hadn’t wanted to take them those damned biscuits. It’d all been Jep’s idea. It’s the neighborly thing to do, son. Yet despite his reluctance to visit the Jacobses, Nathan’s desire not to cross Jep Malone superseded his desire to keep a distance from women in general. He was polite when he encountered any woman. Speaking to them when they ran into one another in public was one thing. Specifically delivering homemade biscuits to a woman’s home was altogether different. That went beyond politeness and into some murky area that led to connections and relationships. Thing was, his grandfather knew it. Knew it well, too.

      “You gonna let me sit here all day, or are you gonna tell me what’s what with them two?” Jep asked.

      Nathan met his grandfather’s always-fiery gaze. “I wasn’t exactly welcome.”

      Jep blinked, pushed his USCG cap farther back onto his head and rubbed a particular spot with his thumb. “Huh. Go figure. Probably your sunshine personality.” He furrowed his white eyebrows. “What does that mean, boy?”

      Nathan watched a dragonfly land on the top of Jep’s cap. “She seems scared of something, maybe. Eyes all wide, always looking around. Like she was expecting to see someone she didn’t want to see. Didn’t have much to say at all. I could tell she wanted me gone ASAP.” Nathan picked up a pebble on the step then tossed it into the yard. “You should’ve seen her face when her kid asked me to eat with them.” Nathan shook his head and looked at his grandfather. “Pure terror.”

      “Huh.” Jep’s eyes narrowed as he inspected Nathan. “Might be that bushy appearance you keep, son. You look like some crazed killer.”

      Nathan grinned. “Yeah, maybe I do. Her kid ratted her out. Told me her mama said I could be a stalker. The kid said I looked more like a pirate.”

      “She’s right about that,” Jep agreed with a croaky laugh. “Well. Guess we’ll have to try harder. No sense in letting them two little gals sit over there in that musty old house with only the ghosts, gulls and fiddler crabs for company.”

      Nathan studied Jep’s profile. “Why are you always trying to play matchmaker, Gramps? Can’t you leave well enough alone?”

      Jep guffawed. “Youth. Wasted on the young, I tell ya! In my day, a man would see a pretty girl and take it upon himself to make the first move. You, on the other hand, seem not to have caught on to that.” Jep leaned forward in his rocker, and his expression, with those big eyebrows stretched upward and eyes rounded, nearly made Nathan burst out laughing. “It’s called courtin’! Look it up in the dictionary.”

      Nathan fought a smile. “We have Google now, Jep.”

      “Bah! Google, schmoogle. Them two gals are all alone over there.”

      “Might be how they want it,” Nathan argued. “The mama seems set on being left alone. I myself kind of like it that way, too.”

      Jep pushed up from his rocker, and the bones in his knees crackled and popped. “Like I said. Try harder.” He paused and eyeballed Nathan. “And it don’t matter what you want, boy. You’re as lost as they sound. You at least got a name, didn’t you?”

      Nathan nodded. “Sean and Willa Jacobs.”

      Jep headed toward the door. “Willa, you say? Never heard that before. Well. At least all your good sense hasn’t left you fully yet, boy. There’s hope yet. I’ll see you tonight.”

      Nathan watched his grandfather disappear into the house, and he shook his head. “Yep. Least I still have my good sense. The good sense to keep to myself.”

      Before Nathan had any more time to ponder on Jep’s words, his father called out. “Nathan? You ready?”

      “Yes, sir,” Nathan replied, and jogged around back and down to the dock, where his father waited to sail out for a late-day cast. Nathan leaped onto the Tiger Lily’s deck, then his father steered up the river at a slow chug. With such agreeable currents, the shrimp would be running, and Nathan hoped they’d cast a good second haul for the day.

      They soon slowly passed Sean and Willa on their dock, dining alfresco as planned. Willa jumped to her feet and started waving.

      “Hey, Captain Nathan!” she yelled in that little-kid voice. She had on her fairy wings, and so did her mama. Every time the little girl jumped, the wings flapped as though she would take off flying.

      With the late-afternoon sun pressing against his skin, Nathan found it hard not to smile at Willa’s enthusiasm. He waved back. “Hey, Willa!”

      Owen waved, too.

      Sean, on the other hand, busied herself with something on the bright pink blanket spread over the dock. She kept that dark head down, her long, slender legs still showcasing the same faded cutoffs she’d been wearing earlier. The same white tank exposed skin unused to the sun. Unlike Willa’s pink wings, Sean wore white ones that sparkled when the sun caught them just right. It made Nathan wonder about the reserved woman. Fairy wings seemed completely at odds with the serious, aloof side he’d witnessed. A thought caught him off guard. Something kinda sweet about a mother who’d wear wings to indulge her little girl.

      As Nathan turned his gaze away, they eased out of the river and into the sound. He kept his eyes trained on the horizon. His thoughts, though, strayed back to Sean. Again, he wondered if there was something about him in particular that made her keep her distance. She was reserved and definitely not encouraging toward him. Twice, she’d actually shown what he perceived to be panic at his presence. Did he make her nervous? Or, was there actually a man in the picture? Hell, that could be it. How many off-islanders had come to Cassabaw for the summer, only to be joined by their significant other at a later date? Loads.

      And now he was not only being ridiculous for thinking about it, but he was spending too much time turning scenarios over in his head. Wasn’t his business. Quickly, he pushed it from his brain. Wasn’t his problem. He didn’t care.

      Couldn’t care.

      Not now. Not ever again.

       CHAPTER THREE

      THERE WAS A certain stillness to the early morning that Sean rather liked. Before the sun rose, when the world was still quiet, or before the clouds began shifting from ominous СКАЧАТЬ