thinking about his upcoming surgery. He was thinking about Maddie.
As he climbed into his father’s car, he noticed the plastic water jugs in the back seat of the car. He didn’t have to give them to Maddie. He could fill the jugs himself and leave without even seeing her.
There were only two problems. One was that he didn’t want to stand in line to fill water jugs. The second was, he wanted to see her.
M ADDIE NOTICED Dylan the minute he entered the store. He wore khaki slacks and a dark brown leather aviator jacket. Despite the below-zero windchill, his head was bare, his sun-streaked hair in disarray from the wind. Just as it had last night, when she first saw him, her heart skipped a beat.
“I’d like half a pound of baby Swiss cheese,” a customer said, drawing her attention back to the deli case in front of her.
Maddie lifted the cheese from the refrigerated case and slid the block onto the slicer, aware that Dylan was headed in her direction. Before she had finished the woman’s order, he was at the deli counter.
She could feel his eyes on her as she worked. As hard as she tried, she couldn’t keep from sneaking a peek at him. He looked like a surfer who’d taken the wrong flight and ended up in the land of snow and ice instead of sunshine and beaches.
When her customer left, she had no choice but to give her attention to him. “What can I do for you?” she asked, trying to keep her voice level, which wasn’t easy considering the way her breath wanted to catch in her throat.
“Mom asked me to drop these off.” He held up theplastic jugs. “Said you’d know what to do with them.”
When she took them from him, their fingers touched. His were cold, hers warm, which she figured accounted for the tiny shiver she felt. “Thanks.”
“Mom never bought water when we were growing up,” he commented. “We drank it straight from the tap.”
“No one realized the problems with lead pipes back then,” she responded, setting the jugs on the floor behind her.
“So this is where you work,” he said, giving a cursory glance around the store.
She spread her arms. “This is it.”
“The store’s changed quite a bit since I was a kid.” She didn’t comment, but waited for him to speak again. He turned his attention to the food in the refrigerated case. “Why don’t you give me one of those small cartons of coleslaw.”
She reached for a half-pint container and filled it with coleslaw. Her movements were sharp as she slapped a couple of spoonfuls into the cup. She could feel his eyes on her and she hurried so he could take his purchase and leave.
As she set the carton on the counter, she asked, “Anything else?”
“Yes. I’d like to start over.” His eyes were a warm brown and the message in them made her uncomfortable.
It said, “I’m a man and you’re an attractive woman.” She didn’t want to see that kind of look in his eyes. He was her landlady’s son and that was howshe planned to regard him. “You don’t want the coleslaw?” she asked, deliberately misunderstanding him.
“I’m not talking about the coleslaw. I’m talking about last night. There’s no point in pretending it didn’t happen, Maddie. If we’re going to live under the same roof for the next month or so, don’t you think it would be a good idea if we made a fresh start?” The words were delivered with the ease of a man who was no stranger to negotiation and compromise.
She knew that to do anything but agree would be ill-mannered. “All right. I’m willing to forget about last night.”
“What about fourteen years ago? Can you forget about that, too?”
She frowned. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“You didn’t like me very much back then, either.” He didn’t look offended by the statement, but rather amused.
She folded her arms across her chest. “That’s not the best way to make a new beginning—by bringing up the past.” She didn’t see any need to correct him regarding
As he climbed into his father’s car, he noticed the plastic water jugs in the back seat of the car. He didn’t have to give them to Maddie. He could fill the jugs himself and leave without even seeing her.
There were only two problems. One was that he didn’t want to stand in line to fill water jugs. The second was, he wanted to see her.
M ADDIE NOTICED Dylan the minute he entered the store. He wore khaki slacks and a dark brown leather aviator jacket. Despite the below-zero windchill, his head was bare, his sun-streaked hair in disarray from the wind. Just as it had last night, when she first saw him, her heart skipped a beat.
“I’d like half a pound of baby Swiss cheese,” a customer said, drawing her attention back to the deli case in front of her.
Maddie lifted the cheese from the refrigerated case and slid the block onto the slicer, aware that Dylan was headed in her direction. Before she had finished the woman’s order, he was at the deli counter.
She could feel his eyes on her as she worked. As hard as she tried, she couldn’t keep from sneaking a peek at him. He looked like a surfer who’d taken the wrong flight and ended up in the land of snow and ice instead of sunshine and beaches.
When her customer left, she had no choice but to give her attention to him. “What can I do for you?” she asked, trying to keep her voice level, which wasn’t easy considering the way her breath wanted to catch in her throat.
“Mom asked me to drop these off.” He held up theplastic jugs. “Said you’d know what to do with them.”
When she took them from him, their fingers touched. His were cold, hers warm, which she figured accounted for the tiny shiver she felt. “Thanks.”
“Mom never bought water when we were growing up,” he commented. “We drank it straight from the tap.”
“No one realized the problems with lead pipes back then,” she responded, setting the jugs on the floor behind her.
“So this is where you work,” he said, giving a cursory glance around the store.
She spread her arms. “This is it.”
“The store’s changed quite a bit since I was a kid.” She didn’t comment, but waited for him to speak again. He turned his attention to the food in the refrigerated case. “Why don’t you give me one of those small cartons of coleslaw.”
She reached for a half-pint container and filled it with coleslaw. Her movements were sharp as she slapped a couple of spoonfuls into the cup. She could feel his eyes on her and she hurried so he could take his purchase and leave.
As she set the carton on the counter, she asked, “Anything else?”
“Yes. I’d like to start over.” His eyes were a warm brown and the message in them made her uncomfortable.
It said, “I’m a man and you’re an attractive woman.” She didn’t want to see that kind of look in his eyes. He was her landlady’s son and that was howshe planned to regard him. “You don’t want the coleslaw?” she asked, deliberately misunderstanding him.
“I’m not talking about the coleslaw. I’m talking about last night. There’s no point in pretending it didn’t happen, Maddie. If we’re going to live under the same roof for the next month or so, don’t you think it would be a good idea if we made a fresh start?” The words were delivered with the ease of a man who was no stranger to negotiation and compromise.
She knew that to do anything but agree would be ill-mannered. “All right. I’m willing to forget about last night.”
“What about fourteen years ago? Can you forget about that, too?”
She frowned. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“You didn’t like me very much back then, either.” He didn’t look offended by the statement, but rather amused.
She folded her arms across her chest. “That’s not the best way to make a new beginning—by bringing up the past.” She didn’t see any need to correct him regarding
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