Courting Chloe (Hudson Valley Heroes Book 1) by Victoria Lynne Page A

town boasted a broad Main Street lined with thriving shops, cafes, barbershops and beauty parlors. Benton had its own fire department, library, and town hall, but shared the local sheriff and his deputy with an adjacent community. Fortunately the crime rate was low, so that hadn’t been a problem.
    “Larger than I thought.” His gaze swept the buildings. “What does everyone around here do for work?”
    “Well, a lot of people telecommute,” she replied. “They do most of their work online, but go into the city a couple of times a month for meetings. There’s a regional hospital not too far from here, a local college, and a plant that assembles computer electronics.”
    He gave a grunt of acknowledgement. “Where to?”
    “Right there’s fine.” She gestured toward a parking space in front of Williams Store. Being Sunday night, the town was mostly deserted. “We should probably grab whatever you need first, before Williams closes. Then we’ll head across the street for pizza.”
    He nodded in agreement as they parked and went inside. Williams Store was the closest thing to a department store Benton provided, though Chloe supposed it more properly fit the category of ‘general store.’ Once part of an old mill, the building had been repurposed for retail and now carried a little bit of everything, from mousetraps to bubble gum, wire mesh for mending torn screens, toys, clothing, reading glasses, cough syrup, and lamp oil.
    Chloe loved the store’s rustic charm, loved its rough wooden floors and open display cases, but upon stepping inside, she wondered if maybe it wasn’t a bit too rustic for someone from out of town. “The mall’s not too far away, if you’d rather wait until—”
    “No,” Ian replied, scanning the store. “This’ll work just fine.”
    They split up. She meandered toward the front counter to speak to Bob Williams, the proprietor, while Ian and Preston headed toward a display of fall clothing. They returned a short time later, their arms stacked with jeans, khakis, flannel shirts, Carhartt jackets, and fall boots, along with assorted toiletries. Preston, she noted, had selected two pair of pajamas: one populated with miniature dinosaurs, the other decorated with tiny soccer balls. No pajamas for Ian. Presumably he slept in boxers, a package of which crossed the counter to be rung up.
    Or naked. Yep, that was it. More likely, the man slept entirely naked.
    Heat flushed Chloe’s skin as her mind conjured up an image of his tall, broad, muscular—and entirely naked—body tucked between the camp’s soft flannel sheets. Good Lord. Yes, the man was attractive, but he and his nephew were clients . Besides, she could almost guarantee he had a girlfriend—possibly even a wife—back in the city. He didn’t wear a ring, but that didn’t signify. With his money and looks, it was highly improbable the women of New York City would allow him to remain unattached. With that thought in mind, she turned away, giving him a modicum of privacy to finish making his purchases.
    He scrawled his signature on the credit card slip as Preston wandered a few feet away to rummage through a bin of plush toys. “You ready?” he asked, shooting her a sideways glance.
    Chloe nodded. “Almost. Just trying to make up my mind.”
    She stood in front of a display of hand knit clothing: socks, hats, scarves, mittens, shawls. It was all lovely, but every time she came to William’s, Chloe found herself gravitating toward the socks. Each pair was stunningly crafted and cleverly named. Sherwood Forest mingled yarns of deep purple, pale violet, shades of emerald green, and rich indigo. Chantilly Lace blended subtle skeins of cream, ivory, and white. Birthday Party was an outrageous mix of hot pink, turquoise, and lime green. Autumn Spice wove together chunky strands of russet, orange, berry, and chocolate.
    Ian edged closer. “Impressive,” he said, examining a scarf. “This is more art than clothing. Whoever