searched the thick branches and finally spotted a flash of pale yellow on the underside of a bird that looked like some sort of woodpecker.
Reed closed his eyes and, though it was insane to do so, replayed the scene by the tool shed. As a red-blooded male, he’d not been blind to Shelly’s beauty even when she’d been in a serious relationship with his best friend. Her wavy, strawberry blond hair and mesmerizing blue eyes turned the heads of every man she passed. He’d even teased Troy about taking her off his hands if he ever got tired of her.
Of course, he hadn’t meant it. But today, when he’d held her close enough to smell her fruity shampoo again, that jest had taken on new meaning. And it felt wrong, like he was moving in on forbidden territory.
But Troy’s dead and she’s alone, beautiful, and maybe just as interested...
Reed covered his eyes with his arm. Stop it. She’s not interested in that way. She’s your friend. It’s your imagination and perhaps a bit of wishful thinking. She’s familiar, and you’re lonely. Once you get some sleep, everything will go back to normal.
The bird up in the tree issued another of its distinctive sounds. He watched it hop from limb to limb.
"It’s a yellow-bellied sapsucker," Shelly said, surprising him by her nearness and sending his heart galloping. How had she gotten from the office to her current spot without him noticing? That lack of attention angered him. It was inexcusable and potentially deadly.
He lifted his head to find her standing at the top of the ladder watching him. How long had she been there?
"Looks like a woodpecker." He was determined to keep the conversation as neutral as possible.
"It’s in that family. He drills holes in the tree bark and sucks out the sap."
He smiled at this glimpse of the Shelly he used to know. "Been a while since I had one of your biology lessons."
"Stick around long enough, I’m sure I can drum up a few more."
He sat up, draped his arms over his knees and remembered how easy their conversations used to be. He wanted to recapture that camaraderie and forget the strange new feelings seeing Shelly again had stirred to life.
"I can hardly wait."
"I thought you’d fallen asleep up here," she said.
"No, just recuperating from my incompetence with a hammer."
"Do you need some ice?"
"Nah."
"How about a grand tour of Bobcat Ridge?"
After the incident by the shed, he wanted to refuse. But his entire reason for being there was to protect her. He couldn’t do that if he used his libido as an excuse to avoid her. And despite her apparent good mood, there was a shadow in her eyes, like her mind was trying to escape the danger she might be in but couldn’t quite pull free.
Though he was serious about her protection, he hated that haunted look and wanted to help ease her mind. "Sure. Can’t say I’ll miss this infernal hammer."
He climbed down after her and readjusted his T-shirt to cover the gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans.
Shelly nodded toward the gun. "If Ina Gwynn sees that, she’ll faint dead away. Not to mention it’s probably a crime to tote it into the post office."
"I’ll stay outside."
With Shelly driving the same little economy car she’d had when she lived in Dallas, Reed was able to examine the small town more thoroughly. He’d passed through it much too quickly when he’d arrived to process many specifics. No more than six or seven small businesses unless there were others like Firefly Run hidden among the thick trees. Now that he wasn’t driving through at twice the speed limit, he could actually appreciate how pretty the surroundings were. The thick forests, dripping rock faces, and occasional patches of colorful wildflowers were as different from north Texas as the moon was from the sun.
Shelly pulled up to the single gas pump in front of Harry’s Grab-n-Go. "I meant to fill up in Knoxville, but I forgot. Harry’s always ten cents higher," she said as she opened her
Reed closed his eyes and, though it was insane to do so, replayed the scene by the tool shed. As a red-blooded male, he’d not been blind to Shelly’s beauty even when she’d been in a serious relationship with his best friend. Her wavy, strawberry blond hair and mesmerizing blue eyes turned the heads of every man she passed. He’d even teased Troy about taking her off his hands if he ever got tired of her.
Of course, he hadn’t meant it. But today, when he’d held her close enough to smell her fruity shampoo again, that jest had taken on new meaning. And it felt wrong, like he was moving in on forbidden territory.
But Troy’s dead and she’s alone, beautiful, and maybe just as interested...
Reed covered his eyes with his arm. Stop it. She’s not interested in that way. She’s your friend. It’s your imagination and perhaps a bit of wishful thinking. She’s familiar, and you’re lonely. Once you get some sleep, everything will go back to normal.
The bird up in the tree issued another of its distinctive sounds. He watched it hop from limb to limb.
"It’s a yellow-bellied sapsucker," Shelly said, surprising him by her nearness and sending his heart galloping. How had she gotten from the office to her current spot without him noticing? That lack of attention angered him. It was inexcusable and potentially deadly.
He lifted his head to find her standing at the top of the ladder watching him. How long had she been there?
"Looks like a woodpecker." He was determined to keep the conversation as neutral as possible.
"It’s in that family. He drills holes in the tree bark and sucks out the sap."
He smiled at this glimpse of the Shelly he used to know. "Been a while since I had one of your biology lessons."
"Stick around long enough, I’m sure I can drum up a few more."
He sat up, draped his arms over his knees and remembered how easy their conversations used to be. He wanted to recapture that camaraderie and forget the strange new feelings seeing Shelly again had stirred to life.
"I can hardly wait."
"I thought you’d fallen asleep up here," she said.
"No, just recuperating from my incompetence with a hammer."
"Do you need some ice?"
"Nah."
"How about a grand tour of Bobcat Ridge?"
After the incident by the shed, he wanted to refuse. But his entire reason for being there was to protect her. He couldn’t do that if he used his libido as an excuse to avoid her. And despite her apparent good mood, there was a shadow in her eyes, like her mind was trying to escape the danger she might be in but couldn’t quite pull free.
Though he was serious about her protection, he hated that haunted look and wanted to help ease her mind. "Sure. Can’t say I’ll miss this infernal hammer."
He climbed down after her and readjusted his T-shirt to cover the gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans.
Shelly nodded toward the gun. "If Ina Gwynn sees that, she’ll faint dead away. Not to mention it’s probably a crime to tote it into the post office."
"I’ll stay outside."
With Shelly driving the same little economy car she’d had when she lived in Dallas, Reed was able to examine the small town more thoroughly. He’d passed through it much too quickly when he’d arrived to process many specifics. No more than six or seven small businesses unless there were others like Firefly Run hidden among the thick trees. Now that he wasn’t driving through at twice the speed limit, he could actually appreciate how pretty the surroundings were. The thick forests, dripping rock faces, and occasional patches of colorful wildflowers were as different from north Texas as the moon was from the sun.
Shelly pulled up to the single gas pump in front of Harry’s Grab-n-Go. "I meant to fill up in Knoxville, but I forgot. Harry’s always ten cents higher," she said as she opened her
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