herself in the mirror.
When she opened the door, every single order and vow she’d made sank right to the floor, along with her stomach. John Rowan, dressed in the perfect summer suit, stood holding a beautiful bouquet of pink tulips.
“Thank you. You didn’t have to get me flowers. They’re beautiful.”
“You look drop-dead gorgeous, Arley, and I wanted to bring you flowers. I started with pink roses but that seemed clichéd. I will, however, vow not to make the two-lips on the organ joke about these.”
She giggled in spite of herself. John looked very pleased as she stepped back and he entered the room. His eyes swept over her suite as he situated the flowers on the mantle near the clock. Something about her suite pleased him.
“Shall we?” When he gallantly offered her his arm, she knew she was in deep trouble.
He guided her out of the Inn after shooting warning glares at Ryan, who was sporting quite a smirk. “So, he’s gonna give you hell the next time he sees you without me, right?” She couldn’t help but giggle.
“Leave it to an author to notice every little thing. Should’ve known that; I guess.” He opened the passenger side door of his Porsche, and her mouth gaped.
“I’ve never ridden in a Porsche.”
John smirked. “Just like any other car … only so much better.”
The ride in his fancy car didn’t last very long. There really wasn’t much to the town.
“Look! They have a bookstore!” She exclaimed as she pointed to the now-darkened Bandana Books that sat past the dock and entrance to Havens’ Charter Boat Rentals.
“We’ll have to explore the town a little.” He guided her towards the dockside restaurant. “Ryan’s helped rebuild most everything here. He redid this place a few months ago. They added on a new dining room out over the water and a bigger kitchen.”
Arley studied the restaurant as she stepped inside. Ryan had done an outstanding job of keeping the eclectic qualities of the charming town while expanding the space to suit patrons looking for a nice meal on the water. She was fairly certain that John slipped the maître d two twenties while he thought she was distracted. They were seated quickly in a quiet, intimate corner with a stunning view of the incoming tide and the brilliant sunset over the soothing waters. Giving in to just a moment of self-care she stared out at the incoming tide and longed once again to somehow live on the water at some point in her life. The water used to help her write. She’d tried a little this afternoon, but had gotten nowhere fast. Shaking off that feeling of impending doom yet again, she moved her focus to John.
“This is really nice. I’ve been surviving on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the last few weeks.” She saw no point in lying. It was the truth, and she had little to no money. She was trying to conserve her meager savings, and didn’t want to run up her credit cards. This trip alone was going to eat up what was left in her checking account.
“Since you brought that up—and by the way, if it’s okay with you, I’d love a lunch and dinner date for the next week or two, my treat—tell me about your father’s will. You said your aunts had contested it?”
“I can’t let you pay for all my meals, John.”
“I’d enjoy the company, and once you’re past the age of like seven, PB&J’s get old pretty quickly.”
“They’re good with Lay’s potato chips.” She wrinkled her nose.
He laughed. “Agreed, but I’d still like the company.”
“Maybe sometimes.” She conceded.
“So, what happened with the will?”
A waitress appeared at their table before she was forced to get into the hornet’s nest that was her family.
“Want some wine, sweetheart?” His eyes smoldered over hers like he wanted very much to taste the wine from her lips.
Arley’s breath tangled in her throat. Wow, sweetheart. He skipped right over babe, honey, and sweetie, and went straight for sweetheart. She fought
When she opened the door, every single order and vow she’d made sank right to the floor, along with her stomach. John Rowan, dressed in the perfect summer suit, stood holding a beautiful bouquet of pink tulips.
“Thank you. You didn’t have to get me flowers. They’re beautiful.”
“You look drop-dead gorgeous, Arley, and I wanted to bring you flowers. I started with pink roses but that seemed clichéd. I will, however, vow not to make the two-lips on the organ joke about these.”
She giggled in spite of herself. John looked very pleased as she stepped back and he entered the room. His eyes swept over her suite as he situated the flowers on the mantle near the clock. Something about her suite pleased him.
“Shall we?” When he gallantly offered her his arm, she knew she was in deep trouble.
He guided her out of the Inn after shooting warning glares at Ryan, who was sporting quite a smirk. “So, he’s gonna give you hell the next time he sees you without me, right?” She couldn’t help but giggle.
“Leave it to an author to notice every little thing. Should’ve known that; I guess.” He opened the passenger side door of his Porsche, and her mouth gaped.
“I’ve never ridden in a Porsche.”
John smirked. “Just like any other car … only so much better.”
The ride in his fancy car didn’t last very long. There really wasn’t much to the town.
“Look! They have a bookstore!” She exclaimed as she pointed to the now-darkened Bandana Books that sat past the dock and entrance to Havens’ Charter Boat Rentals.
“We’ll have to explore the town a little.” He guided her towards the dockside restaurant. “Ryan’s helped rebuild most everything here. He redid this place a few months ago. They added on a new dining room out over the water and a bigger kitchen.”
Arley studied the restaurant as she stepped inside. Ryan had done an outstanding job of keeping the eclectic qualities of the charming town while expanding the space to suit patrons looking for a nice meal on the water. She was fairly certain that John slipped the maître d two twenties while he thought she was distracted. They were seated quickly in a quiet, intimate corner with a stunning view of the incoming tide and the brilliant sunset over the soothing waters. Giving in to just a moment of self-care she stared out at the incoming tide and longed once again to somehow live on the water at some point in her life. The water used to help her write. She’d tried a little this afternoon, but had gotten nowhere fast. Shaking off that feeling of impending doom yet again, she moved her focus to John.
“This is really nice. I’ve been surviving on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the last few weeks.” She saw no point in lying. It was the truth, and she had little to no money. She was trying to conserve her meager savings, and didn’t want to run up her credit cards. This trip alone was going to eat up what was left in her checking account.
“Since you brought that up—and by the way, if it’s okay with you, I’d love a lunch and dinner date for the next week or two, my treat—tell me about your father’s will. You said your aunts had contested it?”
“I can’t let you pay for all my meals, John.”
“I’d enjoy the company, and once you’re past the age of like seven, PB&J’s get old pretty quickly.”
“They’re good with Lay’s potato chips.” She wrinkled her nose.
He laughed. “Agreed, but I’d still like the company.”
“Maybe sometimes.” She conceded.
“So, what happened with the will?”
A waitress appeared at their table before she was forced to get into the hornet’s nest that was her family.
“Want some wine, sweetheart?” His eyes smoldered over hers like he wanted very much to taste the wine from her lips.
Arley’s breath tangled in her throat. Wow, sweetheart. He skipped right over babe, honey, and sweetie, and went straight for sweetheart. She fought
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