Sweet Serenade (Riverbend Romance 3) by Valerie Comer

avoided Riverbend’s core as he would a rock in the river, but not today. He tried to convince himself that he’d only needed to swing by the bank for some cash, but that didn’t explain why he’d parked the truck several blocks away and nearly across from Base Camp Outfitters. From here he could see both front and back doors as well as the parking lot. He realized he didn’t know what kind of vehicle Carly drove, so he couldn’t be certain she was inside.
    A few minutes later the back door opened. Neil came out and held the door for a middle-aged woman and Carly.
    Reed’s heart sped up. Texting. He’d said he’d text her, not stalk her. But he couldn’t let more than twenty-four hours go by without seeing her. Even from here the bruises on her legs were visible. He had a matching set.
    Neil locked up and headed for his pickup. The woman got into a car. Carly took a few steps alongside the stone building before noticing him.
      Was it his imagination or did her face light up as their eyes met?
    Maddrey drove out of the parking lot and stopped in the middle of the street beside Reed. “What are you doing here? Spying?”
    “Nope. Not a bit of it.” The truck blocked Reed’s view of Carly.
    Neil’s eyes narrowed. “If you think you’re going to steal my new employee, don’t even get started.”
    Reed stared at the older man. “Steal her?”
    “She’s my hire.” Neil jabbed his thumb against his own chest. “Stay away from her.”
    Carly rounded Maddrey’s vehicle and crossed to Reed’s truck. “Neil, you don’t own me after hours.”
    The man’s eyes narrowed. His mouth opened and closed a couple of times with no sound.
    Reed would not grin, though it took all his self-control. “Like Carly says, she’s her own person. She’s your employee. After hours, she and I are friends.” He flicked a glance at her, wanting to gaze at her longer in the worst way. Hopefully once he’d gotten rid of her boss.
    Neil mumbled something about consorting with the enemy before peeling away.
    Reed’s full attention swung to the beautiful woman standing just outside his truck window. “Did you walk to work? Can I give you a ride?”
    She gave him a slow smile. “I’d like that, even though it’s not very far.” She rounded the truck and climbed in the other side.
    Man, he should have jumped out and opened it for her. He’d totally missed a great opportunity. He knew where Brittany’s apartment was all too well, but he didn’t want to drop Carly off in under five minutes.
    Should’ve had a plan, Daniels.
    “Uh, want to get ice cream and go to the park for a bit? Or did you have something else...” He allowed his words to trail away.
    “Sounds good. My cousin won’t be home for another hour.” Carly grinned at him. “Not that she has any more right to tell me what to do than Neil does.”
    Reed scratched his neck as he turned the key in the ignition. “About that.”
    “Don’t worry about it. He’s been a bear all day. It was just one more tangent for him to go on.”
    “It’s none of my business where you work. I’m not trying to get you to come work for us.” He shoulder-checked and put the truck in gear.
    “Is that a possibility?”
    He shot a look across the console. “Is what?”
    “Guiding for Sandon Adventures instead.”
    “Uh, we don’t have any openings right now.” But wouldn’t it be something, working together? He’d be tempted to fire Evan just so he could. In half a flash, his future stretched out before him, full of adventures with Carly in his bow with several tots in the canoe between them.
    Steer in those thoughts, Daniels.
    “I wasn’t really asking.” Carly stared out the side window.
    He’d blown it. “Tell me about your adventures today.”
    “Took a couple out to the lake this morning for a paddle. No moose, though.”
    “No grizzly either, I take it.”
    “No.” She turned to look at him. “You were serious about one being in the area?”
    “That was