Cranberry Bay to make connections. She planned to take care of business and leave.
Before she could find the words, the bell on the shop tinkled and a woman called out, “Hello. Katie? Sasha?”
“Lisa!” In a smattering of excited voices and hugs, the four women rushed forward and engulfed the tall, thin woman at the door. As the group’s voices rose in chatter, Rylee stared past the woman to Bryan standing behind her. He smiled broadly at her.
“I was hoping I might find you here,” Bryan said, stepping around Lisa and into the shop. “I thought I might ask a favor.”
“Yes?” Rylee tried to control her beating heart, which sped up every time she saw Bryan. The tone of his voice reminded her of how well he could charm her. She vowed not to let it happen this time.
“Well,” Bryan said, smiling his boyish grin at her. “I hope this isn’t too forward. But your grandfather had a lot of great car tools. My brother collects vintage cars. I’d like to stop by and take a look at your grandfather’s tool collection. That is, if you didn’t have something else you were doing with it.”
Rylee took a step backward as Bryan stepped closer to her. “I don’t have anything else I’m doing with it. I didn’t really know the collection was still in the garage.” She swallowed hard. She wanted so badly to lean against him and feel his arms around her. She wanted to press her cheek against his scratchy shirt and hear the beating of his heart. In his arms, she always felt safe and protected.
“I could stop by one day this week?”
“Yes.” A memory flashed across her mind of Bryan working with her grandfather in the garage, wearing his cut-off shorts and tank top. She flushed thinking of how she’d been so enamored with him in those teenage summer days. Who was she kidding? She was still affected by him. The only difference was she wasn’t a teenage girl, and she could control her emotions. She hoped.
“Rylee.” Katie spoke above the chatter of women. “You will join us, won’t you? The sewing circle meets on Wednesday nights. We’re sewing a pleated Thanksgiving apron.”
“Yes.” Rylee said, seeing a way out of spending more time with Bryan. “I would love to come Wednesday nights.” She turned to Bryan, “Why don’t you stop by on Wednesday evening; I’ll leave the garage door open for you.” She took a deep breath. Bryan did not have to rule her every thought and feeling. She was no longer a teenager falling all over her first love. She was a grown woman who knew how to handle life on life’s terms.
“Sure thing.” Bryan nodded to her. His face was void of any emotion except politeness. Rylee’s stomach turned with sadness. She didn’t want to fall in love with Bryan again, but she did want to know she had once mattered. Of course, he’d been married. He’d fallen in love with someone else. Although he was no longer married, she couldn’t expect him to remain in love with her forever. But she still wanted to see something in his eyes. Something to tell her she had once mattered to him the way he had to her.
Bryan turned away and sauntered over to the sewing circle women. “So, who is going to make me an apron?”
Giggles and laughter rose from the five women clustered together, and Rylee couldn’t help but notice how Sasha’s arm went around Bryan’s waist in a light hug as she gazed up at him. Not wanting to see any more, Rylee pulled on Raisin’s leash and slipped out the door. The cool rainy breeze blew across her cheeks, and she took a deep breath. She simply needed to put Bryan back in his place as someone she once knew and get on with her plan to get out of Cranberry Bay.
Chapter Six
Bryan frowned at the photos on his computer screen. He took a sip of cold coffee and swallowed. The late afternoon shadows crept into the small room, and he flicked on the seashell desk lamp. It’d been in the throwaway pile at Ivy’s antique shop. Ivy said the shop already had five
Before she could find the words, the bell on the shop tinkled and a woman called out, “Hello. Katie? Sasha?”
“Lisa!” In a smattering of excited voices and hugs, the four women rushed forward and engulfed the tall, thin woman at the door. As the group’s voices rose in chatter, Rylee stared past the woman to Bryan standing behind her. He smiled broadly at her.
“I was hoping I might find you here,” Bryan said, stepping around Lisa and into the shop. “I thought I might ask a favor.”
“Yes?” Rylee tried to control her beating heart, which sped up every time she saw Bryan. The tone of his voice reminded her of how well he could charm her. She vowed not to let it happen this time.
“Well,” Bryan said, smiling his boyish grin at her. “I hope this isn’t too forward. But your grandfather had a lot of great car tools. My brother collects vintage cars. I’d like to stop by and take a look at your grandfather’s tool collection. That is, if you didn’t have something else you were doing with it.”
Rylee took a step backward as Bryan stepped closer to her. “I don’t have anything else I’m doing with it. I didn’t really know the collection was still in the garage.” She swallowed hard. She wanted so badly to lean against him and feel his arms around her. She wanted to press her cheek against his scratchy shirt and hear the beating of his heart. In his arms, she always felt safe and protected.
“I could stop by one day this week?”
“Yes.” A memory flashed across her mind of Bryan working with her grandfather in the garage, wearing his cut-off shorts and tank top. She flushed thinking of how she’d been so enamored with him in those teenage summer days. Who was she kidding? She was still affected by him. The only difference was she wasn’t a teenage girl, and she could control her emotions. She hoped.
“Rylee.” Katie spoke above the chatter of women. “You will join us, won’t you? The sewing circle meets on Wednesday nights. We’re sewing a pleated Thanksgiving apron.”
“Yes.” Rylee said, seeing a way out of spending more time with Bryan. “I would love to come Wednesday nights.” She turned to Bryan, “Why don’t you stop by on Wednesday evening; I’ll leave the garage door open for you.” She took a deep breath. Bryan did not have to rule her every thought and feeling. She was no longer a teenager falling all over her first love. She was a grown woman who knew how to handle life on life’s terms.
“Sure thing.” Bryan nodded to her. His face was void of any emotion except politeness. Rylee’s stomach turned with sadness. She didn’t want to fall in love with Bryan again, but she did want to know she had once mattered. Of course, he’d been married. He’d fallen in love with someone else. Although he was no longer married, she couldn’t expect him to remain in love with her forever. But she still wanted to see something in his eyes. Something to tell her she had once mattered to him the way he had to her.
Bryan turned away and sauntered over to the sewing circle women. “So, who is going to make me an apron?”
Giggles and laughter rose from the five women clustered together, and Rylee couldn’t help but notice how Sasha’s arm went around Bryan’s waist in a light hug as she gazed up at him. Not wanting to see any more, Rylee pulled on Raisin’s leash and slipped out the door. The cool rainy breeze blew across her cheeks, and she took a deep breath. She simply needed to put Bryan back in his place as someone she once knew and get on with her plan to get out of Cranberry Bay.
Chapter Six
Bryan frowned at the photos on his computer screen. He took a sip of cold coffee and swallowed. The late afternoon shadows crept into the small room, and he flicked on the seashell desk lamp. It’d been in the throwaway pile at Ivy’s antique shop. Ivy said the shop already had five
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