Shane said softly.
Star's eyebrows pinched together. "I'm the one who owes you an apology," she told him.
He kneeled down so that he was eye level with her. He wanted her to look at him, but she seemed to be completely uninterested in doing so. He gently laid his hand on her forearm, and felt her flinch away from his touch. He glanced down and, to his horror, saw bruises beginning to form around her wrist from where he had grabbed her. "Aw hell. Did I do that?" he asked.
"It's okay, really. I bruise super easy." she said. His gentleness unhinged her, and she found it hard to think straight with him in her personal space. She sighed and brushed her hair away from her face. His eyes shifted, and she knew he saw what was left of the faint yellow bruising on the ridge of her cheekbone.
"No, really. I'm sorry I grabbed you like that. I overreacted and...well, I didn't mean to hurt you," he offered.
Star pushed to her feet and stepped away from him. "I didn't mean to see you naked, either," she said truthfully as she turned to gather up the empty soda flats. Though I'm not really complaining.
"Are you planning on doing any work anytime soon so I can get the hell out of here?" Ami asked, addressing Shane. She stood in the doorway between the front and back rooms with her arms folded across her chest.
"Yeah, get out of here. I've got it," he told her as he strode past her toward the register.
The temperature had crept up a couple of degrees, allowing the salt to do its job, making the roads safe for travel again. Slowly, one by one, the crowd thinned until Star and Shane were the only two people left in the building.
He taught her how to operate the cash register, and while she waited on the customers who came and went, he swept, mopped, and did anything he could think of to keep from giving in to the overwhelming urge he had to wrap his arms around her and pull her against him. He smiled to himself when he caught her staring at him several times while he pretended not to notice.
"You realize Pluto's technically not considered a planet anymore, right?" he asked.
"Random much?" Star rolled her eyes. She was aware of the scientific debate. But as someone who had studied astrology for over twenty years, she would never be convinced that Pluto didn't matter in the countless astrology charts she'd delineated.
"I study the solar system. Planets are kind of my thing," he admitted.
"Me too," she said.
Shane quirked an eyebrow at her. He'd never met anyone who knew as much as he did about the solar system, and he was pleasantly surprised by her. "You study astronomy?"
"No," she shook her head, "I'm an astrologer."
"Pfft. I don't believe in that crap," he informed her.
Star planted her hands on her hips and cocked her head sideways at him. "Let me guess. Capricorn, right?"
Shane shrugged his shoulders. "January eighth, whatever that is."
"I rest my case," she told him. Her mouth pulled into a smug, satisfied smile.
Chapter Fourteen
Michael stopped by Harper's General Store a few hours later to tell Star and Shane that Neona had indeed broken her leg. The Mercy Urgent Care doctor fitted her with a temporary splint and sent her home with some pain meds. She was resting comfortably but was unable to relax completely, knowing she wouldn't be able to oversee the day-to-day operations of the store. She would be laid up for six to eight weeks.
Star wondered if the entire payroll staff consisted of Neona, Shane, and Ami. Did the three of them run the place seven days a week? How did anyone ever get a day off? Obviously, Ami would be taking some time off when she had her baby.
"Are there others who work here? I mean besides you three?" she asked Shane while she wiped down the counter around the coffee makers.
"It's hard to find reliable help around a town the size of Red Vale," Shane admitted. "Most of the high school kids drive up to Hannibal for jobs. The other, less motivated ones are looking for a place to work where they
Star's eyebrows pinched together. "I'm the one who owes you an apology," she told him.
He kneeled down so that he was eye level with her. He wanted her to look at him, but she seemed to be completely uninterested in doing so. He gently laid his hand on her forearm, and felt her flinch away from his touch. He glanced down and, to his horror, saw bruises beginning to form around her wrist from where he had grabbed her. "Aw hell. Did I do that?" he asked.
"It's okay, really. I bruise super easy." she said. His gentleness unhinged her, and she found it hard to think straight with him in her personal space. She sighed and brushed her hair away from her face. His eyes shifted, and she knew he saw what was left of the faint yellow bruising on the ridge of her cheekbone.
"No, really. I'm sorry I grabbed you like that. I overreacted and...well, I didn't mean to hurt you," he offered.
Star pushed to her feet and stepped away from him. "I didn't mean to see you naked, either," she said truthfully as she turned to gather up the empty soda flats. Though I'm not really complaining.
"Are you planning on doing any work anytime soon so I can get the hell out of here?" Ami asked, addressing Shane. She stood in the doorway between the front and back rooms with her arms folded across her chest.
"Yeah, get out of here. I've got it," he told her as he strode past her toward the register.
The temperature had crept up a couple of degrees, allowing the salt to do its job, making the roads safe for travel again. Slowly, one by one, the crowd thinned until Star and Shane were the only two people left in the building.
He taught her how to operate the cash register, and while she waited on the customers who came and went, he swept, mopped, and did anything he could think of to keep from giving in to the overwhelming urge he had to wrap his arms around her and pull her against him. He smiled to himself when he caught her staring at him several times while he pretended not to notice.
"You realize Pluto's technically not considered a planet anymore, right?" he asked.
"Random much?" Star rolled her eyes. She was aware of the scientific debate. But as someone who had studied astrology for over twenty years, she would never be convinced that Pluto didn't matter in the countless astrology charts she'd delineated.
"I study the solar system. Planets are kind of my thing," he admitted.
"Me too," she said.
Shane quirked an eyebrow at her. He'd never met anyone who knew as much as he did about the solar system, and he was pleasantly surprised by her. "You study astronomy?"
"No," she shook her head, "I'm an astrologer."
"Pfft. I don't believe in that crap," he informed her.
Star planted her hands on her hips and cocked her head sideways at him. "Let me guess. Capricorn, right?"
Shane shrugged his shoulders. "January eighth, whatever that is."
"I rest my case," she told him. Her mouth pulled into a smug, satisfied smile.
Chapter Fourteen
Michael stopped by Harper's General Store a few hours later to tell Star and Shane that Neona had indeed broken her leg. The Mercy Urgent Care doctor fitted her with a temporary splint and sent her home with some pain meds. She was resting comfortably but was unable to relax completely, knowing she wouldn't be able to oversee the day-to-day operations of the store. She would be laid up for six to eight weeks.
Star wondered if the entire payroll staff consisted of Neona, Shane, and Ami. Did the three of them run the place seven days a week? How did anyone ever get a day off? Obviously, Ami would be taking some time off when she had her baby.
"Are there others who work here? I mean besides you three?" she asked Shane while she wiped down the counter around the coffee makers.
"It's hard to find reliable help around a town the size of Red Vale," Shane admitted. "Most of the high school kids drive up to Hannibal for jobs. The other, less motivated ones are looking for a place to work where they
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