relationship would go further than that remained to be seen.
Candy was telling the truth when she said she wasn’t sure she was ready for a relationship. She was still recovering from past emotional wounds, and anyway, she continually told herself, she had too much to do out at the farm and toomuch to do around town, just to try to make ends meet. She also found herself increasingly drawn into the activities of her adopted coastal community, attending meetings and events, getting involved with local organizations, and helping out at the newspaper.
But over the past few months, she’d felt her relationship with Ben deepening in unexpected ways. For one thing, he’d become more demonstrative, frequently putting his arm around her waist or taking her hand when they were alone. He’d also become more involved in her life, hanging out at the farm, chatting with Doc for hours, and helping in the fields at harvest time. He’d even taken to calling her in the evenings, to say good night and make sure she was okay.
Some of that had fallen away after the beginning of the year, but even now, as they headed toward the ice sculptures, they walked so closely together their shoulders touched, and she sensed his concern for her. She wanted to reach out and take his arm, but they were always hesitant to display their affection for one another in public. After all, he was still her boss, and they wanted to maintain some professionalism between them. So, instead, she waved indistinctively toward the activity ahead. “Have I missed much?”
Ben shook his head, his longish hair shifting around his face. “They just finished unloading the blocks a little while ago. Nothing much exciting there, unless you enjoy watching beefy guys with forklifts moving around big ice cubes.”
Candy gave him a mischievous smile. “Sounds like a perfect date for a Saturday night.”
Ben laughed, easing the tension he seemed to be holding inside. “Funny, I always took you for more of a pizza-and-beer kind of woman.”
“Pizza and beer?”
“Okay, maybe more like wine and blueberries. By the way, you’re looking great today.”
She gave him a demure smile and nudged him gently. “You always say that.”
“Well, it’s always true,” he said, and grew serious again as his voice lowered. “Hey, are you sure you’re okay about this thing with Solomon?”
“Yeah, I’m okay,” she told him honestly, looking off toward her left, past the trees and over the rooftops, “though… well, what if it’s true? What if he’s right?”
“You mean about the body?”
Candy nodded. “What if Solomon really did discover someone in the woods—someone who’s hurt or injured? Who could it be?” She paused, considering her own questions as her gaze shifted back to Ben. She gave him a quizzical look. “You haven’t heard of anyone missing around town, have you?”
He thought for a moment before shaking his head. “No. Of course, if Solomon really did find a body, it doesn’t have to be someone we know—or even someone local.”
Candy pursed her lips as she turned toward the ice sculptures and the crowd of workers. “I was thinking the same thing. We’ve got lots of out-of-towners coming in this weekend. It could be anyone, from anywhere.”
“It sure could,” Ben said, eyeing the shifting faces around them, “so maybe we’d better find out who’s alive and then we can begin to figure out who’s not.”
Candy gave him another nudge and a playful smile. “Hey, that’s a not a bad idea. We’ll turn you into a detective yet.”
He laughed again. “I think I might look pretty good in a deerstalker hat and cape.”
“And a pipe,” she said as she glanced over at him, studying the angles of his face and his gentle, inquisitive eyes. “You know, I think it’d actually make you look quite dashing.” And she couldn’t help but lean into him as they approached the ice sculptures.
The two forklifts were zipping around the park,
Candy was telling the truth when she said she wasn’t sure she was ready for a relationship. She was still recovering from past emotional wounds, and anyway, she continually told herself, she had too much to do out at the farm and toomuch to do around town, just to try to make ends meet. She also found herself increasingly drawn into the activities of her adopted coastal community, attending meetings and events, getting involved with local organizations, and helping out at the newspaper.
But over the past few months, she’d felt her relationship with Ben deepening in unexpected ways. For one thing, he’d become more demonstrative, frequently putting his arm around her waist or taking her hand when they were alone. He’d also become more involved in her life, hanging out at the farm, chatting with Doc for hours, and helping in the fields at harvest time. He’d even taken to calling her in the evenings, to say good night and make sure she was okay.
Some of that had fallen away after the beginning of the year, but even now, as they headed toward the ice sculptures, they walked so closely together their shoulders touched, and she sensed his concern for her. She wanted to reach out and take his arm, but they were always hesitant to display their affection for one another in public. After all, he was still her boss, and they wanted to maintain some professionalism between them. So, instead, she waved indistinctively toward the activity ahead. “Have I missed much?”
Ben shook his head, his longish hair shifting around his face. “They just finished unloading the blocks a little while ago. Nothing much exciting there, unless you enjoy watching beefy guys with forklifts moving around big ice cubes.”
Candy gave him a mischievous smile. “Sounds like a perfect date for a Saturday night.”
Ben laughed, easing the tension he seemed to be holding inside. “Funny, I always took you for more of a pizza-and-beer kind of woman.”
“Pizza and beer?”
“Okay, maybe more like wine and blueberries. By the way, you’re looking great today.”
She gave him a demure smile and nudged him gently. “You always say that.”
“Well, it’s always true,” he said, and grew serious again as his voice lowered. “Hey, are you sure you’re okay about this thing with Solomon?”
“Yeah, I’m okay,” she told him honestly, looking off toward her left, past the trees and over the rooftops, “though… well, what if it’s true? What if he’s right?”
“You mean about the body?”
Candy nodded. “What if Solomon really did discover someone in the woods—someone who’s hurt or injured? Who could it be?” She paused, considering her own questions as her gaze shifted back to Ben. She gave him a quizzical look. “You haven’t heard of anyone missing around town, have you?”
He thought for a moment before shaking his head. “No. Of course, if Solomon really did find a body, it doesn’t have to be someone we know—or even someone local.”
Candy pursed her lips as she turned toward the ice sculptures and the crowd of workers. “I was thinking the same thing. We’ve got lots of out-of-towners coming in this weekend. It could be anyone, from anywhere.”
“It sure could,” Ben said, eyeing the shifting faces around them, “so maybe we’d better find out who’s alive and then we can begin to figure out who’s not.”
Candy gave him another nudge and a playful smile. “Hey, that’s a not a bad idea. We’ll turn you into a detective yet.”
He laughed again. “I think I might look pretty good in a deerstalker hat and cape.”
“And a pipe,” she said as she glanced over at him, studying the angles of his face and his gentle, inquisitive eyes. “You know, I think it’d actually make you look quite dashing.” And she couldn’t help but lean into him as they approached the ice sculptures.
The two forklifts were zipping around the park,
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