much sun. That quickly, his own troubles fled as concern for this strange beauty grew. “Maybe you ought
to get inside where it’s cooler. You aren’t looking so good.”
She blinked and appeared to give herself a mental shake. Jeremy sighed with relief.
“My name’s Jeremy Pickett, by the way. Sorry if I startled you.”
“No, um, you looked familiar is all. Like someone I know,” she explained, sounding sort of husky. Her
voice had a deeper pitch, as if she’d just woken up. Christ, even her voice was sexy.
“He must not be anyone you want to see again, considering the look of sheer panic on your face just a
few seconds ago.”
“Who?” she asked, still staring at him as if she wasn’t sure if he was there or not. His eyebrows rose
inquiringly. Maybe she was in worse need of a cold drink than he.
“Oh, right!” she exclaimed, finally grasping the thread of the conversation. “Well, actually he’s not real.”
W hat was that supposed to mean? Jeremy wondered. Not real?
She looked at him from head to toe. “What on earth happened to you?”
Jeremy smiled. “Unfortunately, my car broke down and I walked for awhile. Yours is the first house I’ve
come to.” He offered her a friendly wink and was pleased when she smiled at last. Then a nasty thought
wiggled into his mind, ruining the blissful moment.
“So, you alone out here?” he asked, wondering if there was a husband around. The beauty stopped
smiling and the startled look returned. Damn his big mouth anyway.
“I swear I’m not a crazy person or anything,” he clarified as he offered his hands up in mock surrender.
“I just wondered if there was a Mister in the cabin who would greet me with a shotgun or something.”
She seemed to become aware of how much skin she was showing, because she bent down and grabbed
the towel she’d laid on. She wrapped it around her lower half, and Jeremy agonized over women and
their silly sense of modesty.
“Well, you can relax, there’s no shotgun and I’m not married.” She snorted. “Not anymore, anyway.”
She glanced back at the cabin and said, “I live in the city. I’m just staying here for the weekend.” She
stood and held out her hand, finally allowing the smile to slip back into place. “I’m Haley Thorne.”
He readily took her hand, wanting to touch her again. Even if it was just an affable handshake, it was
better than nothing. Unfortunately, the touch was brief as she released him and moved toward the screen
door. Swinging it wide, she told him, “And I do happen to have bottled water, iced tea and cola. So,
what’s your pleasure, Jeremy Pickett?” She grinned teasingly at him.