“Shane and Faith? For the second time in a week?” Dougal, the owner of Sailor’s Retreat, interrupted Shane mid proclamation. “Sans family this time.” A bead of sweat trickled down the shiny dome of his head. “I hope you’re spoiling this lovely lady after what she had to deal with the other day.”
“I’m hoping to,” Shane said levelly. “If she’ll let me.”
“Oh, I fully intend to.” Faith winked at Dougal in a way that left no doubt what was on her mind, and that lightened Shane’s heart. He already knew she liked him as a friend, and if she wanted more, it was only a short stretch from there to returning his feelings, right? “How are you doing, Big D? Keeping well?”
Dougal shrugged. “Sylvia is happy, and you know what they say—happy wife, happy life. Anyway, I won’t hold you up any longer. Enjoy your evening, folks.”
As he left, Faith reached across the table and took Shane’s hand. That simple gesture said a lot because they both knew that news of their solo date would be around town by noon tomorrow. “Where were we?”
“I believe I was halfway through my speech,” he said. “I’d reached the part where I was listing the many ways in which you’re a great woman.”
She nodded, ticking them off on her fingers. “Passionate, fun—anything else?”
“Really damn beautiful.”
Her cheeks reddened, filling him with delight.
“Let me get to the point. I like you, and I want to have the right to kiss you whenever I feel like it. I want to know, with one-hundred-percent certainty, that when we kiss, nothing about it is pretend.”
Her fingers tightened around his and her pupils expanded, darkening her eyes. Internally, he celebrated. It may have been a long, long time since he’d been intimate with someone, but he recognized the symptoms of arousal. Now for the hard part.
“I can understand if you don’t feel the same way, given my messy past and the fact that every unattached man who comes through town seems to vie for your attention. I’m just a worn-out divorcé with very little free time, an interfering ex, and a ready-made family. But I’m tired of putting my hopes and dreams last, so I decided to take a chance and see how you felt.” His lips pressed together, and when she didn’t respond, he said, “I’m finished now.”
Am I hearing this right?
Faith could scarcely credit Shane’s words. He’d blown her away. How on earth could he think she’d see him as anything less than the sexy, intelligent, caring man he was? Diana must have done a real number on him.
He cleared his throat. “You can say something now.”
“Oh.” She jerked back to the present, having been caught up in the emotion of the moment. The poor guy. She’d left him hanging. “I feel the same way, and you shouldn’t sell yourself short. You’re an amazing man, and easy on the eyes too. As far as the boys go, they’re not a downside to me. I adore them, but if we want to try seeing each other for real, we have a long way to go to get Dylan on board.”
He nodded, and she appreciated that he didn’t try to bullshit or bluff his way out of acknowledging the problem. “We do. But don’t take his rejection personally. I think he’s gotten the idea that Diana and I will get back together—especially now that she’s here. But that’s never going to happen. Dylan likes you.” He squeezed her hand, and his lips curved up. “He’s just a bit messed up over the divorce. Once Diana goes home and he realizes there won’t be a grand reunion like with his friend Caleb’s parents, he’ll warm up to the idea of us.”
His statement niggled at a raw patch of insecurity in the back of Faith’s mind, and she couldn’t help but wonder: was Dylan the only one in the family who would choose Diana if given the chance? Shane’s ex was successful, rich, and insanely beautiful—at least on the outside.
Faith wasn’t the type of woman to sit on a question like that, so she came straight out and asked. “If Diana were to move to Haven Bay permanently, would you take her back?”
He blanched and stared at her like she’d slapped him. “Hell, no. Any woman who abandons her children is not the kind of woman I’d choose to have in my life. End of story.”
Okay, so that made her feel better.
“She’s beautiful.”
“So is a leopard right before it strikes.” He shook his head. “Beauty isn’t everything, and it’s not like there aren’t other beautiful women around here.” His smile softened, and his eyes darkened. “Like you.”
She laughed. “Smooth, Walker, but there’s a difference between Diana and me.”
Reclaiming his hand, he rested his chin on it. “And what’s that?”
She scoffed. “As if it’s not obvious.”
“Explain it to me,” he said. “Because I don’t see it.”
She sighed. Was he really going to play dumb? “For starters, she’s basically every man’s living fantasy. Like a twenty-first-century Marilyn Monroe, only thinner.” In fact, she’d seen that exact comparison in a women’s magazine a few weeks back.
“What can I say?” He shrugged. “I prefer my women with their souls intact.”
Her hand flew to her mouth, and her eyes boggled. She’d never heard him say anything so blunt or insulting about another person. Usually, he was nice. Almost too nice.