She bought her newspaper and ordered her coffee. The girl behind the counter was young—new since Cassidy had last been in—and she handed over her coffee in the big white ceramic mug. Her eyes were free from judgment; in fact, she commented on what a cute dog Fred was. She offered up a small treat, kept on the counter for doggy visitors. Offered a small bowl of water, Cassidy took it with a forced smile and a quiet ‘thank you.’
Cassidy moved outside to the patio and selected a table against the building, offering partial sun for her, shade for Fred. She’d pulled her hair up in a clip, but a few strands had slipped out under the force of the wind. Her denim shorts hung low on her waist, but her pink hoodie disguised it well enough.
She looped Fred’s leash loosely over the opposite chair at the cast iron table and sat down, her gaze sweeping the main street—the one road in town.
The lake town consisted of about twenty shops on each side of the road. There was no stoplight, no stop sign. Parking was a problem since parking wasn’t allowed on Main Street itself. Behind the lakeside row of stores were a boardwalk and marina. Larger crafts were kept to the side. Smaller vessels like Cassidy’s could motor right up to the high concrete slips designed for them, like behind the Trading Post.
Settling in, not having been called out by anyone yet, Cassidy skimmed the paper. It was awkward, performing a public ritual she had always performed with her husband. She wasn’t even paying attention to what she read; she was more concerned with the passersby, flinching as they came and went. When she saw Marge walking across the street toward the Trading Post, she raised the paper to hide.
Yep, this was guilt. This was the part where doing more than existing felt like a betrayal. Like in the publisher’s conference room, handing over Elijah’s work, giving his baby to someone who hadn’t even known him.
Baby. Jesus, what a choice of words.
Cassidy was about to text Jason for some moral support (an offer he’d made before leaving) when Fred started to get restless.
Setting aside the paper, Cassidy leaned down to look at him beneath the table. He was on his stomach, looking across the street, ears up at attention. He sidled forward, head stretching outwards, butt wiggling, tail thumping. He whimpered. Cassidy turned her gaze, but she already knew who she would see.
Mac was standing in the doorway of the hardware store, reflective Aviator sunglasses on, one arm braced on the door as he held it open, saying something to someone inside. He was standing with a hip cocked, his dark head tilted, in perfectly form-fitting blue jeans, T-shirt, and combat boots. He looked like he’d walked off the cover of Construction Workers Magazine, if there was such a thing.
As Cassidy watched, he turned his face skyward as though irritated, lifted the hand from the door, and stepped aside as he let it swing shut. She’d yet to see the man anything other than broody or irritated. She wondered if he was ever happy.
Fred let out a pitiful yowling-slash-talking sound Cassidy had never heard him emit before. She ducked to peek at him, astonished. His torso flat on the ground, his tail was going a mile a minute. “Fred!”
Fred blinked up at her as though she was interrupting before turning his attention back across the street, hopeful.
When Cassidy glanced back, Mac was looking their way, expression inscrutable behind the mirrored glasses. But after a second, his lips curved upward, causing a jolt to rocket through her. He crossed the street toward them, his attention locked in.
Cassidy whispered, “Dude, now look what you’ve done.” But there was no bite to her words, even though the closer her neighbor got, the faster her pulse raced. Something about him unnerved her.
This would be their third encounter. The first had been dripping with condescension and sexual innuendo. Oh, who was she kidding? There’d been no innuendo; he’d flat-out let her know he wanted sex. Jason and Grady had tempered their second encounter, but his gaze had rarely left her. Every sweep of his eyes has been palpable, as he’d intended. And now…
Well, she was thankful they were in broad daylight and in public.
Then she remembered being in public didn’t dissuade him. Not if the bathroom sink at the Trading Post was any indication.
Mac walked up to their table but didn’t give Fred the attention he was seeking. Instead, he focused on her from behind those infuriating sunglasses. “Cassidy.”
His deep, gravelly voice sheared right through her; it was disturbing how something in her responded. She stopped herself from mimicking Fred, panting for attention. She didn’t know if she was intimidated by him—his sheer masculinity was intimidating—or… Well, she didn’t want to consider the “or.” She didn’t want to contemplate an attraction because that would be a thousand times wrong.
Shading her eyes against the sun to look up at him, she prayed her distress didn’t show. “Hello, Mac.”
He tilted his head to look at Fred, who was having a fit at his feet, paws lifting and settling in an impatient dance to be touched. Looking back at Cassidy, he asked, his voice bordering on ironic, “Can I pet your dog?”
She narrowed her eyes—such a smug prick. Meanwhile, the noises out of Fred were embarrassing. She relented. “Oh, good Lord, fine.” She lowered her hand, indicating she wasn’t interested in giving him another moment of her consideration.
He chuckled, but instead of bending down and giving Fred what he wanted, he turned and walked into the coffee shop. Confused, she looked at the closed door.
Fred let out a long whine, sounding devastated.
Cassidy nudged him with her foot, teasing, “Are you certain you aren’t a girl?”
Fred let out a “harrumph” and plopped back down to the ground.
“Ruined! He’s ruined you,” she complained for the umpteenth time. “Some K-9 expert he turns out to be.” Although, to be fair, Fred stopped being a guard dog years ago. Picking up her coffee, she scowled across the street.
Thiswas the day she chose to venture out? The same one he also decided to leave his lair? Of course, for all she knew, he was a regular fixture in town. She was the one who was breaking her routine by enjoying the sunshine instead of hiding away.
The door pushed back open moments later. She sensed his presence before she saw him out of the corner of her eye. Of course, it could have been Fred’s re-ignited excitement.