“No way. I’ll head out in the morning.” Thunder crashed overhead then and they both glanced out the window as a jagged bolt of lightning streaked across the sky.
It was gorgeous and a little terrifying at the same time. A type of art all in itself.
“Or maybe not,” he murmured. “We’ll see what happens with the weather. Did you paint that?” He nodded toward the painting she’d left in the corner.
She wasn’t done, still needed to do some finishing touches and fix some of the shading, but it was really coming into focus now. “Yeah.”
“You’re really talented. I didn’t realize you painted like this.” There was a touch of awe in his voice, which for some reason made her all warm and fuzzy inside. “The woman is stunning.”
She felt her cheeks heat up and tried to shrug off the compliment. “It’s my mom.” And she had been stunningly gorgeous. Adeline had managed to capture the faint auburn streaks in her mom’s dark hair that had only been visible in the right light, the intensity of her dark eyes and the smile. The big, infectious one that had made many men and women offer her the world. In the background she’d barely sketched in a few sailboats on a lake, the little marks more abstract than anything. The painting had evolved from a long-buried memory, one where it had been just her and her mom spending a day together. They’d had a picnic and some guy had offered to take them sailing—but her mom had said no, blown him off so she could spend the day with her daughter. She’d chosen Adeline that day, something she hadn’t always done. “But compared to her talent, this is more like a finger painting.” Okay, that was an exaggeration, but it felt weird to be complimented on painting when that had always been her mom’s thing.
He snorted softly. “Somehow I doubt that. Do you sell your work?”
“No. Painting is something I do for me. It’s a creative outlet. I’ve thought about it, but it’s not something I want to monetize. Not yet anyway. Who knows what the future holds though.” When she’d settled in Verona Bay, she’d wanted to slough off all aspects of her past. Though lately she’d toyed around with the idea of opening an online shop. She tutored math on the side to make extra money, and loved it. She was afraid that if she turned painting into a way to make money, she’d lose the joy of it.
“Yeah, that’s why I like to fish. It gets me out of the shop, into nature and away from everything.” He looked at the painting again and that same awe lit up his blue eyes. “Though to be fair, I couldn’t make any money from fishing. You, on the other hand, could probably make bank.”
She didn’t show most people her paintings, and he was so sincere in his compliment. She cleared her throat, feeling even more out of sorts. “How’s Joe doing after everything?”
“That kid bounced back so fast. He’s fine.” Mac snorted as he shook his head. “You’d never know he almost died and was floating out in the waterways for days.”
She shook her head, tension banding around her chest as she remembered what he’d looked like when they’d found him on the river. Joe was about a decade younger than her, but sometimes it felt like more than age separated her and Joe. He was a goofy, funny college-age kid who had a good attitude about everything. She wasn’t surprised he was doing well.
“So at the risk of making this awkward, can I ask you something?”
She tensed slightly, but nodded. “Yeah.”
“I know I didn’t imagine the chemistry between us. Why did you say no when I asked you out?”
Technically Adeline hadn’t said no, she just hadn’t answered and then they’d been interrupted. Aaaand then she’d ignored him for months like a coward. Even though her instinct was to curl in on herself, she kept her gaze on his. “My track record with dating isn’t awesome.”
“So…you’re just never going to date again?” He stretched out in the chair, his long, muscular legs a feast for the eyes.
Her gaze flicked to his thighs, paused, and she had to lock down her thoughts because they were straying into very dangerous territory. “I didn’t say that.”
“Well, are you dating? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you out with anyone.” His voice was all rumbly, deep, and gah, why did she like it so much?
“I’ve never seen you out with anyone either.” It wasn’t exactly a question, but she was curious. Soooooo very curious. And maybe even a little jealous.
His mouth curved up slightly. “Fair enough. I haven’t dated in a while either. Longer than I want to think about. Since moving back home, taking care of my brothers, getting my business off the ground… Dating didn’t really factor into anything.”
Yet he’d asked her out.
As if he’d read her mind, he continued. “Until you, dating wasn’t on my radar. And at the risk of sounding pathetic, if you ever want to go out, the offer is open. I would love to take you to dinner.”
Oooooh. She felt the heat of his look all the way to her core. And that look said he would like to do more than simply take her to dinner.
She shifted slightly in her seat, the warmth in her cheeks having nothing to do with the crackling fire or hot tea. She wasn’t sure how to respond even though she really, really wanted to take him up on his offer. “Ah, okay.”
But fear had dug its way into her chest, sinking in razor-sharp talons. She might have started over in Verona Bay, made a life and friends, but she’d never opened herself up to anyone in…a really, really embarrassingly long time. For good reason.
The last man she’d been in a relationship with was dead. Because she’d killed him.
Chapter 3
“Pretty sure we’re lost.” Marcy’s tone was skeptical as they trekked down the nature trail.
“No, I know this area.” Maybe if Joe sounded confident, she’d believe him. Joe looked around at the woods on either side of them, fighting a frown as the misty rain covered their faces and jackets. Behind his family’s property were miles and miles of trails. Long before he’d been born, his parents had bought thirty acres and never developed the land other than to build a house and create trails for him and his brothers.
The rain had finally cleared up this morning so he and Marcy had decided to take a hike behind his family’s property. They’d only been out for thirty minutes when the bottom of the sky had fallen out again. They’d tried to keep going, but had ended up going off trail and had hunkered down under a cluster of trees in an attempt to stay dry.
Once the rain had eased up, Joe had been turned around. He didn’t come out here that often, usually only with his oldest brother Mac—and only because he wanted to hang out with Mac, who loved the woods. Joe preferred gaming, taking his boat out, and indoor rock climbing. But Marcy had wanted to go hiking, and now… Hell, they were lost.
“Really?” Doubt laced her voice, and when he looked back at her he saw the annoyance flickering in her pretty green eyes. Even with her polka dot raincoat, her hair was plastered against her cheeks.
His own shoes were soaked through at this point, squishing with every step. “Sure, we’re good.”