Page 11 of Unexpected Entanglement

“Currently, I’m all there is,” she flashed him a cheeky grin. “I’m sorry, I can’t accommodate you unless you’d be willing to ride on the…”

She gestured to the bed of her truck, which was already filled with cans of paint and what looked like maintenance supplies.

“It won’t be comfortable, though.” She added, “Can I suggest a bicycle? It’s a great day for it.”

“I have a bike,” Chris answered. “But—”

“Perfect! I’m sorry, but I have to go.” She opened her door. “Maybe I’ll see you up there later?”

She hopped behind the steering wheel and started the truck.

“Count on it.” Chris stepped onto the curb by the passenger door and watched her check her side mirror.

The leggy Asian woman from earlier suddenly came running to her friend in the truck. “I forgot to tell you I’ll have to print out a new contract. I’ll bring it with me in the morning.”

“Great,” Petite replied.

“All right. See you tomorrow, Rowan.” Legs waved as she walked away.

Rowan.

Chris’ rounded eyes flew to Petite’s face. She grinned and pulled out of the parking spot, leaving him standing at the curb like a deer caught in a headlights.

four

Rowan pulled into a spot in the ferry terminal parking lot. She could see the ferry coming. It’d dock in under five minutes. She turned off the truck and got out.

Leaning against the side of the truck, Rowan looked toward the town center across the harbor. She smirked as she pictured the blond guy who had tried to weasel his way into a free ride. She wondered if he knew how dumbstruck he’d looked when she’d left him in her dust.

How stupid did he think she was? Like she’d give a ride to a strange man through a lonely road with mostly forest surrounding. She could tell he’d been sure that she’d fall for his Adonis looks and white-teeth smile and open her truck door for him willingly.

Well, I wasn’t born yesterday.

She’d watched enough police-procedural TV shows not to take any guy at face value, however they looked. But she especially was extra careful with the good-looking ones. And the stranger—what did he say his name was? Chris?—was more than your run-of-the-mill handsome.

Nah. Handsome isn’t the word.

Rowan pictured him as he’d smiled down at her earlier. Windblown blond hair, sparkling deep-set hazel eyes, thick eyebrows, a straight nose, and plump lips. She’d call him pretty if he didn’t have the tall stature and the upper body of a person who weight-trains regularly. She wondered how that upper body looked without a shirt and felt a jolt running down her spine straight to her lady bits.

Rowan chuckled and crossed her legs to repress the startling sensation. Fantasizing about a bare-chested stranger should be the last thing on her mind. She’d gotten out of her relationship with Richard six months ago, and she hadn’t fully reacquired her taste for men. Those text messages from Richard to Kieran had made her stomach turn.

“Rowan’s place is next to me. What does she know about running an inn, anyway? I can take care of her if you’ll just convince her to come home,” Richard had written. “I’ll make sure she gets her old job back.”

Silent fury stomped on the bitter taste traveling up Rowan’s throat. She refused to let Richard’s words get into her head. Instead, she fought to regain the ridiculous thrill she’d felt seconds earlier and refocused her mind on the sexy stranger. Maybe she was ready for men again.

Chris.

What did he want? And why did he pretend he knew Kieran and me?

He obviously didn’t know who she was. Rowan was sure she’d never met him. Now she was more suspicious than ever. At first, she’d thought he was just some kind of creep, if not a serial killer. But now she wondered why he was there?

There were always realtors and developers who sniffed around their properties, trying to get them to sell some, if not all, of their land. Her grandparents had declined all generous offers. And her father had been as loyal to his parents’ wishes to keep the land in the family even when he hadn’t wanted anything to do with running a farm and an inn. The fact that he’d had to sell a big chunk to Connor Gibbes to rebuild had broken Neal Kelly’s heart.

“Ro!” Alex’s voice calling out her name brought Rowan’s gaze to the throng of people walking off the ferry. She saw her friend waving her arm frantically.

Rowan ran to Alex and hugged her with a laugh. “Finally! You’re here.”

They jumped around excitedly, still in each other’s embrace, forgetting they were in their early thirties now, not ten anymore.

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