Page 19 of Catch and Release

“Which hotel?”

“The Beachside Inn.”

“Oh, that new one? Well, they’re lucky to have you.”

She smiled.

“Thanks.”

“I’ve never done yoga before. Maybe I should come to one of your classes.”

“Maybe you should,” she said.

He licked his lips, and noticed her gaze drop to his mouth for a split second before returning to his eyes. He had about a hundred different fantasies playing in his head right now, all starting with devouring her mouth and ending with taking her right on top of the kitchen table.

But she’d sworn off men.

And he’d sworn off women who only wanted to spend a night with him.

“Well, listen, I’ll get out of your hair,” he said, trying not to kick himself for sounding exactly like his grandmother. “But good luck with your yoga class tomorrow, Greene. And I hope you like the pie.”

“Thanks, Shawn,” she said, peeking up at him through long lashes, and dammit if his heart didn’t skip a beat as he heard his name leave her mouth.

6

Shawn loved the smell of fresh cut grass. It was partly why he took no issue with mowing lawns for the elderly folks in the neighborhood when they asked—and for Amos, a good family friend, he was always willing to help out.

His phone vibrated, so he cut the lawn mower, wiped the sweat from his brow, and answered.

“Hello?”

“Shawn Porter Gray, I’d almost forgotten what your voice sounded like,” Hanna’s stern tone—the one she undoubtedly used with her kindergartners when they were up to no good—came through the line.

Shawn held his breath, then sighed. He should’ve known that when Tucker was unsuccessful, Hanna would step in.

“Hey, Han,” Shawn said.

“Hey? That’s it?”

He grimaced, bringing a hand to the back of his neck. “Uh, well, I?—”

“Why are you avoiding us?” She cut him off.

“I’m not avoiding you.” Liar. “It’s just been a busy summer, that’s all.”

“Hmm,” Hanna said, sounding an awful lot like Grams. “So busy you can’t come over for dinner tonight?”

“I have a sunset cruise booked.” At least he didn’t have to come up with a lie to get out of it. “Rain check?”

He heard Hanna release a disappointed sigh. “We miss you,” she said quietly.

“I miss you guys, too.” The truth, even if he was the reason for the distance between them. “Some other time soon?”

Silence passed over the line.

“Is everything okay, Shawn?” His eyes burned, but he didn’t respond. “You know you can talk to us about anything, right?”

Not this. It was on the tip of his tongue.

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