Page 64 of In the Air Tonight

“What’s your name, gorgeous?”

“Fenway.”

“I love that. A tip of the hat to the Red Sox.”

“Yep. Are you a fan?”

“Of course. And let me tell you, that’s not an easy thing to be in New York City.”

“I’ll bet it’s not.” He tosses a tennis ball that has the dog sprinting toward the main house. “Did she get hair in your coffee?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Sorry if we disturbed you.”

“You didn’t.”

The dog comes back with the ball, which she drops at his feet. She waits expectantly for him to throw it again.

“How many times do you have to throw it for her?”

“Two to three hundred a day?”

I laugh at his grimace. “My brother has a bat he uses to wear out his dog faster.” I know this because I’ve seen video of Arlo playing with his dog, not because I’ve ever met the dog.

“That’s a great idea. I need to get out my Little League slugger.”

I sip my coffee as I watch them play while wondering what he does for work.

He’s good with the dog, laughing at her antics and praising her for rare seconds of good behavior.

Though I hardly ever give much thought to men or dating or any of the baggage that comes with such things, I can’t deny that Jack is truly adorable and sexy in a rugged sort of way. His faded jeans fit him just right, and his flannel shirt is mostlyunbuttoned, revealing a muscular chest and abdomen, as he wanders the yard barefooted. I want to ask if his feet get cold, but he speaks before I can.

He throws the ball for what must be the hundredth time. “How long are you in town?”

“I’m not sure.”

He waggles his brows at me. “You’re a woman of mystery.”

“Not so much.”

“We don’t get a lot of visitors around here who aren’t vacationers, and we don’t get much of those this time of year.”

I know that because I grew up across the river. The area is quieter in the fall, winter and spring before the busy summer season kicks in.

“How long have you lived here?” I ask, hoping to put the focus on him rather than me since I have no idea how to answer questions about what I’m doing here.

“All my life. This was my parents’ place. They passed a while back and left it to me. I added the cottages to help pay the taxes, which are substantial.”

“I’m sorry about your parents.”

“Thanks.”

“Were they sick?”

He nods as he throws the ball again. “Both had cancer and died six weeks apart. That was two years ago.”

“Oh God, Jack. I’m so sorry. That must’ve been awful.”

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