Page 27 of Crossing the Line
Her mind took a strange turn right then.
His arms.
She let out a long breath.
Bixby had always had amazing arms.
Awesome arms and strong hands.
"Were you... talking to me?"
She felt her eyebrows rise as her mind tried to put two and two together.
What had she said?
She looked around herself and couldn't quite remember, but...
The phone in her hand buzzed, startling her for a moment.
"Yes!" She grinned. "I was talking to you."
She let out a relieved breath and looked at him over the fence. "I know I told you about the chicken coop."
The grimace that crossed his face was... telling.
"Yeah?"
"Well," she shook her head, "it's not happening today."
She saw the smile that almost twisted up the corners of his mouth.
She saw it start and then fall away.
Janice had to appreciate his effort there.
They said good fences made good neighbors, but she knew that Bixby was putting in an effort here.
"So, I thought you'd like to know in case you'd planned to keep away today."
She let out a breath and when he didn't reply or show much of a reaction, she nodded.
"Okay," she tilted her head toward her door, "I'm going to go in and-"
"Janice?"
She drew up short, like she'd suddenly hit an invisible wall.
Then she turned to look at him.
"Yeah?"
She didn't know what she expected to see on his face, but it wasn't the gentle look she saw in his eyes.
Wow.
Standing there, looking at him.
Looking in his eyes.
