Page 29 of The Harborer
“I was hoping to start tomorrow.”
“Can I help?”
Furrows formed across her forehead. “Hailey volunteered. Besides, I know how busy you are, and I don’t want to cut into your work schedule.”
“Today was my last shift for the week. I’m off for the next three days.” He winced inside at the eagerness in his voice, so he tempered it with a drawl. “Hailey definitely punches above her weight class, but between me and my truck, I can haul a whole hell of a lot more than she can. Plus, I think her schedule is a little more packed than mine right now. Just sayin’.”
“Unless you get called out for SAR.”
“Doubtful. We’re in that in-between time of the year. Not many people are climbing or ATVing, and the winter sports haven’t started up yet. I’ve got time.” Not exactly true. He’d promised Reece he’d help sort some of the gear at SAR headquarters. If Reece knew why Shane was bowing out, though, he wouldn’t have a problem. This was for Amy.
He looked around the cramped space. “Do you have enough furniture to fill up a one-bedroom? Or does the place come furnished?”
“It doesn’t, but I have the essentials. It shouldn’t be hard to find whatever else I need from the secondhand shop.” The beginning of a smile tugged at her lips.
He couldn’t help but return a grin of his own. “You’re smiling.”
“I’m just looking forward to being in my own place. I’d forgotten how much I miss my books and some of the things from my childhood.”
Lightness settled in his chest, and he broadened his smile. “Should I meet you here or at the shop?”
“The shop, after I close. I’ll have had a chance to tell Micky by then, and we can head over here afterward. Knowing his schedule, he’ll be at work so it shouldn’t be too … awkward.” She tilted her head to the side. “Are yousureyou don’t mind doing this? There’s a chance you’ll lose your friendship with Micky if he doesn’t take it well.”
No big loss.“Not at all.” She seemed to study him for a few beats, making him self-conscious. “What?”
She shook her head. “Nothing. I just don’t recall seeing ‘moving service’ on the long list of things you do as a deputy sheriff or a SAR team member.”
“It’s not. You’re special,” he blabbed unwisely.
Something indescribable flared in her eyes, and it invited him closer. Without thinking, unable to stop himself, Shane gave in to the pull and leaned in, his face a hand’s width from hers. He breathed in the lavender and vanilla scent that wafted from her skin. God, he loved that smell. And her hair … the way it caught the light and shimmered, its texture so soft it invited him to touch. If pheromoneswerea thing, then his definitely harmonized with hers. In fact, they muddled his brain so much he moved in even closer. She didn’t back up. His gaze dropped to her lush mouth, and his mind spun with possibilities. What did she taste like? Her lips parted, and for an instant, he thought he might find out. But his eye caught on a car calendar just above her head, where it was nailed to one of the cabinets, and the image rocketed him back to reality.
He yanked his head away, and her eyes startled wide. Shit! He’d been an inch away from kissing Micky’s girl in Micky’s house in front of Micky’s calendar. Never mind that she wasn’t really his girl anymore—Mickydidn’t know that. Yet.
Chugging his milk, he abruptly backstepped, nearly toppling the rickety chair he’d been seated in. He needed to get the hell out of there before he did something even stupider … like shoot off his mouth or sift her silky hair through his itchy fingers or follow through with taking her mouth.
He cleared his sticky throat. “I should go. It’s been a long day. For both of us. Will you be all right on your own?”
He hated the idea of leaving her here alone, especially with Micky and this Benny guy in the wind and her spooked about things being out of place in her store. If someone had come into her home and messed with shit, though, Shane had no way of telling because the place was chaos.
Her hands fluttered in the air as if she wasn’t sure what to do with them. “Oh! I’m sorry I kept you. I should have realized—”
He held up a hand to stop her. “You didn’t keep me. I wanted to be here.” Yeah,thatwasn’t inappropriate to say in Micky’s house. “What I meant was, I wanted to be sure you got inside safely, and I’ll never turn down a glass of milk.” Nervous energy was like a cascade of prickers beneath his skin, and he strode for the sink, prepared to rinse his glass, but it was full of dirty dishes.
Amy let out a noise of distress and held out her hand. “Here, let me take that. I’m sorry about the mess. Micky was supposed to take care of the dishes while I was working the Big Event, but I think he got busy and forgot.” She let out a high-pitched laugh, as if she was bleeding off some nervous energy of her own. Had she felt the same indescribable connection Shane had?
He didn’t give himself time to ponder the question, instead wishing her good night and rushing out the door, but with a spring in his step. He had a bona fide excuse to see Amy tomorrow, beyond the usual exchange of money for coffee.
What was wrong with him? He was acting like a guy moving in on a girl who was breaking up with a different dude. There was no guarantee she wouldevergo out with Shane, even after the requisite rebound time had passed and it was decent to askher for a date. And duh! There was always a chance she would get back together with that dude.
As he settled himself behind the steering wheel, he glanced at the house’s darkened front window and imagined her moving around, sidestepping one mess after another with her cat-like grace. He’d always been fond of Amy, but he’d kept any other thoughts about her bottled up. Now it seemed that the genie’s bottle top had popped off, and desire after desire was pouring out in a constant stream of blue smoke.
Despite warnings blaring in his head, he couldn’t wait until tomorrow morning.
Chapter 11
Sentinel
Shane came out ofa deep sleep, awakened by his phone alarm going off. Except it was his day off, and he hadn’t set an alarm. The chiming pierced the fog in his brain, and he realized it wasn’t his alarm. It was an incoming call.
