Page 24

Relief flooded me. "Good answer. And before you ask, yes my real name is Jackson. Everyone just calls me Huk. They've called me that so long I think they forgot I have a real name."

"You live here?" Her whiskey eyes narrowed.

"I grew up here. I try to spend as little time in Lost Creek as possible. You just happen to have caught me on a rare trip home."

"Home," she repeated.

I knew she was surprised. Maybe even stunned. And maybe a better man would give her time to recover, but I wasn't feeling like a better man. I held out my hand. "Jackson Finn. And you are Marley...?"

She stared at my hand, then glanced up at me, then back to my hand, before slowly, tentatively, taking it. "Tranquill. Marley Tranquill."

Our palms touching had my heart pumping faster than any kiss ever had. Which just reaffirmed my feeling that we were meant to know each other. This reaction was too intense to be normal.

"AuroraMarley Tranquill from Florida, all the way up here in my mountains for work." I was proud of myself for remembering her first name.

She snatched her hand away, rubbing it like I burned her. I understood the feeling because I would swear my own skin was on fire.

"That's right."

"What work could you possibly have in Lost Creek?" I loved my town, but it was tiny and fairly isolated. Aside from my brother's husband Ethan, I couldn't remember the last time someone came here for work.

She stared at me like she was trying to decide if it was safe to tell me the truth, which was fair. We didn't know each other. One chance lunch and then all of a sudden, I'm back again, from completely out of the blue. I had the overwhelming urge to take her into my arms and wipe it away all her fears by any means necessary.

Which...was a mighty strong reaction for what was essentially a total stranger.

So I took a moment and tried to diffuse the situation. "Look, you can ask anyone about me. Everyone here knows me. All I'm trying to do is get to know you. I...enjoyed our last lunch." I shrugged, trying to be nonchalant while I held my breath and hoped to hear she enjoyed it too.

"I, uh, needed somewhere quiet to work on my project. Things back home were too distracting."

A perfect non-answer. She replied without telling me anything specific. My sisters would be amazed. "Well Lost Creek will give you that."

Annie delivered our food without a word. Just lots of curious glances. I wasn't surprised when Maeve and Sharon rushed into the diner to take the booth beside us. I also wasn't surprised when Liam and Harrison took the table on the other side of the room. It was the perfect spot to watch us in the mirror.

Marley noticed. "What is going on?"

I waved my finger in a circle. "Small town. And I'm kind of famous for keeping my life private."

She nodded slowly, a little of that discomfort melting away. "Local boy sits down with town's newest stranger for lunch. News at eleven?"

"Pretty much." I took a bite of my burger and tried to act as calmly as possible. Mostly because Marley seemed torn between relaxing and making a run for the door.

"I can assume their keen interest is because they like you and not because they hate you."

This was my chance to win her over. "Why would you assume that?"

She smiled as she glanced around. "Because they all look so hopeful."

They weren't the only ones. "They're curious, for sure. And also always hoping something will get me to stay."

Her shoulders finally relaxed, and some color came back into her cheeks. "Well, I'm temporary, so I'm guessing they won't like me very much. At least not for you." She used her knife to cut her burger in half.

I was transfixed by it all. Her delicate hands, the way she nibbled her lower lip, the quiet concentration on a mundane task. I watched as she picked up half the burger and studied the contents, the way she debated where to take the first bite. For one wild moment I pictured her lips doing a hell of a lot of other things. I could practically feel them dragging along my skin, pressing against my lips, wrapping around my—

Nope. Not doing that now.

I cleared my throat and focused. "I have no intention of staying, either." I'd never been to Florida. It never held any interest for me. The mountains were my home. All I ever wanted was a place to kick up my feet in peace and quiet. No one had ever made me consider another option. But for some reason, this woman had my full attention. She had me questioning everything.

"Have you been down to the river yet?"