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“It’s none of my business, really,” he said.
By then, he was staring out the window at the water. He probably thought his advice had been a step too far. How did she let him know how grateful she was just to talk to someone who understood?
“No,” she said.
She reached out then and covered his hand with hers. It had been an involuntary gesture. At least she considered it involuntary. It must have come from her subconscious. But instead of brushing her off, he turned his hand around, entwining his fingers with hers.
Then he turned to look at her, and she saw something that intensified the longing she’d felt since they’d sat together in the movie theater. He looked at her, not as a widow, the mother of five kids, or the head innkeeper at Cupid Ridge Inn. He looked at her like a man should look at a woman.
It was impossible to break the stare. And she knew, without a doubt, that they were going to kiss. It could happen now, or it could happen days or weeks from now, but it was going to happen.
She wasn’t sure who had moved first. All she knew, as his mouth closed on hers, was that everything suddenly felt right. Like she was exactly where she was supposed to be.
At some point, her other hand moved to his cheek, and the feeling of his lightly stubbled jawline grounded her somehow. It reminded her that this was really happening. It wasn’t something she’d dreamed up while paying bills or making the beds in the guest rooms.
Somehow, she knew that after this, nothing would ever be the same.
6
Gus was supposed to be concentrating on business, but as he sat in Clayton Mills’ conference room in downtown Cupid Ridge, all he could think about was that kiss. He’d been almost afraid to end it, fearing she’d slap him or stomp out, furious that he’d acted less than a gentleman.
Instead, she’d pulled away, smiled up at him, and said, “How about a ride back?”
He’d gotten her home without anyone catching them, sneaking her right up to her back door. Normally, he would’ve waited around just to make sure she got inside okay, but in this case, it was best to get off the property before someone spotted him.
And now, here they were, seated across from each other. When he’d entered, he’d avoided looking directly at her out of professionalism, but it was tough to keep his eyes off her as the meeting progressed. She wore a light purple sweater that brought out the blue in her eyes and a full face of makeup. Was it his imagination, or had she fancied herself up a little more than usual?
Clayton gestured toward the paperwork in front of the two of them. “As I said, if you want to have another attorney look over things—either one of you—I will completely understand. You’re each protecting your own interests. And I’m sure your children will have questions.”
Bobbie laughed. “Yeah, I have a feeling they’ll have a few things to say.”
“We’ll make a preliminary offer to the property owner,” Clayton said.
“Mike,” Gus clarified.
“Yes, Mike.” Clayton sat back in his chair and looked from Gus to Bobbie. “It’s best we declare our intent before he puts it on the market. I’m not saying he’ll go for it, but we’ll highlight the fact that the two of you plan to preserve the history of the theater as much as possible.”
It hit Gus then. Were he and Bobbie Ludington actually going into business together? It was a huge step, considering their families still weren’t even speaking.
“Any questions for me?” Clayton asked.
He looked from Bobbie to Gus and back again. Gus would swear the guy knew something was going on between him and Bobbie.
Was something going on? Did one kiss count as anything to write home about?
The answer was yes. It wasn’t just that they’d kissed. It was the sparks that seemed to zing between them when they were around each other. All he had to do was look at her, and he felt things he hadn’t felt in years. Decades. Maybe ever.
Not to devalue his relationship with his late wife. They had something special. He wouldn’t be the man he was today if he hadn’t spent more than three decades by Sharon Knott’s side. Their relationship had gone even further back than that, though. It had all started in seventh grade when, on Valentine’s Day, Sharon slipped one of those small cards onto his desk in English class.
“How does this affect our property dispute?” Bobbie asked.
That was when Gus noticed it for the first time. Today, Bobbie was all business. He’d been so over-the-moon happy to see her, he’d assumed she was simply trying to put on a show for Clayton. They’d already been seated, disposable coffee cups in front of them, when he walked in. Gus nodded a greeting to her, and she’d nodded back, but her gaze had immediately fled back to the attorney leading the meeting.
And now she was looking only at Clayton, a serious expression on her face. Her hands were folded on the table in front of her, just as they’d been when she visited his house the other night. It was definitely a “let’s get down to business” posture.
“We can make it part of the negotiations,” Clayton said. “Really, it’s up to the complainant to decide whether they want to withdraw or change the terms. They, after all, are the ones who filed the motion in the first place.”
Complainant. That was him, wasn’t it? It was one of those fancy terms Clayton used every time he referred to the legal complaint.
