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He picked up a screwdriver laying on the counter and started helping to remove the doors. "What are you going to do with the hardware?"
"I'm not sure. I was hoping to save it, but it looks old and dated."
"I'll bet if you soak it in vinegar, you'll see how clean it will get, and can decide then if you want to keep this hardware or not."
"Really? That's a great idea."
She pulled a glass bowl from the cupboard and poured vinegar into it while he removed the handles from the cabinet doors.
Chiefy began whining and Grace smiled at her. "Is it time to go clean the beach?"
Chiefy's tale wagged furiously and she jumped around. Grace giggled and he stopped what he was doing and prepared to leave. "How about, while Chiefy is cleaning up the beach, I go into Sarge's and order us some food. We can eat on the beach and relax a bit."
"That sounds really nice, Sid. But, I don't want to take you away from your fun."
Sid laughed out loud. "I don't have any fun, sweetheart. I've just been working and trying to figure out what I'm going to do with my life."
"You don't have a place to go home to?"
"No. Not really. I have a small condo I’m renting, back in Minnesota, but nothing really holding me there. It's where I grew up. My parents were there when I left the military, so I found a little place to be close to them. But they're both gone now, and I'm there alone."
"I'm sorry for your loss. Do you have siblings?"
Sid grinned. "One sister who lives in Montana."
"You don't think you'll go there and live, to be near her?"
He watched her eyes as she spoke. They were clear and incredibly pretty. Her lashes were thick without globs of mascara coating them.
"No. I've visited out there a few times, but it isn't for me. No reason in particular other than I don't get that sense of feeling comfortable there."
Grace nodded and pulled Chiefy's leash from the hook on the wall. She clipped it on Chiefy's collar and giggled as her pup jumped around. "Do you feel comfortable here?"
Nodding, he grinned. "Just today I was thinking how nice this town is and how I've come to enjoy it in the short three weeks I've been here. So, I guess, yes, I feel comfortable here."
The smile she bestowed on him was incredible. Her lips weren't shiny like they'd been earlier today, but they looked soft.
He licked his lips then bent down and kissed hers once more. Her hand wrapped around the back of his neck and he snaked his left arm around her waist and pulled her close. Her body fit his wonderfully. She was soft, like pulling a pillow close and hugging it.
He tested her lips with his tongue and when her lips parted to let him in, he didn't hesitate. The feel of his tongue sliding against hers sent electric waves through his body. The current sizzled through him at lightning speed.
Grace's right arm wrapped around his waist and her fingers splayed on his back. His body roared to life like a hungry bear waking from its winter sleep.
Then two things happened to break the spell. The roar of several motorcycles outside broke the relative silence of the house and Chiefy began barking loudly.
10
Her heart raced as Sid's lips touched hers. The beating increased again as Sid's arm wrapped around her. The feel of his body against hers felt so danged good. It was a new, welcome, but strange sensation. It had been literally years since this type of excitement coursed through her body. His warmth enveloped her and his strength made her feel safe.
When the motorcycles revved up though, his arm banded tighter around her, and she could feel his heartbeat against her chest. And the protectiveness he demonstrated toward her was dizzying. Hadn't she always dreamed of someone wanting to protect her without telling her how stupid she was. Or insecure or a baby? Always. She'd always dreamed of how lovely that would be.
His voice was a low growl when he stepped back. "Hang on for a minute while I check this out."
His tall frame moved to the window with ease. Pulling the curtains back slightly, he peered outside for a few moments then dropped the curtain into place.
"It looks as though they're at the Sandbar."
"Okay." She watched his eyes. They were incredible to look at. An enviable deep brown that reminded her of dark oak. There was a richness in them that made it difficult to look away.
