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I packed a few more things, then took the car over to Joshua’s house so we’d have it when we needed it. After taking inventory in his kitchen, Esmerelda and I headed to the grocery store to get what we needed for dinner. On impulse I stopped at the Rise & Shine Bakery to grab something sweet for dessert. The shop was known for their delicious cakes and heavenly apple fritters. It had already become one of my favorite places in Starlight Bay.

While I was waiting in line I ran into a woman who looked kind of familiar. I didn’t know her name, but I was pretty sure she was the realtor I’d seen on a billboard just outside of town. She was in her mid-thirties, slim and blonde, a little too dressed up for a weekday in Starlight Bay.

“Is it true?” she asked.

I looked around, realizing that she was talking to me.

“Is what true?” I asked in confusion.

“You’re dating Dr. Joshua Martin?”

I looked around, realizing that several people were listening to our conversation with unabashed curiosity.

“Um, we’ve been on a few dates,” I hedged.

“I heard you slept over at his house last night,” another woman interjected.

I felt my face heat up. How on Earth did they know that? Small towns really were different than the big city I’d come from. I didn’t even know my neighbors’ names back in Chicago, let alone who they had sleep over at their house.

“I’m just staying at his place while I get some extermination work done at my house,” I rushed to correct her.

“Oh my God, you’re living with him?” the blonde lady asked.

“Staying with him,” I emphasized.

“Well good luck with that, honey. Many have tried to catch that man but he’s a slippery one. I don’t think he’s dated anyone for more than a month or two the entire time he’s lived in Starlight Bay.”

“I’m not trying to catch him,” I replied.

“Well why not?” This was from an older lady sitting at a nearby table. “He’s a handsome doctor, and nice to boot. You think you could do better?”

I felt a little insulted.

“I just got out of a long relationship a year ago.”

I didn’t know why I was explaining myself to these people, other than the fact that they’d caught me off guard.

“So I’m really not looking for anything serious right now.”

“Sure honey,” the blonde lady replied, clearly not believing that I didn’t want to put a ring on it with Josh.

As she walked away I heard her say something under her breath that sounded like, “Lucky bitch.”

When Joshua got back from work I had pasta sauce simmering on the stove and garlic bread in the oven. He looked tired, poor guy. I had a strong urge to take care of him the way he’d taken care of me last night.

“Hard day?” I asked.

He nodded. “We had an unusual number of emergencies today and running on less sleep than usual made it harder.”

“And you weren’t even up late doing something fun,” I said without thinking.

My eyes flew to his and Joshua’s darkened. When I bit my lip, he groaned. We flew together, our kiss immediately hot. Joshua cupped both sides of my face with his hands, holding me in place as he kissed me like he’d just gotten back from war or something.

By the time we separated, we were both breathing a little heavier, and when I glanced down, I could see a nice bulge in Joshua’s pants.

“Let me just make the noodles,” I said, striving to act unaffected. “Then dinner will be ready.”

“I’ll go wash up.”