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He grinned. "Sounds like a nice place to settle down."
She bobbed her head jerkily. "Oh, it is. It really is."
"That’s good to hear," he murmured. When her cheeks turned pink, he bit his tongue hoping to control his huge, dopey gin.
She was so pretty. And polite. The perfect lady.
As he watched a myriad of timid expressions slide over her face, he got caught in the staring game, studying the shape of her mouth and nose. Her cheekbones. Nearly twenty seconds passed before he realized neither of them were speaking. She was just as busy ogling him as he was her.
Beaming from the inside, he quickly stepped forward and held out his hand. "I’m Drew," he said. "Drew Harper."
"Mia," she returned.
Mia. He liked the sound of that. It was graceful, friendly, and incredibly sexy. Just like the woman.
When she started to lift her own fingers to shake with him, she must’ve realized they were covered with soil. "Oh," she said, her already pink cheeks turning scarlet. "Sorry. I’ve been gardening."
"I don’t mind," he returned, quickly grabbing her palm before she could pull it away. No way was he going to miss the chance to touch her. "A little dirt won’t hurt me."
Her grip was light, but warm and soft. She had slim, delicate fingers. Very feminine. They made his own feel large and male.
"It’s nice to meet you," they said in unison and then shared an amused smile. She pulled her hand away and self-consciously hid the grubby appendages behind her back.
"Are you just moving into town then?" she asked, nudging the conversation back to distant and polite.
He blinked. "No. I’ve lived here my entire life."
She tilted her head quizzically. "So … you’re just tired of where you’re living now or what?"
Oops. Caught in his lie, Drew froze, his eyes widening. But he thought up a cover almost immediately. "No. Well, kind of. I’ve been living in the back of my studio." He shrugged. "But it’s getting a little too crowded these days."
"Your studio?" she asked, sounding intrigued.
"Yeah, I … " Fumbling for his wallet, he yanked out a slip of paper. "I’m a photographer," he reported, handing over his business card.
"Really?" she asked on a delighted smile. "That’s so neat." Taking the card, she read his address and phone number, running her thumb over the raised script. He sucked in a lungful of air as he watched her caress his Harper Studio logo.
"I always wanted to be one of those freelance photographers," he said, his gaze glued to her fingers as they continued to touch his name, "that traveled the world, you know, and get my pictures on the cover of National Geographic. But my sister lives here and she …"
Suddenly remembering Amanda, he did a quick, guilty glance over his shoulder. Did he dare mention her name? If he saw a knowing spark on Mia’s face when he said Amanda Wright, then he’d know. But the funny thing was he didn’t want to know. If she was having an affair with Jeff, he didn’t want to find out just yet and ruin the magical moment they had going.
"It’s funny how things work out sometimes," he added on an uneasy laugh, wondering why the heck he was telling her about his big dream to get away and not pushing for the info Mandy needed.
Her eyes lifted from his card. They seemed to see straight inside him. A sympathetic shimmer glittered in her gaze as if she knew exactly how disappointed he was about some of the decisions he’d made in his life.
"I like to tell myself everything happens for a reason," she said softly. "Every tragedy and hardship and letdown is only setting us up for something great farther down the road."
Drew swallowed; the impact of her words hit him low in his gut. She’d lived tragedy and hardship and letdown he instantly understood.
As if realizing she’d gone too deep, Mia forced a quick smile. A self-conscious laugh trilled from her throat, and he swore he could see moisture gathering in her eyes. "At least I hope that’s the case," she finished, glancing at him with her top teeth digging anxiously into her bottom lip as if she badly needed him to agree.
"I think you must be right," he murmured and saw the hope she’d mentioned clear in her big grey eyes as if she’d just pinned all hers on him.
It was more than he could take.
Wanting to comfort her and not even sure why, he cleared his throat and glanced away, fighting the impulse. "Anyway, my props and equipment at the studio are starting to spill back into my living space and I thought … "
"It was time to expand," she finished on a murmur. Then she smiled, and it was so bright and warm, he wanted to step into her arms and hug her.
