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“Thank you,” the man says grinning down at me as I lift my eyes from his chest up to his face.HIS FACE! He is gorgeous.I do my best to keep a straight face as I drink him in.
His hair is longer and a wavy brown with golden ends. He has a strong jaw that is covered in a full well-trimmed short beard. His eyes are soulful and familiar...
“Hmm, how can I help you today?” I say clearing my throat.
“I’m your neighbor from just down the street,” his voice confidently booms. “I wanted to say hello and welcome you to the town. I, uh, haven’t seen you around here before and I would remember if I had.”
Is that a bit of a blush forming across those high cheekbones? Heat spreads across my cheeks and I am certain that I now look like a tomato. That’s one of the downsides of being a redhead, when your face reddens everything is all so, well, red.
“So, hello, and welcome.” He says prompting me.
“Yes, thank you. I am new to town, I guess you folks don’t have many redheads then?”
“None that looks like you,” he says with a wink.Is this guy for real?
“I am sure you are the ‘Catch of the Day’ in a town like this.”Stupid, Lorelei! Why did you say that?
Glancing down at his t-shirt and then back up at me he cracks a brilliant grin, his white teeth nearly blinding me. “That’s the name of my pub, we serve mainly fish and chips that I catch myself. Well, I catch the fish, the chips are shipped in from Idaho.”
“Right! I saw your sign; you are right on the river.”
“That’s us! The back deck has a fantastic view and twinkling lights. I think folks like that sort of thing,” he says shrugging his massive shoulders.
“I’ll have to come by sometime. Can’t go wrong with fresh fish that’s been battered and fried. Besides, I think Idaho has the best potatoes in all the land.”
“It’s true, my pack mate wanted me to order potatoes from Ohio. Yeah right! Idaho or bust.”
“I am Lorelei, by the way,” I say extending my hand to shake his.
“That’s a beautiful name. I’m Isaiah.”
As he grabs my hand a volt of electricity runs up my spine and then back down again. His hand lingers on mine and when I look into his eyes, I realize why his eyes look so familiar. The grizzly bear.
“We’ve met before haven’t we big bear?” I ask my hand still in his.
His eyes widen and he chuckles a sort of nervous chuckle releasing his hand from mine and letting it fall to my side.
“I suppose we have,” his words are hesitant as he gauges my reaction.
“Now I understand how you can keep up with the demand of a pub’s needs, as a solo fisherman,” I say with a wink. He exhales relaxing his shoulders.
“And you? I presume you find most of your herbs and plants on your own, after seeing you with your basket.” He says gesturing around.
“Magic works better when you are intimately acquainted with the spirits of the plants. Some things I have to outsource but those herbs and plants don’t nearly feel the same.” I say biting my lips, his eyes flit downward and then slowly rise to meet mine once more.
“I like that, I’ve got an idea for my pub, and I was hoping you might be able to help me out.”
“What’s that?” I ask inquisitively.
“I want to make a signature sauce for my fish and chips out of local ingredients. But between fishing, picking blueberries for our cobbler, and running a business I don’t have much time to spend rooting around. Would you be willing to gather some things for me every week?”
“Depends on what you are willing to pay,” I say, though my heart leaps at the thought of having this handsome God of a man in my shop weekly.
“I’ll make it worth your while.” He says as butterflies swarm my stomach like it’s the great monarch migration.
“What do you need?” I wonder.
“Wild onion, wild garlic, and dill if you can find it.”
