him to say, but he had no idea how cold it got here on the peninsula sometimes. Without all the concrete of a city to hold the heat of the day, the nights could be bitterly cold. Recently, Mel had had to resort to using two quilts on the bed as well as her electric blanket to keep the chill out.
âCome and stay in one of my cottages,â she said impulsively. âIâve only got two bookings this weekend, and you can have your choice of Tea Cutter or Windrush. Itâll be my housewarming present to you.â
âThanks for the offer, but Iâm actually kind of looking forward to camping out. Iâm about to go buy some cheese and wine, and Iâm going to hunker down in front of one of the fireplaces and pretend Iâm living in another century.â
He almost made it sound attractive, but she knew better. She gave him a dry look.
âIâll leave the key to Tea Cutter under the front door mat if you change your mind in the middle of the night.â
He laughed. âYe of little faith.â
âWhat can I say? Iâm a pragmatist. A pragmatist who likes to be warm.â
A woman with a stroller was approaching and Mel touched Flynnâs forearm to alert him to the fact. Together they moved out of the womanâs path so they could continue their conversation.
âHowâs the orange tree?â Flynn asked.
âI was a little worried after the first week but I found new growth on a couple of the branch tips yesterday. I figure thatâs a good sign.â She looked to him for confirmation, since he clearly knew far more about these things than she did.
âIt is. You might want to give it a gentle feed with something organic, too. Help it establish a new root system.â
âThanks. I will.â
She suddenly became aware of how close they were. Somehow, in moving aside for the stroller, theyâd also moved together, and she could see the small crease marks at the corners of his eyes and the smile lines around his mouth. If she inhaled deeply, there was a very real chance her breasts would brush his arm.
Quickly she took a step backward, something close to panic tightening her belly.
âYou probably have tons to do. And I need to get back to my painting,â she said.
âWhat are you painting?â
âThe bathroom.â She took another step backward. âGood luck with your campout. The key will be under the mat if you need it.â
âItâs generous of you, but I wonât.â
He was watching her with the same very focused intensity that sheâd noticed at Summerlea two weeks ago. She made a big deal out of shuffling her bags around before offering him a small farewell wave.
âSee you around.â
She turned and walked away. It wasnât until she passed the butcherâs shop that she remembered her car was parked in the opposite direction. She glanced over her shoulder, but Flynn was still in front of the bakery, his phone in his hand. Feeling like a teenager, she took the long way around, past the supermarket and through the parking lot until sheâd done a loop and could approach her car from behind.
Youâre an idiot.
It was true, for more reasons than she cared to count, not least of which was the fact that her heart was pounding out a fast, heated beat beneath her breastbone.
She threw her bags into the back of her car and climbed in. It was tempting to lie to herself and put her bodyâs reaction down to the fact that sheâd taken a completely unnecessary walk around the block, but Mel knew better. Standing so close to Flynn for those few seconds, sheâd suddenly remembered that he was a man and she a woman and that it had been a long time since sheâd felt the warm press of another body against her own.
On one hand, she understood why it had happened. He was handsome, after all, and heâd been nice to her. A woman would have to be dead from the neck down not to respond to