hadn’t had such a bad time with her, because he was studying her with a new, softer expression that told her the tension between them really was gone. At least for the moment.
Then, Gideon leaned forward and kissed her, shocking her even more than anything she’d learned tonight.
The lightest press of his lips to hers and it was over before she could even tilt her head up. But still, it was a kiss. On the lips.
He drew away as if it had taken him by surprise, too.
After a moment of that surprise flitting across his expression, he acted as if it hadn’t happened.
Maybe because he wished it hadn’t?
“So. Tomorrow at the park. Bright and early. If you dare,” he said as he pushed away from her car and headed for his.
“Thanks for dinner,” Jani belatedly called after him.
“Thanks for the hot chocolate,” he called back as if not to be outdone, the sexy swagger of his walk making Jani slow to unlock her car door and get behind the wheel.
As she drove home, she still felt ashamed of the pain her family had caused his.
But somehow her thoughts began to turn more to the man who had risen from the ashes of his own family, and that caused her to think less and less about long ago and more about the recent past.
About that kiss.
Gideon Thatcher had kissed her....
And even though it hadn’t really been anything, it still felt like something to her.
Something she wanted to try again...
Chapter Six
“W hoa! Buddy! That couldn’t have felt good!”
Jani had glanced up from putting money in the library booth’s cash box just in time to see a little boy fall flat on his face directly in front of their tented area, provoking Gideon’s comment. He rushed out of the booth and went to the child.
It was Thorpe Armbruster, the four-year-old son of Lakeview councilwoman Amanda Armbruster, who was manning the Lakeview flea market’s popcorn booth.
They couldn’t have asked for a nicer January day for the flea market—it was sunny and fifty-two degrees—and Thorpe had spent most of the day visiting many of the booths under the watchful eye of his mother. But he seemed to have developed a particular fondness for Gideon because his trips since lunchtime had been to the book booth alone.
“I wuz bringin’ you popcorn...” the little boy lamented, working to fight tears as Gideon helped him get on his feet. “I spilled it.”
“That’s okay. The birds and squirrels will take care of the popcorn.”
After giving the child a quick once-over Gideon called to the councilwoman, “He’s all right.” Then, to distract Thorpe, Gideon said, “I knew someone who needed a particular book read to her every night before bed and sometimes when she didn’t feel good or got hurt like you just did. Want to see it, or do you want to get back to your mom?”
“Wanna see it,” the child said, still blinking back tears.
“It’s about a bunch of bears—I think you’ll like it.”
The bear book...
Jani had arrived at the flea market at 8:00 a.m. sharp. Gideon was just getting out of his car when she’d pulled into the lot and had not disguised his shock that she’d come to pitch in.
The booths—some of them small, others larger and shaded by tent canopies—had already been set up when they’d arrived, but Jani had helped Gideon tote boxes of books from the library and they’d been working together ever since.
She’d seen him stall over the bear picture book when they’d unpacked it and thought maybe it was a book he’d remembered from his childhood. But apparently that wasn’t the case, and now Jani’s curiosity was sparked.
“Here it is,” he said when he’d located it on the table that held books for kids.
Jani watched as he got the little boy interested in the book. It was only a matter of minutes before the blond child with the thick glasses seemed to have forgotten all about his fall, and Jani catalogued the technique for use when she had a child of her own to deal with.
But by then taking
Then, Gideon leaned forward and kissed her, shocking her even more than anything she’d learned tonight.
The lightest press of his lips to hers and it was over before she could even tilt her head up. But still, it was a kiss. On the lips.
He drew away as if it had taken him by surprise, too.
After a moment of that surprise flitting across his expression, he acted as if it hadn’t happened.
Maybe because he wished it hadn’t?
“So. Tomorrow at the park. Bright and early. If you dare,” he said as he pushed away from her car and headed for his.
“Thanks for dinner,” Jani belatedly called after him.
“Thanks for the hot chocolate,” he called back as if not to be outdone, the sexy swagger of his walk making Jani slow to unlock her car door and get behind the wheel.
As she drove home, she still felt ashamed of the pain her family had caused his.
But somehow her thoughts began to turn more to the man who had risen from the ashes of his own family, and that caused her to think less and less about long ago and more about the recent past.
About that kiss.
Gideon Thatcher had kissed her....
And even though it hadn’t really been anything, it still felt like something to her.
Something she wanted to try again...
Chapter Six
“W hoa! Buddy! That couldn’t have felt good!”
Jani had glanced up from putting money in the library booth’s cash box just in time to see a little boy fall flat on his face directly in front of their tented area, provoking Gideon’s comment. He rushed out of the booth and went to the child.
It was Thorpe Armbruster, the four-year-old son of Lakeview councilwoman Amanda Armbruster, who was manning the Lakeview flea market’s popcorn booth.
They couldn’t have asked for a nicer January day for the flea market—it was sunny and fifty-two degrees—and Thorpe had spent most of the day visiting many of the booths under the watchful eye of his mother. But he seemed to have developed a particular fondness for Gideon because his trips since lunchtime had been to the book booth alone.
“I wuz bringin’ you popcorn...” the little boy lamented, working to fight tears as Gideon helped him get on his feet. “I spilled it.”
“That’s okay. The birds and squirrels will take care of the popcorn.”
After giving the child a quick once-over Gideon called to the councilwoman, “He’s all right.” Then, to distract Thorpe, Gideon said, “I knew someone who needed a particular book read to her every night before bed and sometimes when she didn’t feel good or got hurt like you just did. Want to see it, or do you want to get back to your mom?”
“Wanna see it,” the child said, still blinking back tears.
“It’s about a bunch of bears—I think you’ll like it.”
The bear book...
Jani had arrived at the flea market at 8:00 a.m. sharp. Gideon was just getting out of his car when she’d pulled into the lot and had not disguised his shock that she’d come to pitch in.
The booths—some of them small, others larger and shaded by tent canopies—had already been set up when they’d arrived, but Jani had helped Gideon tote boxes of books from the library and they’d been working together ever since.
She’d seen him stall over the bear picture book when they’d unpacked it and thought maybe it was a book he’d remembered from his childhood. But apparently that wasn’t the case, and now Jani’s curiosity was sparked.
“Here it is,” he said when he’d located it on the table that held books for kids.
Jani watched as he got the little boy interested in the book. It was only a matter of minutes before the blond child with the thick glasses seemed to have forgotten all about his fall, and Jani catalogued the technique for use when she had a child of her own to deal with.
But by then taking
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