Meredith Hale?” His brows snapped together. “But you’re the girl from the pool!”
She clutched her wine glass to her chest. “Ah…how can you tell?”
He walked toward her, pointing to her back. “You have a…” His finger dropped. His gaze slid to Jill, who was eagerly—and unabashedly—listening. “I’ll tell you some other time.”
He studied Meredith with enough intensity that she feared she’d snap the stem of her wine glass. She dimly heard her grandpa ask Jill something over the buzzing in her ears. Sista Pimp faded away with a smirk.
“You have red hair.” He sounded incredulous.
She frowned. “What? You don’t like redheads?” Oops, that came out wrong.
“On the contrary.” He continued staring. “I…couldn’t tell the color under your swim cap.” When he leaned closer, her whole body tingled like someone had plugged her into an electric outlet.
“What are you doing?” She clutched her wine glass to her bustier. Come on, Divorcée Woman, help me out.
“I wondered about your eyes behind the goggles. They’re green.”
“Yes.” She noted the golden ring around his pupils—caramel coating chocolate. Desperate to break eye contact, she walked around him to kiss her grandpa, who was sitting on the couch. Her legs shook like a newborn calf.
Chicken, Divorcée Woman chimed in.
“It’s about time you got to me. I know I’m an old man, but I’m still blood.”
She pinched his ruddy cheek. “Old, my…eye. You tore my editorial to pieces, old man.”
He waggled his bushy brows. “No, I simply restructured it. It reads better now. Don’t you think?”
It did, but it galled her to admit it.
“Makes an old man happy to know he still has things to teach you after being in the Big Apple.” He patted her arm. “Better watch out for this one, Tanner. She could run circles around you.”
Tanner lifted his wine glass in a mock toast. “We’ll see.”
Jill was perched on the leather footstool in front of their grandfather, her yellow dress dotted with red dragons.
“I’m Tanner McBride by the way. I didn’t give you my last name when we met.”
If she’d been drinking her wine, she would have choked again. Tanner McBride, the journalist. And he was going to be teaching at Emmits Merriam. She hadn’t put two and two together before.
“So, you two have met before?” Jill asked.
“We…sorta swam at the pool at the same time,” Meredith said, glaring at Jill. Don’t you dare say anything, Sista Pimp, she tried to say with the look, or he’ll know I practically had a sensual seizure over him at Hairy’s the other night.
“I’ve read your work,” she continued smoothly when it was clear Jill intended to keep her trap shut. “It’s good.”
That was modest praise. He was fabulous at capturing political undercurrents and the human dimension of violence. He’d reported from Jerusalem, Beirut, Baghdad, and Kabul. Under other circumstances, she’d have been delighted to meet him. There was plenty of substance to go along with that incredible body.
But there was still one problem.
He was a journalist.
She hadn’t told Jill about her vow, thinking she wouldn’t run into any problems in Dare. She was related to most of the people who worked on the paper, after all.
Her vow was like not dating a man with your ex’s name. It just wasn’t done.
“He’s damn good,” Grandpa Hale commented. “Have to talk you into writing some articles for The Independent while you’re here.”
“It would be an honor, sir. I’d be happy to start now. My fingers have been itching to write up a good story.”
“It’s a deal then,” her grandpa announced, reaching out to shake Tanner’s hand.
“Dinner’s ready,” Jill announced. “I don’t have mom’s talents, but we won’t starve. Plus, Meredith helped. She’s much better in the kitchen than I am.”
“You should have cooked at my house,” Grandpa scolded.
“I ruled that out. You barely have
She clutched her wine glass to her chest. “Ah…how can you tell?”
He walked toward her, pointing to her back. “You have a…” His finger dropped. His gaze slid to Jill, who was eagerly—and unabashedly—listening. “I’ll tell you some other time.”
He studied Meredith with enough intensity that she feared she’d snap the stem of her wine glass. She dimly heard her grandpa ask Jill something over the buzzing in her ears. Sista Pimp faded away with a smirk.
“You have red hair.” He sounded incredulous.
She frowned. “What? You don’t like redheads?” Oops, that came out wrong.
“On the contrary.” He continued staring. “I…couldn’t tell the color under your swim cap.” When he leaned closer, her whole body tingled like someone had plugged her into an electric outlet.
“What are you doing?” She clutched her wine glass to her bustier. Come on, Divorcée Woman, help me out.
“I wondered about your eyes behind the goggles. They’re green.”
“Yes.” She noted the golden ring around his pupils—caramel coating chocolate. Desperate to break eye contact, she walked around him to kiss her grandpa, who was sitting on the couch. Her legs shook like a newborn calf.
Chicken, Divorcée Woman chimed in.
“It’s about time you got to me. I know I’m an old man, but I’m still blood.”
She pinched his ruddy cheek. “Old, my…eye. You tore my editorial to pieces, old man.”
He waggled his bushy brows. “No, I simply restructured it. It reads better now. Don’t you think?”
It did, but it galled her to admit it.
“Makes an old man happy to know he still has things to teach you after being in the Big Apple.” He patted her arm. “Better watch out for this one, Tanner. She could run circles around you.”
Tanner lifted his wine glass in a mock toast. “We’ll see.”
Jill was perched on the leather footstool in front of their grandfather, her yellow dress dotted with red dragons.
“I’m Tanner McBride by the way. I didn’t give you my last name when we met.”
If she’d been drinking her wine, she would have choked again. Tanner McBride, the journalist. And he was going to be teaching at Emmits Merriam. She hadn’t put two and two together before.
“So, you two have met before?” Jill asked.
“We…sorta swam at the pool at the same time,” Meredith said, glaring at Jill. Don’t you dare say anything, Sista Pimp, she tried to say with the look, or he’ll know I practically had a sensual seizure over him at Hairy’s the other night.
“I’ve read your work,” she continued smoothly when it was clear Jill intended to keep her trap shut. “It’s good.”
That was modest praise. He was fabulous at capturing political undercurrents and the human dimension of violence. He’d reported from Jerusalem, Beirut, Baghdad, and Kabul. Under other circumstances, she’d have been delighted to meet him. There was plenty of substance to go along with that incredible body.
But there was still one problem.
He was a journalist.
She hadn’t told Jill about her vow, thinking she wouldn’t run into any problems in Dare. She was related to most of the people who worked on the paper, after all.
Her vow was like not dating a man with your ex’s name. It just wasn’t done.
“He’s damn good,” Grandpa Hale commented. “Have to talk you into writing some articles for The Independent while you’re here.”
“It would be an honor, sir. I’d be happy to start now. My fingers have been itching to write up a good story.”
“It’s a deal then,” her grandpa announced, reaching out to shake Tanner’s hand.
“Dinner’s ready,” Jill announced. “I don’t have mom’s talents, but we won’t starve. Plus, Meredith helped. She’s much better in the kitchen than I am.”
“You should have cooked at my house,” Grandpa scolded.
“I ruled that out. You barely have
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