counter to look up from her magazine and smile politely, but when she saw Pete her smile widened.
The cashier twirled her pale blond hair around one finger, and her face flushed, as she looked sideways at Pete. Marianna didn’t miss it, but Pete seemed oblivious, and even though she couldn’t blame the woman for staring, that didn’t keep part of her from feeling territorial. Pete was gorgeous, and she knew women would desire him, but it didn’t mean she had to like it.
“Hi Mindy.” Pete gave her a friendly wave, grabbed two baskets, and handed one to her. “Get whatever you want. I have a house account here, so have at it.”
He didn’t let go of the handle as one strong finger brushed over the top of her hand. That whisper of a touch whooshed down to her toes, and her furry boots felt nailed to the worn wood floor.
He lowered his voice. “We’ll probably be here for a few weeks, so stock up. There’s a bigger storm coming in a couple days, after the one tonight, and if it’s as they say, we could be cabin-bound for quite a while.”
Marianna said nothing. She simply nodded and swallowed the lump in her throat. All she could think about was being in that tiny cabin with Pete… alone.
He walked down one of the narrow, overstuffed aisles, and she caught sight of that fine backside. How is it that a well-fitting pair of Levi’s can make a man’s ass look perfect? Her mind went to the sight of him this morning when he emerged from the bedroom without a shirt. Drool.
“Can I help you find something?” the woman at the counter snipped.
“No,” she replied too quickly. Marianna’s face heated with embarrassment because she knew she just got caught ogling his ass. Pete smirked and disappeared around the end of the aisle. “I’m fine. Thank you.”
“It’s okay.” The cashier waved her over to the counter with a conspiratorial whisper. “Everyone gives him the once-over. Hell, the girls down at Flannagan’s bar are gonna bust something when they hear he’s back in town. He’s the finest lookin’ man that has ever set foot through that door.” She stuck her hand out and gave Marianna a friendly smile. “I’m Mindy.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Marianna… Pete’s… friend.”
She felt like an idiot fumbling around for the right word, but what was she supposed to say? I’m his kidnapping victim? I’m his mate? Not likely. Friend would have to do for now.
“Friend?” She popped a stick of gum in her mouth with sparkle-painted fingernails and kept her voice down. “Honey, if I were you, I’d be a lot more than his friend. If I weren’t already married, of course,” Mindy added quickly. “A gorgeous thing like you looks like the right match for that handsome man. Brittany—she waits tables at Flannagan’s bar—she’s been trying to land him ever since they were kids.”
Mindy sighed and peered past Marianna to make sure Pete wasn’t within earshot; although the store wasn’t that big, so it wouldn’t surprise her if he was listening to the conversation.
“I see.” Marianna looked at the jars of jam on the counter, pretending not to be interested, but making a mental note to keep an eye out for this Brittany.
“Oh yeah.” She cracked her gum and whispered, “He used to come here every summer with his grandparents and his mama.”
“What about his father?” Marianna hit the jackpot with Mindy, who as fate would have it, seemed to be the town crier, and she had no qualms about divulging personal information in the middle of the store.
“Nobody ever met him.” She dropped her voice to a loud whisper. “From what I hear, his old man split when he was just a baby. Just heartbreaking.”
“That’s too bad.” Marianna meant it too.
Heartbreak could mend, but it left a nasty scar.
“What’s too bad?” Pete’s voice cut into their conversation.
“This jam,” Marianna blurted out.
“The jam is bad?” He looked at her like she’d lost her
The cashier twirled her pale blond hair around one finger, and her face flushed, as she looked sideways at Pete. Marianna didn’t miss it, but Pete seemed oblivious, and even though she couldn’t blame the woman for staring, that didn’t keep part of her from feeling territorial. Pete was gorgeous, and she knew women would desire him, but it didn’t mean she had to like it.
“Hi Mindy.” Pete gave her a friendly wave, grabbed two baskets, and handed one to her. “Get whatever you want. I have a house account here, so have at it.”
He didn’t let go of the handle as one strong finger brushed over the top of her hand. That whisper of a touch whooshed down to her toes, and her furry boots felt nailed to the worn wood floor.
He lowered his voice. “We’ll probably be here for a few weeks, so stock up. There’s a bigger storm coming in a couple days, after the one tonight, and if it’s as they say, we could be cabin-bound for quite a while.”
Marianna said nothing. She simply nodded and swallowed the lump in her throat. All she could think about was being in that tiny cabin with Pete… alone.
He walked down one of the narrow, overstuffed aisles, and she caught sight of that fine backside. How is it that a well-fitting pair of Levi’s can make a man’s ass look perfect? Her mind went to the sight of him this morning when he emerged from the bedroom without a shirt. Drool.
“Can I help you find something?” the woman at the counter snipped.
“No,” she replied too quickly. Marianna’s face heated with embarrassment because she knew she just got caught ogling his ass. Pete smirked and disappeared around the end of the aisle. “I’m fine. Thank you.”
“It’s okay.” The cashier waved her over to the counter with a conspiratorial whisper. “Everyone gives him the once-over. Hell, the girls down at Flannagan’s bar are gonna bust something when they hear he’s back in town. He’s the finest lookin’ man that has ever set foot through that door.” She stuck her hand out and gave Marianna a friendly smile. “I’m Mindy.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Marianna… Pete’s… friend.”
She felt like an idiot fumbling around for the right word, but what was she supposed to say? I’m his kidnapping victim? I’m his mate? Not likely. Friend would have to do for now.
“Friend?” She popped a stick of gum in her mouth with sparkle-painted fingernails and kept her voice down. “Honey, if I were you, I’d be a lot more than his friend. If I weren’t already married, of course,” Mindy added quickly. “A gorgeous thing like you looks like the right match for that handsome man. Brittany—she waits tables at Flannagan’s bar—she’s been trying to land him ever since they were kids.”
Mindy sighed and peered past Marianna to make sure Pete wasn’t within earshot; although the store wasn’t that big, so it wouldn’t surprise her if he was listening to the conversation.
“I see.” Marianna looked at the jars of jam on the counter, pretending not to be interested, but making a mental note to keep an eye out for this Brittany.
“Oh yeah.” She cracked her gum and whispered, “He used to come here every summer with his grandparents and his mama.”
“What about his father?” Marianna hit the jackpot with Mindy, who as fate would have it, seemed to be the town crier, and she had no qualms about divulging personal information in the middle of the store.
“Nobody ever met him.” She dropped her voice to a loud whisper. “From what I hear, his old man split when he was just a baby. Just heartbreaking.”
“That’s too bad.” Marianna meant it too.
Heartbreak could mend, but it left a nasty scar.
“What’s too bad?” Pete’s voice cut into their conversation.
“This jam,” Marianna blurted out.
“The jam is bad?” He looked at her like she’d lost her
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