wished she remembered some of that information. He intrigued her. She didn’t usually care about strangers, especially not men. But this man had been places outside this town. And he was heading someplace else once he left here. She wondered where.
She shook her head to dispel her thoughts, and nearly dropped the coins.
To keep the money from falling, he curled his hand around hers.
Heat that had nothing to do with their location in the middle of the Arizona desert shot up her arm. Surprised, she looked up, then tried to hide her uncertainty. “Your change.” She pulled back her hand, and he let her go, though the feel of him lingered. She moved to the butcher block as he headed to the door.
He stopped, holding the screen door open, and faced her. “So, is there somewhere I can get a room for the night?”
Startled, she actually dropped the meat cleaver, but thankfully, managed to miss her foot. The unmistakable clatter echoed through the store. Why in the world would he want to do that?
“You want to stay here?” She turned and looked at him. There was something about him that rubbed her the wrong way, a way that made her itch all over. She hadn’t felt that way since...since... She shut that thought down nearly as fast as it appeared. It must be that conversation with Katie yesterday that had stirred up all this...awareness.
“Why wouldn’t I?” He frowned at her.
“No one stays here.”
“I’m going to. You friends with the sheriff?”
“What?” She’d seen Gavin talking with him and Rick. What had that idiot said now?
“Oh, nothing.” The man shook his head and smiled as he popped one of the sodas he’d bought and took a deep drink.
Amy could only stare at the muscles of his throat as they worked. “Damn,” she mumbled. Without another word, she walked past him, pushed the screen door open wider and tilted her head toward the old Victorian house across the square. “Hank runs the B and B. Over there. He can always use the business.”
The house had seen better days, but Hank was slowly fixing it up. The stranger moved close—close enough for her to feel the warmth of his body. He stared past her toward the house, then stepped outside. An eyebrow lifted, but that was his only reaction.
“Thanks. I’m Jace.”
His hands were full, but she thought he’d have offered his hand to her if they hadn’t been. He waited expectantly, apparently for her to offer her own name. She swallowed hard. “I’m...Amy.”
“Amy?”
He said her name softly, and despite the heat, she shivered. His eyes moved, as if his gaze were drinking in every detail of her face.
“Amy,” he repeated. “Uh, nice to meet you.” He took a deep breath, and it seemed as if he shook his head slightly. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear something had just startled him.
“Mama!” A high-pitched voice cut through the thick air between them, and Amy backed a step away. Then two.
Katie came barreling down the sidewalk toward them and Jace turned to look at her.
There are few things that set a mother off more than a threat to her child. Though the man now standing on the sidewalk was smiling down at Katie, Amy couldn’t let go of the fear that rippled through her. She was the one person Katie always turned to, the one who was there whenever she needed something. The one whose job it was to protect her.
Right now, that little girl was looking up at a tall stranger with great interest. Amy barely held herself back.
“Hi.” Katie walked right up to Jace, craning her neck to look at him.
“Well, hello,” he said, hunching down next to her.
“I’m Katie. I’m six.”
Amy barely resisted the urge to warn her daughter about sharing personal information. She needed to ingrain that into her before she got old enough for Facebook and Twitter, or whatever would follow.
“I’m Jace. I’m older than six.”
Katie grinned widely and Amy nearly leaped toward her daughter. But not to protect her this time. She knew that look and what was coming next.
She wasn’t quick enough.
“Do you have a wife?”
Amy wanted to sink into the sidewalk. When Jace turned to her, her heart dropped to her knees as he glanced from mother to daughter and back again.
“No, I’m not married. Why do you want to know? Are you proposing?”
“Katie,” Amy warned, knowing there was no chance her daughter was going to heed her. She stepped forward, placing her hands protectively on Katie’s shoulders, since, tempting as it was, putting her hand over her daughter’s mouth would probably be frowned upon.
Katie giggled. “No, silly. I’m too little. But Mama can. She’s not married, either.”
CHAPTER THREE
THE MAN LOOKED AS IF HE’D seen a ghost. He’d paled under his tan and his eyes widened as he looked at the two of them.
Amy swallowed hard. She was used to judgmental stares, but there was no way she would let anyone judge Katie. Being a single mother wasn’t that unusual these days. Besides, Katie had already told him Amy wasn’t married. It couldn’t be that big of a shock. “Why don’t you go put your things away, sweetie. Butcher’s waiting for you. I’ll be in shortly.” She nudged Katie toward the doorway.
“’Kay. Bye, Mr. Jace.” Katie quickly disappeared inside with a final smile and wave from the doorway. The sound of Butcher’s nails was loud and frenzied against the wooden floor. Katie’s sweet giggle followed close behind.
“Hank should be able to put you up for the night,” Amy said again, hoping Jace would move on.
She didn’t wait for him to answer. Instead, she walked to the screen door.
“Amy?”
She didn’t want to turn around, really she didn’t. Good manners and curiosity made her look over her shoulder. “Yes?”
“Thanks.” His gaze met hers and she saw something lurking in those blue eyes, something she couldn’t read. She didn’t even try, but went inside.
“Oh, my.” A soft feminine voice came in the door right behind her. Amy shook her head. She didn’t have to look to know who was speaking. Caryn Davis had been her best friend since second grade, but right now Amy wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone.
Obviously, Caryn had arrived to reopen the diner next door, just in time to see Jace leaving. Amy agreed—he was definitely worth an “oh, my” or two, but she wasn’t sharing that with anyone. Especially not Caryn.
“Climb on up.” Amy helped Katie onto the stool and focused on getting her usual afternoon snack ready.
Caryn was bound to say something. Amy prepared herself, and her friend didn’t disappoint. She sat down beside Katie. “Hey, pumpkin.” She gave the little girl a brief hug, then turned her gaze on Amy. “Please, please tell me you saw him. Really saw him.”
Amy almost laughed. “Saw what?” She knew exactly what—or rather who—Caryn was talking about. There wasn’t a man in a fifty-mile radius who hadn’t caught Caryn’s eye at some time or other.
“Amy!”
This time she did laugh. “He’s just passing through.” Amy put a small plate of apple slices in front of Katie and handed her a fruit juice. “So don’t go getting any ideas.” She didn’t want to elaborate in front of her daughter. Besides, she and Caryn had already rehashed all this...multiple times over the years.
“Maybe