Page 7 of Secrets Hidden In The Glass

He frowned. “You don’t know?”

“I bought it a couple years ago. I’ve never actually used it.” She wrinkled her nose with her confession.

“Huh.”

“Work keeps me busy, but I’m planning on learning while I’m here.”

“You’ll have to let me know if you’re looking for places to take some cool shots. There are about a million around here.”

She loved the idea. She’d spotted plenty of things she wanted to check out in the Carter Island brochure she’d brought along. “That would be great.”

“All right then.” He glanced at his watch. “I should head out.”

She followed him back down the hall. “Would you mind—Could you tell me how to get to the market? I need to go before I drop off the Rover.”

“Yeah, sure.” He stopped in the doorway. “Head into town. Route 1 turns into Atlantic Avenue. Bang a right when you get to Seashore Drive. You’ll pass a bike shop and the clinic. You can’t miss the plaza up a couple more blocks.”

“Thanks again for everything.”

“No problem. I’m serious about pointing out some good spots for pictures and about the washing machine. It’s right off the kitchen and yours to use whenever you want.”

“Except at midnight.”

He grinned. “Right. I’ll see you around.”

“Bye.” She watched him walk to the Tahoe, her eyes wandering from the bold yellow SHERIFF printed on the back of his shirt to his exceptional derrière accentuated in denim. She waved as he pulled around, backed up, and drove off. She closed the door and exhaled a long breath. Carter Island’s Sheriff was seriously hot. Gorgeous and nice were an appealing combination. “Get a grip,” she murmured and turned her focus to stretching her legs, determined to enjoy her run with a clear head.

~~~~

Nate took a left on Route 1 and headed out for his midmorning patrol of the island. He hadn’t planned to stay at the cottage for more than a couple of minutes. His intention had been to drop off the key and be on his way, but chatting with his new tenant for longer than expected had worked just fine too. She’d been on his mind more than she hadn’t since they said goodbye yesterday morning. When he let Kay know he was heading out to run a few errands, he’d been mostly convinced he’d built Callie Davis up to be more than she was. Then he’d spotted her standing by the Land Rover wearing jogging pants and a little white T-shirt that accentuated her toned runner’s body, and he hadn’t been disappointed.

Callie was a beauty. Making a study of her stunning face while they shot the breeze had been a pleasure, but it wasn’t just her top-notch looks that had his attention. There was something about her watchful glances and hesitant smiles. He’d caught little glimpses of her humorous side when she’d forgotten to keep up her guard. He wanted more of that—much more.

All in all, he considered his visit a complete success. Not only had he made good on his landlord obligations, he’d also earned a couple of her spectacular grins and made her laugh. Currently, they’d had two conversations—and he knew he wanted to have a third and fourth. His initial impression had been spot-on when he’d pegged her as shy. Now his gut was screaming that the blond living thirty yards beyond his roofline was worth the pursuit.

He steamed out a long breath as the gravity of his thoughts caught up with him. For the last four and a half years, he’d been hesitant to commit to any sort of serious connection. Friends and family had set him up on numerous blind dates, but he’d ultimately hit the brakes before anything resembling a relationship could bud into fruition. For too damn long, he’d let his divorce mess him up, figuring he was doomed to be fucked up forever. He’d never failed at something quite as badly as he had his marriage. The idea of going down any sort of romantic road again certainly gave him a moment of pause, but he couldn’t ignore the heart-stopping moment when he’d lifted his head from beneath the kitchen sink and locked eyes with Callie.

He realized his hands were sweating on the steering wheel and impatiently wiped them on his jeans. Since when was he a coward? Long ago, he’d believed in a day-at-a-time approach to life. Perhaps it was time to readopt the same mentality and live a little for a change. “And why the hell not?” he muttered as he rounded the sharp curve at The Point.

He slowed when he spotted Mrs. Hansen parked on the side of the road, opening her hood to a huge plume of smoke. He flipped on his lights and eased to the side, keeping his tires well to the left of the deceptively deep beach sand. When it came to his personal life he was a little unsteady, but he never questioned his abilities when it came to his career. Getting out of the Tahoe, he smiled. “Hey, Mrs. Hansen. Looks like you’re having a little trouble.”

Mrs. Hansen huffed out a weary breath. “Nate, I’m so glad you’re here.”

He moved closer to the vehicle, studying the mess in her engine. “Let’s get this taken care of.”