Page 48 of To Know Miss May

“That be very gallant of ye. What ye did.”

August merely shrugged. “’Tain’t nothin’. Poor thing was so pleased with ’em shoes, dancin’ about. I couldn’t ’elp but come to ’er aid.”

So he’d seen her dancing, too. No wonder he’d jumped into the harbor, compelled by the carefree nature of that little girl. Could this man be any more wonderful?

“She did seem to be enjoyin’ ’erself,” she said. “Dancin’ and singin’ like no one else existed.”

“Would we could all be like that.”

“Indeed,” she murmured. Then she paused. “Though ye do be like that.”

“What do ye mean? I be a terrible dancer and singer.”

She frowned. “I don’t know ’bout dancin’, but I know ye be a fine singer.”

August stared down at her, his eyes alight with intrigue. “How do ye know that?”

The blood rushed from her head. Wretched loose tongue. She’d let slip one of her secrets, hadn’t she? “Oh, from hearin’ ye at church?”

Why had she ended her words in a question? That hadn’t sounded convincing at all.

A look of intrigue lit his eyes, but he asked her no further questions, much to her relief. She would hate to have to explain just what she’d needed to do to discover how wonderful of a singer he truly was.

Silence filled the air between them again, which inevitably led her eyes to drop to his torso once more. He certainly hadn’t been an idle gardener to look like this.

Look at ’is face, Livvy.

That wasn’t much better, however. At least not for her nearly nonexistent resolve to not ogle the man. Water dripped from his lips and the tip of his nose, trailing down his neck into the folds of his clothes. If she had a handkerchief she’d offer it to him.

But then she wouldn’t be able to enjoy watching the traces of moisture slipping into the curves of his smile lines and clinging to his thick hair.

Shame about that.

’E be watching ye, Livvy.

The words brought her back to earth, and she looked up to see him watching her with a half-smile. There was no way for him to know her thoughts, unless her expression had revealed just how much she’d been admiring him.

Blast.

“Well, I be certain ’er mother appreciates the service,” Livvy said, clearing her throat and forcing her thoughts to clear. “And the girl, too. She’ll remember it, I be certain.” Then she mumbled, “I know I did.”

August leaned his head to the side, running his fingers through his hair which drew her attention to the ridges in his flexing arm.

She blew out a steady breath.

“What do ye mean?”

“Hmm?” she asked, still eying his arms.

“What do ye mean, ye know ye did?”

What did she mean? She closed her eyes to be able to focus. “Oh, nothin’.”

Blast, how had she let that slip? The last thing she wished to do was reveal how close she held the memory of his helping her when he obviously didn’t remember it at all.

His half-smile returned. “Well ye ’ad to ’ave meant somethin’.”

He clearly wasn’t going to let this go, so what should Livvy do? Perhaps if she stated it just right, he wouldn’t think anything of her remembering such an occasion.