Willow Brook Road(92)
“At least two,” she agreed. “Yay, you!”
Yay, indeed, Sam thought. “I’ll get the coffees. Why don’t you snag a bench before the tourists grab them all?”
When Sam rejoined her, she was staring at her cell phone with a frown on her face.
“Problem?” he asked as he handed over her coffee, then sat next to her.
She looked startled by his return. She quickly jammed the phone in her purse, the gesture oddly angry. “No,” she said tersely.
Sam regarded her in silence and waited.
“Okay, it was a text from Marc,” she said.
“The designer jerk,” Sam said, drawing a faint smile.
“Couldn’t have described him better myself,” she said.
“What did he want?”
“He wanted me to return his calls or one of the previous ten texts he’s sent overnight.”
Sam felt his heartbeat accelerate in something that felt like panic. “Seems to be important.”
She drew in a deep breath, then forced a bright smile that didn’t fool either one of them. “Not to me.” She glanced toward the bay. “It’s an absolutely beautiful morning, isn’t it?”
The bay, sparkling with morning sunlight, was spread before them. The blue sky was dotted with the merest wisps of white clouds. Ospreys swooped overhead, then headed for impressive nests atop poles that had been erected specifically for that purpose. The town had installed them in an attempt to keep the osprey from choosing these waterfront benches for their nests, as they had one year, forcing the humans to remain at a distance. Bobby had told him about that. Apparently a delighted Davey had filled him in, while explaining that the osprey were protected.
“Beautiful,” Sam agreed, though his gaze was on Carrie.
“We’re moving into fall. I wonder how many more glorious days we’ll have like this,” Carrie said, her face turned up to the sun. “When it’s like this, I wish I could sit right here all day long.”
“Courting sunburn?” Sam teased, touching a fingertip to her nose.
“Enough SPF30 and I can sit here indefinitely,” she countered.
“These freckles suggest you’ve forgotten it a time or two.”
“Yes, well, Mom and Gram couldn’t always catch me before I got outside,” she said with a laugh, then suddenly pulled her cell phone from her purse.
Sam regarded her curiously. “Are you going to respond to that text, after all?”
“Not a chance. You just reminded me to add suntan lotion to my list of supplies for the day care,” she said, typing a quick note to herself.
Sam plucked the phone from her grasp and tucked it into his own pocket. “Obviously my mere presence isn’t enough to distract you,” he murmured.
Her eyes widened. “What did you have in mind?”
“The same thing I’ve had in mind ever since the first time I did it,” he said, moving closer until he could claim her lips.
The kiss was as intoxicating as he’d remembered, maybe even a little more potent. Champagne intoxicating, rather than beer, perhaps. Whatever it was, he couldn’t recall a single time in his life when a simple kiss had made him long to leap into something more than bed, something lasting.
When he pulled away, he kept a hand against her cheek in a caress. “Just the way I remembered it from the other night,” he said. “Better even.”
Carrie smiled. “Is my technique improving?”
“No, you just get more infatuating every time I see you.”
“Who knew you had such a way with words? Does Mack know about that? He’ll have you writing articles as well as designing the paper, if you’re not careful.”
Sam chuckled. “Trust me, Mack does not inspire me to wax poetic.” He held her gaze. “I really want to kiss you again,” he murmured.
“Why don’t you?”
“Because I am suddenly very much aware that we are sitting in public in broad daylight just across the street from shops owned by your grandmother and Heather, as well as Luke’s pub.”
“Good point,” she said, though her sigh suggested she was as disappointed by that as he was.
“Maybe we could continue this later, someplace a little more private. I can’t abandon Bobby again tonight, but you could come over for dinner. Maybe hang out till after he’s asleep. Any interest?”
“What’s for dinner?”
“I think I can manage burgers on the grill and a salad.”
“Why don’t I bring dessert? I’m thinking vanilla ice cream and some peaches. I found some at the farm stand yesterday, last of the season more than likely.”
“Bobby will love that.”