Page 27 of The Birchwood House

“I’m very sure. I’m always sure about this kind of thing.”

Her mouth popped open, and she was ready to retort that he probably shouldn’t be, since he’d been sure the wrap-around porch wouldn’t be allowed even though it was, but she decided against it. After all, the man was helping her out after his scheduled work hours.

“Well, that’s wonderful,” she said, feeling a thrill that she didn’t bother to conceal. She clasped her hands together eagerly. “I’m going to order the lumber right away.”

Evan blinked at her. “You seem awfully ambitious,” he told her. “How did someone so determined end up in Coral Sands, I wonder?” His eyes narrowed at her slightly, as if she was some kind of mystery that he wondered if he would ever solve.

His remark brought back her recent trauma in a rush. She felt suddenly tense, and she could feel herself stiffen as she swallowed.

“When a woman’s husband disappears for days without a word and then turns up alive and well but in the arms of another woman—well, it causes a person to seek out a change. Coming back home here to Coral Sands seemed like a great option.”

Evan immediately grew pale, a reaction which endeared him to Audrey a little.

There’s some compassion under that gruff exterior of his, that’s for sure,she thought.

“I’m sorry,” he stammered, and cleared his throat loudly. “I apologize for being insensitive—I should have realized that you might have come here to get away from something else.”

She shrugged. “Coral Sands is a great place to be, and I think it can absolutely be a destination in its own right. I just happen to also be leaving someplace bad.”

Evan blinked at her, seeming to be wondering what to say. She was just opening her mouth to thank him for the documents when her stomach growled loudly. Her face flushed with heat a second later, since the sound had been embarrassingly loud in the small office.

“Well, your stomach seems to be reminding us that it’s dinner time,” he said, and she laughed, delighted that he’d swept in to her rescue with a joke to keep things from getting awkward. “I should eat as well. Would you be interested in grabbing a bite to eat with me at Crossroads Bar and Grill?”

She had to stop herself from letting her jaw drop all the way to the floor.

Is he asking me out?her brain gasped, but she did her best to keep her expression neutral. Even more shocking to her was the realization that she would have liked to say yes. She wondered wildly if she just loved the idea of going out to eat while she was feeling so hungry or if she actually liked the idea of going on a date with the grumpy mayor.

“I—oh, I wish I could, but I have to get home. Thanks,” she stammered, wondering if she was blushing again.

“Of course,” Evan said, his tone even—although his eyes flickered away from her face as if he was suddenly having trouble with eye contact.

“Thanks again,” she said, opening the door and slipping through it. Her heels sounded like a herd of elephants in her ears as she walked through the entryway of the office and out into the hallway.

Once she was back outside in the cool night air, she took a couple of deep breaths, feeling her jittery nerves smooth themselves out a little.

What on earth was that?she wondered, glancing back at the charming old building behind her.He really just asked me out?I bet he was only asking me out to dinner out of pity after I spilled my guts about my past to him.

She shook her head as she walked, squaring her shoulders. Well, he could think whatever he wanted, but she was a strong woman who was shaping the next chapter of her life. She didn’t need any pity from anyone, especially not from Evan McBride!

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Evan slipped his hands into the pocket of his suitcoat as he walked along the sidewalks of Coral Sands. Overhead, the sky was cloudy and gray, but there was a golden glow in the east where the sun was still in the process of rising. He realized a second later that he’d put his hands in his pockets and he tugged them out hurriedly. Putting his hands in the pockets of his suit coats was not something that he allowed himself to do. He considered it to be unprofessional.

I’m too distracted,he thought, swallowing.I can’t stop thinking about Audrey. Ever since she barreled into my office two days ago, I’ve been hung up on how awkward our exchange was.

He felt badly about accidentally prodding her about her past. He’d had no idea that she’d been running from such a painful situation, and he found that his respect for her had tripled after he’d learned about it. The woman was conquering her days with confidence and determination, seizing hope and joy with both fists. He didn’t think he’d ever known anyone who could handle a situation as tough as hers as well as she appeared to be handling it.

He kept pondering the question of whether or not he should seek her out and apologize to her. He hadn’t wanted to make her uncomfortable, and then he’d seemed to make things worse with his sudden invitation to dinner.

The idea was still spinning around in him like a pinwheel. Why not? Neither of them were married. Getting dinner together wasn’t necessarily a date, it could be more of a business meeting, but even if it was like a date?—

He coughed loudly as he walked, startling a flock of seagulls that had landed on a nearby roof.

He turned a corner and saw Townsend’s Bakery in front of him. His stomach growled and he realized that in his distracted state, he’d neglected to eat breakfast.

He approached the bakery, thinking to himself that he’d like to purchase a hand pie that he could munch on his way to work. He tugged open the front door and stepped inside, greeted immediately by the sweet smell of fresh bakery. He stopped dead in his tracks a moment later when he saw Audrey standing in front of the counter, perusing the display of baked goods.

Oh,he thought.Well, it seems the decision of whether or not I should talk to her has been decided for me.