LITMIR.BIZ

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do my best to stay on my side of the Great Divide. Okay?”

      She sighed, looked like she was struggling mightily to bring her feelings in line, gazed beyond him then drew her look back, reluctance shadowing the movement. “You’re my tenant. I’m your temporary landlord. You are welcome to come over here any time. I just…”

      He moved a half step closer, noting the smattering of freckles seemed darker in the midday sun, that the tendrils of gold-brown hair escaping the net were two shades lighter than the rest of her hair and that her mouth was an indescribable shade of pink.

      She bit her lip, looked up and must have read something in his eyes, because she drew a breath, pasted an easy smile of dismissal on her face and stepped back inside. “Now that we have that clear…”

      “Crystal.”

      “Absolutely. Yes.” She nodded toward the kitchen. “I’ve got to get back to work.”

      “As do I.”

      “Well, then…” She sounded almost reluctant to return to her duties, which was exactly how Danny felt about returning to his. Smarter for both if they ignored their obvious attraction by maintaining some distance.

      He headed down the steps. “Nice talking with you, ladies.”

      “Right.”

      He grinned, recognizing the note of indecision in her voice, and wishing he could hear the feminine exchange slated to take place, but he had work to do. So did she.

      As he climbed into his car, he remembered how she looked in that kitchen, cheeks pink from the heat, her gorgeous hair tucked beneath the old-fashioned crocheted hairnet. Try as he might, he hadn’t been able to get her out of his mind. And for some odd reason, he really didn’t want to.

      But propriety told him Megan was off-limits. He had the advantage of knowing why he was in town, of understanding how his business moves could affect her livelihood. He couldn’t take that lightly.

      Plus his parents wouldn’t take kindly to him toying with anyone’s affections. Despite his worldly experience, Danny wasn’t a player. He chose not to be, out of respect for his parents and his faith. In his travel-savvy world, that was a big difference, and while he’d fallen away from church attendance in his global wanderings, he hadn’t shrugged off the reality of a higher power, a Supreme Being. He just hoped God was the patient sort while he worked to build their candy business. Their coming Christmas catalog was crammed full of chocolate decadence. Its success would be a major step forward, a feather in his cap if it took off as he projected.

      But he should leave sweet Megan alone. She seemed like the kind of girl who deserved nothing but the best, a guy who would be home day after day, the American dream of home and family she’d talked about so openly. Danny’s job kept him in the field so much that he was rarely in any one place for too long.

      Home. The idea of starting a home had once seemed alien to him, an impossibility, one of those things that happened to other guys. And while several of his friends had married recently, several others were still footloose, and that had been fine because Danny hadn’t felt that spark, that hint of happily-ever-after possibilities.

      Until now. With a woman completely off-limits. What was the good Lord thinking?

      Chapter Six

      Three days later Megan was contemplating the likelihood of being arrested for peeking out a window, watching for her neighbor’s return, totally wrong behavior that felt strangely right.

      She’d obviously crossed a line. She definitely needed to leave her neighbor alone. Absolutely, positively alone.

      Then why had she left a welcome basket of assorted cookies on his doorstep an hour before?

      Simple. She was a glutton for punishment with little self-discipline.

      Or she was a great neighbor. She brightened at the thought. That was what people did, right? They offered a welcome to their new neighbors, inviting them to be part of the community? Of course they did.

      Nevertheless, Megan was still determined to keep her distance from Danny, but if he came over to thank her for the cookies, she’d be nice. Sweet. Friendly.

      You are so in trouble, and the guy just got here. What are you thinking?

      That was just it. She was trying so hard not to think about him that she was constantly thinking about him. A bad sign. Really bad. His footsteps down the back stairs made her breath hitch, wondering if he would turn right, toward her door, or left, toward the driveway.

      He’d gone left, every day, just like she’d asked him to, but that didn’t stop her heart from skittering every time she heard him pull into the driveway, the quiet engine and the car door closing marking his presence late in the day.

      So now she was tempting him across the divide with homemade baked goods. What on Earth was she thinking?

      “Megan, you here?”

      “Alyssa.” Meg stepped through the candy kitchen door and beamed at her married, very pregnant friend. “Oh, my gosh, look at you. I don’t see you for two weeks and you—”

      “Popped.” Alyssa hugged Megan, then laughed and passed a hand over six months of baby. “That’s what the locals are calling it.”

      “Perfect.” Megan stood back, perused Alyssa, then grinned and nodded. “You look so happy.”

      Alyssa’s smile confirmed Meg’s assertion. “I really am. I should feel guilty about being this delighted with life.”

      “No, you shouldn’t.” Megan offered her best scolding look, very nineteenth century. “You deserve to be happy. God gives us chances. Our job is to either take that chance or duck and run. You took the chance and happiness was just one of the fringe benefits. How’s Cory doing?” Cory was Alyssa’s four-year-old daughter from a former marriage. The precocious preschooler had been hospitalized the previous summer with a heart condition, a scary time for Alyssa’s family and the entire town.

      “She’s wonderful. You’d never know she’d had problems, to look at her, and she’s got Trent and Jaden wrapped around her little finger. I’m hoping some of that will ease once this baby arrives to give her a little competition.”

      “Then Trent can spoil them all,” Megan noted. “Have you got time for coffee? Say yes, please.”

      “Yes,” Alyssa laughed. “How about you?” She motioned toward the production area.

      “Yup.” Meg headed into the kitchen and grabbed a couple of mugs. “I’ve got the morning work done and it’s quiet until two or so, so this is the perfect time to chat. I can’t believe we live ten minutes apart and I haven’t seen you in two weeks. Are you in a Chocolate Glazed Donut coffee mood, French Vanilla or straight?”

      “Chocolate. Always. And gainful employment and family stuff manage to steal time, don’t they?” Alyssa smiled her approval when Megan backed through the swinging half door with two mugs of flavored coffee.

      “Oh, yum.” Alyssa leaned forward, breathed deep, and relaxed into her chair. “This is lovely.”

      Megan laughed. “It is. And you look marvelous.”

      “Thank you. I’m not quite to beached-whale stage yet, so I’ll accept your compliment graciously. In six weeks, I may bite your head off, so be forewarned.”

      “I’ll take it under consideration. Are you helping staff the restaurant’s booth for the Balloon Rally?” Alyssa’s family owned and managed The Edge in Jamison, a gracious hilltop restaurant that overlooked the valley, now doubling as a wedding reception and special-occasion hot spot. Alyssa’s mother made to-die-for strudels, and the family sold them at a rally booth every year.

      Alyssa nodded. “Absolutely. It will be fun. I kept that weekend clear of weddings because it’s silly

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