Throughout the day, whenever she wasn’t preoccupied with anything else, she found herself thinking about the man she had met, however briefly, the night before. Should she have let him buy her a cup of coffee? She could have met him somewhere. What harm could there be in meeting him in a public place? He had been nice looking and seemed like an easy-going guy. He hadn’t made any untoward moves, had accepted her decision without getting angry.
She should have said yes. She hadn’t had anything resembling a date since she moved here. Maybe if she saw him again, she would agree to that cup of coffee.
To her surprise, Sara had more people stop by that day than she’d had in the last three months. Mostly women, of course. All young and attractive. A few were friendly, most were somewhat reserved. Even more surprising, they didn’t just come in to look around, but to buy.
“Another week like this,” Sara mused, “and I’ll have to restock a few things.” Not that she was complaining!
At seven, she closed for a dinner break.
Travis stood in the shadows, his attention focused on Sara’s Sweets & Salts Shoppe. A warm wind blew down Main Street, carrying with it the myriad fragrances of sugar and soap and perfume from the store across the street. He was still trying to summon the nerve to go in and say hello when she stepped outside and hung a Closed sign on the door.
Curious, he followed her down the sidewalk to the small café. on the corner. He waited ten minutes, then followed her inside.
Sara looked up as the bell over the entrance signaled a new customer. It was him, the man she had met the night before. She smiled tentatively when his gaze met hers. Her smile faded around the edges when he came striding toward her. Was he stalking her? Maybe she’d been right to refuse his invitation.
Sara glanced around the café, reassured by the presence of a handful of other diners. Her heartbeat quickened with trepidation when he stopped by her table.
“We meet again,” he said with a friendly smile. “I’m Travis.”
She didn’t want to tell him her name, but it seemed rude not to. “Sara.”
“Nice to meet you, Sara. Enjoy your dinner.”
“You, too, Mr …?” Best not to be on a first name basis with a total stranger.
“Black.”
She watched him move down the aisle to another table. He took a chair facing her so that every time she looked up, she saw him. Had he done that on purpose?
Sara ordered spaghetti, garlic bread, and a soda. Conscious of Travis watching her, she pulled a paperback book from her handbag and pretended to be reading so she didn’t have to look at him.
It didn’t help. She was all too aware of his presence. For some reason she couldn’t explain, she felt drawn to him.
Taking a deep breath, she put the novel aside and gestured for him to join her.
“Thanks,” he said, taking the chair across from hers. “I hate eating alone.”
“Me, too.”
He gestured at her book, a mystery by New York Times bestselling author Claire Ebon. “You like her writing style?”
“Yes. Do you?”
He shrugged one shoulder. “I’ve never read one, but I know the author.” Claire Ebon was another pseudonym used by Ronan, who also wrote in other genres under the names Eva Black and Stella Raven.
“I’d love to meet her,” Sara said, eyes sparkling with interest. “Do you think you could introduce me?”
“Believe me,” he said dryly, “that wouldn’t be a good idea.”
“Really? Why not?”
“Trust me, it would be a big mistake. You’re new in town, aren’t you?” he said, eager to change the subject.
“Yes. I’ve only been here a few months. Have you lived here long?”
“About five months,” he said. “I’m originally from Nevada.”
“Oh? Why did you leave?”
He hesitated a moment, then said, “I needed to get away for a while.” This place had seemed perfect for a guy like him. “What brought you here?”
She laughed softly. “Like you, I needed to get away. My father had my whole life planned out for me. Only I didn’t like his road map.”
Travis nodded. “My life isn’t turning out quite the way I thought it would, either.”
She didn’t miss the faint note of bitterness in his voice. “I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault,” he said with a wry grin. “The choice was mine and I have to live with it, but believe me, it’s not a decision I ever thought I’d have to make.”
“I’m sorry you’re so unhappy about it.”
“What’s done is done. There’s no going back. No changing my mind.”
Sara frowned. She couldn’t help wondering what kind of choice he’d had to make. There were only a few decisions she could think of that were irreversible. “I guess you’ll just have to learn to live with it then.”
“Yeah, that’s what my grandmother used to say.”
The waitress arrived with Sara’s dinner and a glass of red wine for Travis.
“Is that all you’re having?” Sara asked.
“I … uh, dined earlier. To tell you the truth, I only came in here because I saw you through the window and …” He shrugged. “I haven’t made any friends in town and I just wanted someone to talk to. I should probably go. I’m sorry I bothered you.”
“You didn’t. I don’t know anyone in town, either. To tell you the truth, I’m grateful for your company.”
He smiled at her, the first truly genuine smile she had seen. It did funny things in the pit of her stomach. She gestured at her plate. “Would you like some? There’s plenty.”
“No, but thank you.”
The next forty minutes seemed to fly by. Sara didn’t remember ever being so comfortable around anyone else so quickly, which was odd, because they were strangers, but he
