He sprinted down the driveway, turned left at the end of the road and headed up the hill instead of down to the harbor for a change of scenery. The sun was barely rising over the ocean as he clocked his first mile. The gorgeous sunrise made this the best time of the day as far as he was concerned, a time when he could think and let his mind wander.
Matt ran to the top of lookout hill, turned at the fork in the road, and took the quiet back road to the harbor in a loop. He was on the home stretch when he jogged past the boat club and noticed her. The wildly bobbing blonde ponytail gave her away. Plus no one else on the island had legs that went forever like she had. She was striking.
He called out. “Hey. Wait up.”
Mia turned and stopped and gave him a polite smile. “Hey.”
Matt caught up and they ran up the hill toward home. “Didn’t think you were going to make it this morning.”
She didn’t slow down but kept pace with him. “I slept in. Must have missed you by ten minutes.”
He tipped his head to the ocean, the rising sun making the horizon glow pink. “What do you think? Great view, isn’t it?” Almost as gorgeous as she was.
“Sure is.” She paused at the side of the road and looked over the ocean. The sun streaked across the water, promising a gorgeous day. “Very pretty.”
“Race you back.” Matt took off and heard the pounding of her feet behind him as she ran to catch up. Just before the final rise, she did. They continued to run in silence until they turned onto his driveway.
She and Matt walked around to the kitchen door where he headed into the mudroom and slipped off his running shoes. “How did you sleep?”
Mia stretched her fingers and rotated her shoulders. “Once I got used to the quiet, not too bad. It’s different falling asleep here compared to in Seattle. It never goes quiet there.”
“I believe it. I don’t know how you do it.” Matt peeled his socks off and threw them in the wash basket. “I’m going to have a quick shower and then put breakfast on. What would you like to eat? I have just about everything so nothing is a problem.”
Mia pulled her hair tie out and let her pale blonde hair fall around her shoulders. “Coffee is fine, thanks.”
He gaped at her. “Coffee? Is that it?”
She paused, hands on her hips and her lips tightening. “It’s what I always have.”
“Come on. You’ll make me feel like a lousy host if I don’t get to make you a proper breakfast. Anything—your choice.” She might be craving a caffeine hit, but for complete mental alertness, surely she needed to eat something substantial. Well, it was up to him to make sure she was fed right. “Might I suggest something a bit more filling than just coffee. Your body will thank me for it.” Matt knew how to feed people; it was what he did. Maybe he’d do better to avoid lecturing her though. Get her over to his way of thinking by tempting her rather than telling her.
“I’ll have you know that my body is fine as it is. Just coffee. Thank you.” She brushed past him and walked up the stairs. The door to her room shut loudly.
Way to go, Matt. That’s how you impress a pretty girl. Criticize her diet. Foolish man. He slipped into his room behind the kitchen and stripped off his sweaty shirt and shorts. He had to step back and let her do her own thing. He wasn’t her mother, for goodness sake.
Matt continued to berate himself while he stood under the shower spray. By the time he climbed out, dried off, and pulled on clean clothes, he was determined to undo the damage he’d done to her.
The coffee machine was humming along and he poured himself a mug to sip while he made breakfast—for himself, at least. He still put out granola, fresh fruit and yogurt just in case Mia changed her mind. Then he made his usual bacon and egg muffin. He needed the protein to get through the day.
Footsteps pounded down the stairs. He waited to gauge her mood, wondering if she’d forgiven him for haranguing her.
* * *
She’d been short with him earlier when all he did was try to do his job, though it had sounded like a lecture. Making sure his guests were fed and happy was how a person ran a successful B&B. That little bit of effort got a business good reviews and return customers—everyone knew that. Now she had to apologize or the next month would drag on more than it needed to. Mia walked into the kitchen.
Matt stood at the stove, a spatula in his hand, his hair pulled back into a bun with a bright red elastic band. Short damp tendrils of hair hugged the back of his neck and she watched his easy movements for a second or two before finding her voice.
“Something smells good,” she said.
“Bacon and scrambled egg. My standby breakfast on a muffin.” He turned and smiled at her over his shoulder, dimples on display. At least he didn’t hold a grudge, unlike herself—she could carry one forever. Or so it seemed right now. She needed to move on and see his kindness for what it was: an attempt to keep her happy as a client of his business. Time to eat humble pie and stop being so paranoid about someone taking over her life. After that early morning run, she’d earned something decent to eat.
Her stomach rumbled as the sound of sizzling bacon buzzed through the kitchen. “Can I be a pain and change my mind?”
“Sure thing. It just so happens that I always cook
