Where the Heart May Lead: A Clean Romance (Harlequin LP Heartwarming) Page 3

  “Good for you,” he finally said. “I like you already.”

  “Excuse me?” Paige said, unable to suppress a smirk.

  “You heard me, Freckles.” He took another bite and looked off in the distance, scanning the shops on the other side of the road. Paige only had a few freckles highlighting the bridge of her nose and tops of her cheeks. It would take an observant eye to notice so quickly. When he stole a glance at her, no doubt to surmise how his comment had gone over, his face broke into a lopsided grin that made her tummy catapult into backflips. “What are you going to get in there?” He held up his sandwich to further clarify before taking another bite.

  “I don’t know. I’ve never been here before. Is this place any good?”

  “The best. Are you open to suggestions?”

  Paige took a contemplative breath. “I suppose, if you’re adamant about offering. What are you having?”

  “Oh, no,” he said. “To do this right, we need to start with all the options. You need a trusted guide.”

  “I don’t think that’s necessary,” she said, making for the door. As charming as he was, she couldn’t afford to have someone asking too many questions about her. But before she could escape, the handsome stranger was on his feet, swallowing the last of his sandwich.

  “Nonsense,” he said, reaching across her to open the door like a proper gentleman. “It’s what I do, and I’m very good at it.”

  Paige entered the shop. She sensed his eyes were on her, ogling her rear end the way men in her past always had, but when she glanced back, she found him scanning the menu above the counter. He seemed to be taking his job seriously. Paige squinted as she gave him a once-over.

  “What do you mean it’s what you do?”

  He pointed to the logo on his shirt. “I’m a pro.”

  “You’re a tour guide?”

  “I used to be, not so long ago. Still have the shirt. Now, what do you have a taste for? Are you a crispy veggie delight kind of person or a heavy on the salty meats kind of person?”

  “I’m a somewhere in the middle kind of person.”

  “My favorite kind.” He smiled, eyes staring straight ahead. Paige snuck a peek at his profile as she pretended to study the menu too. She had veered drastically off target from finding Lucy. A potential job and a handsome flirt were not on her radar when she had arrived in town last night, and yet both were falling right into her lap. Why couldn’t she meet men like this when she was at home and emotionally available? The thought no sooner crossed her mind when she answered her own question: because she never was emotionally available.

  “Back so soon?” An older man with sparse gray hair entered from the back and slipped on a pair of plastic gloves. “What can I make for you?”

  “I’m helping the lady,” he said, motioning to Paige. “She heard wonderful things about your shop, Angelo, and she can’t wait to sink her teeth into a signature sandwich.”

  “Is that right?” Angelo said with a wide smile, his leathery skin warping into a road map of wrinkles across his face. “I’m so happy to hear it. We get most of our business from word of mouth, you know. What did you hear about us? I love to hear compliments word for word.”

  Paige toyed with a lock of her hair and looked helplessly to her tour guide.

  “Word for word, now,” he prompted through a muffled laugh.

  “Well, let me try to remember,” Paige said as her cheeks warmed. “I overheard some people discussing lunch and someone said they had a taste for Angelo’s signature sandwich. All three agreed yours are the best in town.”

  Her tour guide nodded his approval, his eyes dancing with mischievousness.

  “The best in town, Angelo. Did you hear that?”

  “Did they, now?” Angelo hooted, clasping his hands together. “You made my day, pretty lady. Lunch is on the house! Give me a second while I write that one down...best in town... I love it.”

  Paige gave her tour guide a wide grin as Angelo hurried to the back room, muttering happily to himself.

  “Did you plan that?”

  “I thought he’d kick in a free drink or something, but a free lunch is fantastic. He’s in a great mood today.”

  Paige chuckled. “Yeah, and now I am too.”

  “Then that makes three of us.” He settled on a smile that warmed for a few beats too long. Paige blushed. The wise thing to do was cut and run before she swooned into this guy’s arms. “Back to business,” he said, sensing her unease. He shifted from one foot to the other and studied the menu again. “How do you feel about brioche buns?” Paige turned up her nose. He nodded as if recalculating. “Are you a classic Midwestern girl who puts ranch dressing on everything or can you venture off course and try new flavors?”

  “Venture, please.”

  “Do you like blue cheese?”

  “I do.”

  “Arugula?”

  “I can’t say I’ve ever had it.”

  He smiled. “Well, we’re venturing, so I suggest you try it. How about the number five? It’s salty, savory, and the apple slice in there offers just a hint of sweetness.”

  Paige nodded as Angelo returned.

  “I’ll take the number five, Angelo.”

  “Coming right up, pretty lady.”

  The stranger’s eyebrows raised in surprise as he nodded toward the menu. “Aren’t you going to read to see what else is in it?”

  “I’m trusting my tour guide. We’ll see how good you really are.”

  “I appreciate the vote of confidence. If you don’t like it I’ll have to spring for a giant chocolate brownie to make it up to you.”

  “I wouldn’t get cross over a bad sandwich.” Paige smiled, leaning casually against the sandwich case.

  “No?” he said, mirroring her. Her eyes shifted in Angelo’s direction before meeting his again. She lowered her voice.

  “You got me a free lunch, after all.”

  “That is true,” he said. “But just to make sure I stay on your good side, I think I’ll buy the chocolate brownie now as an insurance policy.”

  “How proactive of you.” She tried to suppress a smile, but the stranger’s eyes were so intoxicating, she felt like a schoolgirl flirting with her first crush.

  Paige took her sandwich and two plastic forks from the condiment console as her tour guide paid for the brownie. When he turned, she handed him a fork before settling behind a small table in the window.

  “If we’re sharing a brownie, I take it I can join you,” he said, hovering beside the empty chair across from her.

  “I think you invited yourself the moment you followed me in here. I’m Paige, by the way.”

  “Charlie,” he said, sliding into his seat. “How have I never seen you before?”

  “Do you know everyone in this town?”

  “Most of the people in this area. I grew up around here.”

  “Born and raised, huh?”

  “Something like that.”

  “Well, I only arrived last night.”

  “Then welcome to Roseley.” Paige held up her sandwich in a symbolic toast and took a large bite. She let a happy sigh escape with each chew. Charlie leaned back in his chair, smiling in amusement. “I think she likes it.”

  “I do. You did well.”

  Paige gazed at the stranger over the top of her sandwich. He really did remind her of the charming crush who would have made her heart race back in high school. Well, that was, if she’d had an upbringing that included things like attending a high school.

  “What brings you to Roseley?”

  Paige took another large bite to give herself a moment to think. She needed something as close to the truth as possible. Remembering too many lies had its downfalls. Trudy had taught her that. Finally, she managed, “I’m a writer. I needed some new surroundings.”

  “A
re you looking for inspiration in Roseley?”

  “Kind of.”

  “Are you staying on the lake?”

  “No. Motel.”

  Charlie made a tsk-tsk sound. “Not even a cute bed-and-breakfast?”

  Paige shook her head. “My funds are sparse now. Besides, I’ll spend most of my time out and about.”

  “Well,” Charlie said, scratching the scruff on his chin. “There are plenty of fun things to do this week. Let me be the first to invite you to the third annual Holy Smokes Food Festival, hosted by our very own Rotary and Lions Clubs. Are you a fan of smoked meats?”

  Paige nodded. “I like barbecue.”

  “Excellent. It’s been the talk of the town for the past two weeks. Starting the night before, you can smell smoke and barbecue from anywhere on Main Street. You’ll eat yourself out of house and home for an entire day leading up to it just because your taste buds are in overdrive.”

  “Is that right?”

  “That’s what they say. And of course, you’ve probably already seen signs for the Water Dancers’ Ski Show.”

  “I did, but what are water dancers?”

  “Ah, just the best water ski club this side of Little Roseley Lake.”

  Paige snorted a laugh. “The town isn’t that big. Is that saying something?”

  Charlie matched her grin. “They’re actually pretty good. They perform every Wednesday night in the summer.”

  “I’ll try not to miss it.”

  “No one else does either. You can walk up and down the middle of Main Street during showtime, because it’s so deserted.”

  “It doesn’t seem like it would take much to shut this town down.”

  “Are you getting inspired yet? Could a cozy little town like this be a great place for a murder mystery?”

  “That’s not my speed.”

  “Ah, too bad,” Charlie said, snapping his fingers. A few moments passed as Paige sized up her lunch date. She was enjoying every second of his playful charm. Why, oh, why couldn’t they be meeting under different circumstances?

  “What?” she said as his gaze seemed to drift off while staring at her.

  “Do you ever start the day with one set of goals and then life changes your course?”

  Paige lowered her sandwich to her plate. She knew exactly what he meant and his mere mention of it reminded her of Lucy.

  Before she could answer, Charlie’s cell phone rang. As he raised it to his ear, Paige’s mind drifted to what her next steps were in finding Lucy. There was a high likelihood that Mara was Lucy’s adoptive mother. The middle-aged woman at the sports shop was over fifty and though she could be young enough to adopt a baby now Lucy’s age, the chances that Mara was the mother were much better. The timeline worked too. She said she had owned the shop for eleven years. That made her a business owner at the time she would have been adopting Lucy.

  Regardless, even if Mara wasn’t Lucy’s mother, a job at the sports shop could get her familiarized with the people in town and give her reason to talk to folks without sending up too many red flags. All of this was a moot point, she reminded herself, because she couldn’t stay in Roseley forever. She had to find Lucy, confirm she was safe and happy and then get back home to Aunt Joan and Uncle Craig as soon as possible. Uncle Craig had assured her he’d be all right without her, but she knew better than to stay away too long.

  “I’m at The Sandwich Board,” Charlie said into his phone. “I can bring you back something.”

  Paige hesitantly took another bite, pretending not to listen. She hoped Charlie wasn’t flirting with her over lunch while speaking to his girlfriend or wife on the line. She snuck a glance at his ring finger and found it bare.

  “I’m enjoying someone’s company, actually,” he said, glancing briefly at her. “Thanks, Tully. I’ll see you in a bit.”

  Paige found herself breathing a sigh of relief. Tully, as best as she could tell, was a man’s name, but just as quickly as relief flooded over her, she was mentally kicking herself. She shouldn’t care about Charlie’s availability, because she wouldn’t be around long enough to pursue anything further than this lunch...dessert included, of course.

  “Do you need to leave?” she said when he was done. Charlie shrugged but made no move to get up. “If you don’t mind me asking, how can you run a tour guide company in this tiny place? I mean, there’s the lake and the state park, but it’s not that big, is it?”

  “I don’t run a tour guide company. Not anymore.” His expression soured as he stabbed a corner of the brownie and shoved it into his mouth. It led her to believe she’d wandered onto a delicate subject. He stared silently out the front window before taking another stab at the brownie. “Life has a way of making its own plans.”

  Paige knew all too well how true that was. She took a stab of the brownie herself to show her solidarity, but before she could ease the chocolaty bite onto her fork, Charlie swiped it off her fork and popped it into his mouth.

  “Hey!” she said, laughing. His crooked grin made her try again. “No fair. I haven’t had a taste yet.”

  “So sorry,” he said, holding up his hands in defeat. “Go ahead. It’s really delicious.”

  Paige jostled a large bite onto her fork again just as Charlie swiped it and popped it into his mouth a second time.

  “Seriously?” she said with a laugh.

  “I can’t help it if you’re slow. This is survival of the fittest, Freckles.”

  Paige held a protective arm between Charlie and her brownie before managing to take a bite. He chuckled as she closed her eyes in satisfaction.

  “Now that is good.”

  “Angelo’s is the best in town. Your words, not mine.” He smiled for a moment before shifting in his chair. “Listen, Paige, I do have to get back to something. I know you’re new in town, and perhaps don’t have dinner plans yet...at least I’m hoping you don’t.”

  She blinked up at him. “Are you asking me out?”

  “Only if you say yes.” There was that lopsided grin again. “If you turn me down then I’m going to pretend it’s all an embarrassing misunderstanding...on your end, of course.”

  She knew he was trying for a laugh, but her sudden unease made her avert her eyes back to the brownie. Dating was a step in the wrong direction. She was in Roseley for one reason and one reason only. Besides, what kind of happily-ever-after could she really expect when she couldn’t tell him about her past or who she was or why she was in Roseley in the first place? They had had a nice little lunch, a few beautiful moments to distract her from her troubles but that was all.

  “That sounds really nice, Charlie, but I don’t think...”

  “Don’t say yes right now. In fact, you might say yes for the wrong reason, considering I did get you a free sandwich.”

  “Are you still bringing that up? I’ll never hear the end of it.”

  He grinned harder as he stood and made his way to the front door.

  “If you’re interested, meet me tonight at the Bayshore Bar around seven o’clock. If you don’t show, then I’ll have a pretty lakeside sunset to watch as I cry into my drink.”

  Paige took a breath to respond, but Charlie had already slipped out the front door. After watching him disappear down the block, she picked up her brownie and eyed it carefully.

  “How was it, pretty lady?” Angelo called from behind the counter. Paige sunk her teeth into the chocolaty goodness.

  “Completely unexpected,” she sighed. “And wonderful.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHARLIE STILLWATER RAPPED lightly on the screen door before swinging it open.

  “Hello! Where the heck are you?” he called.

  “Back here.”

  He followed the direction of the voice to find his best friend, Tully, sprawled under the kitchen sink.

  “How on earth do you n
ot have a basin wrench?” he asked, placing his own on the floor beside Tully.

  Tully slid out from underneath the sink and wiped his hands on an old rag. “I can’t find it, and I’ve been tinkering with this plumbing all morning.” He stood with a sigh and cracked his neck. He was a bear of a man, bigger than any fellow Charlie had ever encountered. However, anyone who got to know Tully knew he was a big teddy bear. A teddy bear with a sharp wit and discerning mind.

  Charlie claimed a bar stool on the other side of the counter as Tully glanced around.

  “Sandwiches?”

  “What?”

  Tully raised his eyebrows. “You said you’d bring me the wrench and some lunch. I’m starving.”

  Charlie ran a hand down the length of his face. “Oh, man, I’m sorry. I forgot.”

  “I talked to you not twenty minutes ago—”

  “I know. I can’t explain it.”

  Tully tipped his head and studied his friend. “Oh, no.”

  “What?”

  “I’ve seen that look before. Who is she?”

  Charlie rolled his eyes. “Trouble.”

  “I like her already.”

  “She has my head spinning, man.”

  “When did you meet her?”

  “About ten minutes before you called.”

  Tully let out a snort as he yanked open the refrigerator door. “You always do this. Why am I not surprised?”

  “Do what?”

  Tully placed a can of tuna fish and condiments on the kitchen counter across from Charlie. He chuckled again as he fixed himself a tuna fish sandwich and a pickle.

  “This. Jumping in with both feet without checking to make sure there’s water in the pool.”

  “But you haven’t met this woman, Tully. She’s—”

  “Beautiful?”

  “Gorgeous. Butter-blond hair, bright green eyes—”

  “A deviance from your usual type.”

  Charlie frowned, not wanting to think about the past. He had agreed to help his family, but that didn’t mean he had to put his romantic life on hold. He wanted to move on. He desperately needed to move on and that meant not thinking about...