Page 11 of Then Came You

It sounded innocent enough, but she kept her gaze pointed straight ahead.

“Thanks for agreeing to it.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“Really?” She ventured a glance at him.

He nodded. “I really do like kids. That wasn’t a lie.”

“Kids and dogs, huh?”

“Yep. I’m a sucker for little people and canines.”

She knew nothing of Sam’s personal life, but she’d assumed he wasn’t married or had children. She glanced discreetly at his left hand and saw he wasn’t wearing a ring, although that didn’t always mean anything. For all she knew, he could be married, divorced, widowed, or have a slew of children. But his next sentence confirmed her assumption.

“My mom is anxiously awaiting the day I get married and have kids. For now, I suggested she treat Rocky like her grandchild, but she’s not having it.”

Gillian laughed, feeling strangely relieved even though his single status shouldn’t matter.

“What about you?”

“What about me?” Panic rose in her throat. Please don’t make me talk about Owen…

“Do you like kids too?”

Whew. “Yes, but for now, I’m content to babysit someone else’s.”

He laughed, and she fished around for a change of subject.

“So, what else do you do in your time off besides come here with Rocky?”

“Well, I live on a lake, so I do a lot of boating and fishing.”

“Does Rocky go out on the boat with you?”

“He has, but it’s kind of small for the two of us. It’s just a rowboat with a motor attached.”

“Ah. What do you do in the winter?”

“Ice-fish.”

She laughed. “Fishing’s a big thing for you.”

He nodded. “I don’t even care if I catch anything. I just like being out on the water. It’s peaceful and relaxing.”

She could relate to that. That was what she loved about living in Holly—lots of open space and privacy. She couldn’t imagine living in a crowded city, or even a crowded neighborhood. She loved waking up to the sounds of birds and squirrels and not much else.

“Do you live near the bookshop?”

Uh-oh. He was heading into dangerous territory again. What if he’d known Owen? If she told him where they—she—lived, would he put it together? She couldn’t remember meeting Sam at the funeral, so maybe he and Owen had never crossed paths, but she couldn’t be sure.

Suddenly Sam stopped walking. “You don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to. I’m not trying to make you feel uncomfortable.”

She shifted to face him, glad she was wearing sunglasses so he couldn’t see her eyes. She wished she wasn’t so skittish. He seemed like a kind man. After all, he had a job that required helping people, and he liked kids and dogs. Plus, he’d agreed to read at the bookstore. She didn’t have any reason to distrust him, yet…

“I’m sorry. I haven’t been very friendly to you.”

He raised his brows with surprise.