A Buckhorn Summer

She moaned.

“It’s okay,” he told her as he readjusted, aligning his body to hers, drawing her closer. “It’s just a kiss.”

“Just a kiss.” Her arms came around his neck and, helping with the embrace, she went on tiptoe.

Time slipped away. If he wanted her to work with him—and hell, yeah, he did—he needed to iron out a few details before customers started showing up.

Again cupping her face, he ended the kiss by small degrees, then drew her head to his chest. He gave himself a few seconds to catch his breath and clear the fog of lust before he said, “If I could make another suggestion?”

“Another?”

He liked her braid. It was a little loose, a little sloppy. He ran his hand along the length and enjoyed the silkiness of her hair. “The first being that you work with me.”

“Oh, yeah. That.”

“Yes, that.” He took a step back to see her but kept a hand flattened to the wall beside her head. “And if you agree, then how about we start over?”

She shook her head. “With what?”

“Yesterday is the first day we formally met.” And now he had an opportunity to know her, really know her.

Along with her million family members.

Fighting off a laugh ripe with embarrassment, Lisa covered her mouth and whispered, “We did that without even knowing each other’s names.”

Liking her laugh—liking her—he said, “I know.”

She snickered. “’Course you do. You were there.”

“There, and very actively participating.” Backing up so that he wouldn’t pressure her again, Gray leaned a hip on the ice cream case and smiled at her. “I didn’t need your name. But everything else...” His smile faded. “I needed the rest of it in a bad way. So thank you. You don’t know it, but you turned me around.”

Inching closer, she asked, “What does that mean?”

Hard to explain, especially since he didn’t entirely understand it, but he gave it a shot. “I was...” He wouldn’t say lost. That sounded real pansy-ass. “...at loose ends.” And struggling to get my head on straight. But again, that made him sound far too weak. “I needed a change, but I’d been resisting and fucking brooding about it and if you hadn’t showed up I probably would have gotten shitfaced and then gotten up the next day and carried on as usual. But after you...”

Those big, dark eyes watched him with gentle curiosity. “After me?”

“Everything felt different. Me, my situation.”

“What situation is that?”

He shook his head. No way would he lay the heavy stuff on her. Not now, maybe not ever. “I was ready for a change of pace, and so here I am. But I had no idea I’d find you here, too.”

She tipped her head and that silky braid fell over her shoulder, the tip resting against her breast. “Shohn and Adam said you were a cop?”

“Yeah.” He’d thought to retire from the force when he hit his midsixties. Not with an injury. Not with rage consuming him. Not with his best friend gone forever.

Now very near, Lisa asked, “Not anymore?”

He shook his head again, but that didn’t suffice, so he said, “No.”

Her eyes went softer, darker. She touched his arm. “You’re from Chicago?”

“No, but my partner was.” He pushed off the case, moving away from her and the comfort he didn’t deserve, giving her his back. “I’m originally from Cincinnati. I was only in Chicago for his funeral.”

He didn’t hear Lisa move, but he felt the light touch of her small hand on his back. “I’m sorry.”

Done with that subject, Gray turned to face her and gestured at the shop. “The hours are flexible. Minimum wage to start, but I’m open to promoting you if things work out.”

Her lips twitched. “Wow, such a...great offer.”

“You’ll be working with me most of the time.”

“There is that.”

She considered it a perk? Because he sure as hell did.

As if thinking it out, she began to pace. “Like you said, my family is everywhere, and never, not in a million years, would they ever think I’d do...what we did.”

“That just means I know you better than most.” He’d already told her it was their secret; she’d either trust him on that or not.

“In some ways, you do. But for the most part, we’re still strangers.”

Didn’t feel that way to him. “We could do a trial run. Take a week or two just to get to know each other.” He didn’t need that, but it looked as though she did. Patience, he reminded himself.

Her expression perked up. “A trial run? For the job?”

“For us,” he explained. “I’d be completely hands-off. That is, unless you say otherwise.” Dead serious, he admitted, “The second you say you’re ready, I’m full go. But until then, for all anyone will ever know, we just met.”

“You’d be doing all the giving.”

Heat rolled through him, making his voice gruff. “Believe me, I remember the payoff, and lady, you’re well worth the wait.”

Again her face warmed, but she smiled. “Gorgeous, generous and a charmer, too. How am I supposed to resist that?”

“You’re not. So tell me, Lisa Sommerville. You wanna work for me?”

“You know, Gray Neely, I believe I do.”

“Great.” Hearing voices outside, he strode to the doors and opened them. “You can start right now.”

* * *

THE MORNING WENT off without a hitch. It was, in fact, enjoyable to jump in on one of the busiest days on the lake. As a kid, Lisa had been to the shop so many times that she knew the layout, which hadn’t changed much, caught on quick to restocking and enjoyed her turn at refueling the boats.

It also impressed her how Gray handled things. He was friendly with the customers, making an effort to remember names and relationships, deferential with the elders, patient with the kids and judicious with the flirting hordes of women who descended on him.

Okay, so maybe there weren’t actual hordes. But there were a lot of them, and to her dismay, none of them appeared to need time to think about it. Most of the women were unknown to her, vacationers there for the summer or maybe just a day.