A High-End Finish(65)

Mac closed the door behind Eric, leaving me mystified.

But a minute later, I saw Hal bounding up the stairs. What the hell? I ran out to the garden and waved at him. “Hal!”

He glanced down. “Hey, Shannon. What’s up?”

“What are you doing here? Where’s Lizzie?”

“She’s at home with the kids. I’m going to Mac’s.”

“But why?”

“It’s his monthly poker game.” He rubbed his hands together in excitement. “See you later, kiddo.”

? ? ?

The poker game broke up around two in the morning—not that I’d stayed up watching and waiting to make sure everyone left at a decent hour. I didn’t care. I was a little surprised that Jane and I hadn’t been rudely awakened by any shouting or drunken laughter in the middle of the night. No, I just happened to wake up to get a glass of water and saw Mac walking with the other guys down the stairs and out to their cars. They were talking in low tones and I must say I appreciated their courtesy.

I had grown up playing card games with my dad and Uncle Pete, so I’d never considered poker some sort of esoteric ritual among men. But some of my girlfriends did and they were always peeved when they weren’t included. I had joined in plenty of poker games with my crew guys, and while I liked to play, I didn’t like to lose.

The one time I had put up a quiet stink about not being allowed to play in a big poker game was when a new builder came to town from Mendocino. He invited all the local contractors except me and another woman, a friend who was co-owner of a local plumbing company. I found out later that I had also not been invited to bid on a job he was about to start. That pissed me off and I let people know it. Not that I was all that powerful, but I was a firm believer in fair dealing, so suffice to say it never happened again.

In the case of Mac’s poker party, though, I was just happy he was making new friends in Lighthouse Cove and also inviting his old friends to be a part of our town.

And didn’t I sound like Little Miss Sunshine working overtime for the Chamber of Commerce? I finished drinking my water and went back to bed.

? ? ?

Jane had made coffee and was gone by the time I woke up the next morning. I walked outside with my coffee mug in hand to pick up the mail I’d forgotten to get the day before. As I strolled back to the kitchen door, I saw Mac waiting at the gate.

“Hello.”

“Morning, Irish,” he said, pushing the gate open. “I hope we didn’t keep you up last night.”

“Not at all,” I said. “You guys were pretty quiet. Did you have a good time?”

“Sure did.”

“Who was the big winner?”

“Hal.” He shook his head in disgust. “The guy’s got a computer inside his head.”

“I hope you didn’t lose too badly.”

“I never do,” he assured me. He grabbed something off the picnic table and handed it to me. “I wanted to return this to you.”

“My basket.”

“Yeah. Thanks for putting all that stuff together for me. You saved my life.”

I laughed. “I doubt that, but I’m glad you were able to use it.”

“No, I’m serious, you saved my life. The chocolate, the vegetables—everything. It was really thoughtful of you. Sometimes I get into a zone and forget to eat, forget to sleep, barely remember to breathe.”

“I’m not very creative, but I can see how that could happen when you’re really into the story.”

“Yeah, it happens.” He took a step closer and touched my arm with the tips of his fingers. “But you’re wrong. When I look around here, I see creativity in everything you do.”

“Oh.” Self-conscious now, I glanced around at the garden, the house; tried to see it through his eyes. “I guess you could look at it that way, but it’s nothing like what you do.”

He laughed softly. “You have no idea.”

I smiled. “Anyway, if you’d ever like to take something from the garden, you’re more than welcome to—”

“I’m dazzled by you, Shannon Hammer.”

“You are?”

“Yeah,” he said, moving closer. His fingers skimmed up and down my arm and brushed my hair back off my shoulders. “I forgot to eat and sleep and breathe because of you. I dreamed of your green eyes.”

“Oh, dear.”

“It’s all good,” he said, smiling as he leaned in and kissed me. It was such a surprise that I held my breath for a few seconds. But then I relaxed and gave in to the sweet excitement of having a man’s lips on mine. Something stirred inside me. Attraction, of course, but more than that. Electricity. Happiness. Wow.

When he stepped back, he was still smiling.

“Well. Um.” Apparently I had forgotten how to speak.

He chuckled. “I know what you mean.”

I shook my head. “It’s just . . . well, that was unexpected.”

“But kind of awesome, right?”

I laughed, charmed by him. “Definitely awesome.”

“Good.” He grabbed my hand companionably and walked me up the steps to my kitchen door. “I’m going back to work. I’ve got a great new character in this book. Jake Slater has finally met a woman who befuddles him completely.”