If I Didn't Know Better (The Callaways #9)(10)

"I look forward to that day. How long do you think you'll be in Angel's Bay?"

"A few weeks. I have some time and there's no better place than Angel's Bay in the summer. It looks like you and I are going to be neighbors for a while, Jeremy."

She gave him a smile that literally stopped his breath. "Great," he muttered.

She laughed. "Don't worry. I'm not going to be a problem. I'm usually quite responsible—all evidence to the contrary."

He couldn't help smiling as she threw his words back in his face. He realized that it was probably the first time he'd felt amused by anything in over six weeks, and as he found himself unable to look away from her sparkling eyes, he realized that Mia Callaway was going to be a problem, a beautiful and quite possibly irresistible problem. But he had enough on his plate without throwing a woman into the mix, didn't he?





Three

It was the strangest dinner she'd ever had, Mia thought, as she finished up her second slice of pizza and looked across the table at her companions. Ashlyn had eaten one slice quite slowly and spent the rest of the time staring at Mia. It was a very intense stare, too, questioning in some way that Mia couldn't begin to understand.

She wondered if she reminded Ashlyn of her mother, if that was why the little girl seemed so fascinated by her. Or maybe it was just that she was female, and Ashlyn felt more comfortable with her than with the strange man who'd shown up at her door saying he was her father.

Mia couldn't imagine how that would have felt. She'd been lucky to grow up with solid parents, wonderful siblings, and an amazing extended family. But this little girl had apparently been raised by a single mom, suffered a terrible loss, and had been handed off to a man she never met. No wonder she didn't want to talk. She probably had no idea what to say to her father.

Mia's gaze drifted across the table to Jeremy Holt. He was more than a little attractive in a rough-edged kind of way. He had dark brown hair and brown eyes, much like his daughter, but there was no waifish softness about him. His short-sleeved T-shirt revealed muscular arms and a broad chest, and his jeans clung to a frame that didn't appear to have an ounce of fat on it. He was tan, too, his skin darkened by the sun. She got the feeling that he spent a lot of time outside, and she couldn't help wondering what he actually did for a living. Maybe it was time to find out.

"So, Jeremy, what do you do for work?" she asked.

"I'm in the Army."

That explained the solid, ripped physique. "Are you on leave?"

"Yes."

"Because you're a dad now," she ventured, when he didn't continue speaking.

"And because I was injured six weeks ago. I need to rehab my shoulder," he said, rolling his left shoulder back with a wince. "It's going to take time to get back to one hundred percent."

"Do you want to go back?"

"Yes," he said without a hint of doubt. "The Army has been my life for the past twelve years, but it may not be my choice as to whether or not I go back. The physical requirements for my unit are extremely high." He paused. "Do you want the last slice of pizza?"

She realized he'd deliberately changed the subject, but she didn't want to pry into his personal life, so she followed his lead. "No, I'm full, but it was excellent. Where did you get it?"

"Rocco's."

"I've never heard of that place."

"It's down by the harbor. I think it's new. Have you spent a lot of time in Angel's Bay?"

"I spent several summers here when I was a teenager, but I haven't been here since then. I kept meaning to come down for a visit, but life got in the way. I feel badly about that now." She let out a little sigh, then said, "What about you? What brought you to Angel's Bay?"

"Ashlyn. I grew up here, but I left at eighteen, and I had no intention of coming back until everything changed."

"Why wouldn't you want to come back to Angel's Bay? It's so charming."

"And small and boring."

"Well, that's part of the charm."

"Not when you grow up here."

"Did you know my Aunt Carly?"

"No, I didn't. Aside from a few weekend visits, I haven't spent much time here in the last decade."

"You probably wouldn't have run in the same circles anyway."

"Probably not." Jeremy looked at his daughter. "If you're done eating, Ashlyn, why don't you take your plate to the counter? You can watch TV for a while if you want to."

Ashlyn hesitated, and then she slowly got up from the table. After putting her plate in the sink, she walked back to the table and sat down, her arms crossed in front of her small chest.

"I guess we're more interesting than TV," Mia said lightly.

"Or you are," he said dryly. "What do you do for a living?"

"I was working at the Kelleher Art Museum in San Francisco until recently."

"What happened?"

"It's a long story, but I'm now unemployed, and I'm free to clear out my aunt's house. My mom was going to do it, but she broke her foot, and it would have been difficult for her to get down here any time soon. I'm actually looking forward to going through the house, and I think I'm the perfect person for the job. If any of my other siblings had come down here, they'd probably just start throwing things away without even looking at them. They don’t share my appreciation for history or sentiment. Plus, what could be better than summer in Angel's Bay?"