with child-like enthusiasm. There was nothing childish about her nicely rounded behind when she bent over to examine the claw-foot bathtub, or about his sudden urge to join her in that tub. And he thought he might scream in frustration when she ran her fingers across his bed. How on earth was he supposed to co-exist in this house with that woman when his body and imagination kept reacting like a hormonal teenager?
He didn't have the money to buy out Tara's half of the house; Jacqueline had pretty much cleaned him out in the divorce. And even if Tara could afford to buy him out, which he doubted, he wasn't ready to let the house go to someone who might sell out to the very developers he was trying to protect it from. The only person who could afford to buy out anyone was Jacqueline, and he'd be damned if he was going to let that Ice Queen get her hands on the place.
With a sigh, Ethan dragged himself out of bed. Tara had told him that she would be arriving with her belongings in the morning, and he wanted to be ready. He started a pot of coffee and took a quick shower, hoping that the steam and caffeine would clear his head.
When Tara showed up soon after, he felt guilty to see that she had taken a cab. Of course, he thought with chagrin, he should have remembered that she didn't drive and probably couldn't lift or carry any of her belongings. For the hundredth time, he wondered again about her apparent injury and weakness.
He took two suitcases from the taxi driver at the door. "Can I help you carry in the rest?" he asked her.
"That's all there is," Tara told him. She raised her chin in the defiant gesture he had seen the day before, silently daring him to ask any questions. When he didn't, she cleared her throat and looked around the room uncomfortably.
"So, we never discussed sleeping arrangements," she said, after moment.
"Excuse me?"
"We never talked about who is sleeping in which room. It wouldn't be fair for either one of us to just sail in and take over the master bedroom. I thought we could flip for it."
"Flip?"
"A coin? You know, heads or tails?"
Ethan nodded and pulled a quarter out of his pocket. "Call it in the air," he said, tossing the coin straight up.
"Heads!" She cried.
Ethan looked down at the back of the coin in his hand. "Looks like today's my lucky day," he told her. "I get the master bedroom and you're in my bedroom."
Her face colored.
"I mean – that is – " Ethan stammered, cursing inwardly.
Tara laughed. She didn't have one of those dainty, delicate little giggles that he would have expected. No, she had a deep, contagious belly-laugh that seemed almost too big for the room they stood in. She clapped both hands over her mouth, obviously embarrassed.
"Okay," she managed, still fighting back a giggle; "okay, Ethan, why don't we start over? This is going to be strange enough as it is, so we might as well try to get along with as few uncomfortable moments as possible."
"Agreed." He couldn't help smiling. "Have you had breakfast yet?"
She shook her head.
"I happen to know a great place that has the best pancakes in town. Let me take you out for breakfast, and we can get to know each other better while we eat."
Not long after, they faced each other across a table at a tiny diner in town. He watched as Tara poured a liberal amount of maple syrup over an enormous stack of pancakes in front of her.
"So, where do we start?" He asked.
"I'll go first," she said. "I grew up right here in Beach Haven, got my cosmetology license right after graduation, and I've worked at Jeffrey Leonard Salon ever since. My Mom lives in Grand Rapids and my older brother is in the Army. And that's about it."
"And my Grandmother was one of your clients?"
Tara nodded. "Every Friday afternoon. When she wasn't able to drive any more, I made sure she was my last client of the day so I could give her a ride home. We used to sit on the porch and drink a glass of iced tea together when I dropped her off. I used to
He didn't have the money to buy out Tara's half of the house; Jacqueline had pretty much cleaned him out in the divorce. And even if Tara could afford to buy him out, which he doubted, he wasn't ready to let the house go to someone who might sell out to the very developers he was trying to protect it from. The only person who could afford to buy out anyone was Jacqueline, and he'd be damned if he was going to let that Ice Queen get her hands on the place.
With a sigh, Ethan dragged himself out of bed. Tara had told him that she would be arriving with her belongings in the morning, and he wanted to be ready. He started a pot of coffee and took a quick shower, hoping that the steam and caffeine would clear his head.
When Tara showed up soon after, he felt guilty to see that she had taken a cab. Of course, he thought with chagrin, he should have remembered that she didn't drive and probably couldn't lift or carry any of her belongings. For the hundredth time, he wondered again about her apparent injury and weakness.
He took two suitcases from the taxi driver at the door. "Can I help you carry in the rest?" he asked her.
"That's all there is," Tara told him. She raised her chin in the defiant gesture he had seen the day before, silently daring him to ask any questions. When he didn't, she cleared her throat and looked around the room uncomfortably.
"So, we never discussed sleeping arrangements," she said, after moment.
"Excuse me?"
"We never talked about who is sleeping in which room. It wouldn't be fair for either one of us to just sail in and take over the master bedroom. I thought we could flip for it."
"Flip?"
"A coin? You know, heads or tails?"
Ethan nodded and pulled a quarter out of his pocket. "Call it in the air," he said, tossing the coin straight up.
"Heads!" She cried.
Ethan looked down at the back of the coin in his hand. "Looks like today's my lucky day," he told her. "I get the master bedroom and you're in my bedroom."
Her face colored.
"I mean – that is – " Ethan stammered, cursing inwardly.
Tara laughed. She didn't have one of those dainty, delicate little giggles that he would have expected. No, she had a deep, contagious belly-laugh that seemed almost too big for the room they stood in. She clapped both hands over her mouth, obviously embarrassed.
"Okay," she managed, still fighting back a giggle; "okay, Ethan, why don't we start over? This is going to be strange enough as it is, so we might as well try to get along with as few uncomfortable moments as possible."
"Agreed." He couldn't help smiling. "Have you had breakfast yet?"
She shook her head.
"I happen to know a great place that has the best pancakes in town. Let me take you out for breakfast, and we can get to know each other better while we eat."
Not long after, they faced each other across a table at a tiny diner in town. He watched as Tara poured a liberal amount of maple syrup over an enormous stack of pancakes in front of her.
"So, where do we start?" He asked.
"I'll go first," she said. "I grew up right here in Beach Haven, got my cosmetology license right after graduation, and I've worked at Jeffrey Leonard Salon ever since. My Mom lives in Grand Rapids and my older brother is in the Army. And that's about it."
"And my Grandmother was one of your clients?"
Tara nodded. "Every Friday afternoon. When she wasn't able to drive any more, I made sure she was my last client of the day so I could give her a ride home. We used to sit on the porch and drink a glass of iced tea together when I dropped her off. I used to
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