No Gentle Giant (A Small Town Romance)

By the time we wrapped up today, I needed food and a drink before I could even think about being human around anyone but my son.

Thank the gods of sandwiches I’m human now.

So if I want to catch her before she heads home, I’d better get moving.

I toss down the last of my beer and pitch the bottle in the little outdoor bin, then lever myself up with one last longing look for the twilight sky.

Shit, I hadn’t noticed how much time passed, me sitting out here making Felicity queen of my head.

I realize Eli’s gone quiet.

When I look through the glass of the back door, he’s curled up in the corner of the couch, half drowsing with his lidded eyes on the TV.

I step inside and close the door quietly so I don’t startle him, then cross over to the sofa and rest my hand on top of his head, gently ruffling his hair.

“Hey, little man.” I smile, watching as he jerks with a sleepy snort before blinking up at me muzzily. “I’m gonna drop by and give Miss Felicity her money. You want to come, or you ready for bed? I can send the Fords around to check on you.”

He perks, instantly awake, eyes shining.

“Can I bring my camera?”

I raise my eyebrows. “You want to take pictures of an empty café this late?”

“Well...yeah.” He lowers his eyes sheepishly.

That makes me smile fuller than the moon and belt out a laugh.

He’s a bright boy, and he gets all shy whenever you bring up his photography. It’s how you can tell he loves it—that and the way he lights up anytime he gets a chance to even talk about it.

“I bet it’d make for some cool black-and-white shots with the way the lighting’s set up. All those little gleams of light, you know? Or if I adjust the aperture ring just right, I can do it in color, but make it so only the golden reflections pop and then—”

There must be something in the way I’m looking at him. Because he stops mid-speech, looking at me and turning bright red.

I can’t help it.

I’m damned proud of my boy.

After everything he’s been through with losing his mom, with me hauling ass to find steady work, it makes my chest blow to see him so lively and passionate. He’s growing up with a spark in him, and I feel like I’m not letting him down by keeping it alive.

“You were saying?” I urge, folding my arms.

Clearing his throat, he says a bit more gruffly, “I mean, it’s just easier when it’s later like this, Dad. ‘Cause I have to ask everyone for permission if they’re in the shot, and if Miss Felicity’s the only one there, then I only have to ask her...”

“As long as you make sure you do ask. Glad you remembered.” I ruffle his hair again, then snag the collar of his shirt and tug. “C’mon. Bring your tablet, and I’ll finish that online order for you, too.”

Eli practically bounces after me out to the car. Before we start up my Jeep, I tap through the shopping interface to check out for him.

Sure enough, he’s gotten some kind of smelly fish treats, meaning I’ll have to resign myself to the cabin stinking like a cannery till he and Mozart have made up.

It leaves him beaming, at least, as we make the drive from the outskirts. Charming Inn dominates the fields and bluffs at the edge of town, and we’re heading into Heart’s Edge proper.

Dusty little place. Looks like every truck-stop diner town in the Pacific Northwest, but it’s slowly growing while keeping its rustic charm.

I’m part of the reason it’s blowing up. My boss, Holt Silverton, grew up here. When his construction biz failed in New York, he came home to lick his wounds and brought his crew with him, starting up fresh.

The work hasn’t been half bad.

The views, even better.

In New York City, I missed being able to see the sky, unfettered and strewn with stars.

Maybe there’s no aurora borealis here in Heart’s Edge, but I get to see the night unfiltered by city lights, the Milky Way sprawled out in a path that feels like it’s leading me to something big.

Something special.

A treasure map of sorts.

Damn, why do I have this weird feeling in my chest, all curious and wondering?

I’ve been out of the dating pool for so long I don’t even know if this is what it feels like to have a crush on a pretty lady.

Technically speaking, taking that money in could’ve waited till morning.

There’s just something hot and prickly under my skin about wanting to see Miss Felicity again. No denying it.

Look, I’m a cautious man, but sometimes a man lets impulses lead.

By the time I park my Jeep in front of The Nest, I wonder.