He felt Kinley touch his arm and he realized that once again he’d unwittingly revealed old emotions to her. What was it about her that made it so easy for him to open up to her? Oddly enough, after only a couple of days with her, he felt as though Kinley knew him better than some people he’d known for months.
She sighed lightly. “The Sossamans aren’t bad parents, I guess. Just easily distracted. And they all tend to assume that everyone else is watching Grayson when it turns out that no one is.”
“Pushing the kid off on everyone else, ignoring him to focus on their own personal dramas?” He felt his irritation mounting as he spoke, and he fought to bank it down. This was not the time to dwell on the past. “I just hope nothing happens to the kid while they’re being ‘not bad’ parents.”
Before she had a chance to respond, he drew a sharp breath and glanced around Logan’s home. The cottage was small, but tidy, designed to fade into the background as much as possible so as not to draw attention from the inn, gazebo and gardens. “Where is your brother?”
“He had a doctor’s appointment late this afternoon, after which I talked him into going out for dinner with a friend. He hasn’t had a night off in weeks. He made sure everything was ready for the rehearsal before he left, and of course he’d come rushing back if I text him. But I think Ninja will stay put for now, especially if we keep an eye on Grayson.”
“Yeah, I’m sure he will.” Dan rattled the latch, just to be sure it was secure. “I was just curious. I usually see your brother quietly working somewhere on the grounds.”
“Yeah, he’s not much of a talker but he’s a hard worker.”
“So, what’s your part in the rest of this?” he asked, nodding toward the gazebo. “Does Eva expect you to light the candles, play the piano, sing the solos and perform the ceremony?”
She laughed, but immediately smoothed her expression. “We have other people doing all those things, of course, but I’ll be around in case I’m needed. I’m having to serve as de facto wedding planner in dealing with the subcontractors.”
“Let me guess. Eva wanted to do all the planning, herself?”
Kinley bit her lip against another smile. “Yes.”
He shook his head. “I have a feeling you’ll be glad when this one is over and you can cash the check.”
“I should probably get back now.”
“Yes, I know. You won’t talk smack about your client. I have to admire your restraint.”
She cleared her throat, glanced toward the inn, then gave him a look through her lashes. “About what happened at my house earlier…”
He still felt a low thrum course through him when he thought about those kisses. About having his hands on her, having her pressed so tightly against him he’d felt the warmth of her skin through her clothes. Focused and no-nonsense Kinley Carmichael had a hotly passionate side hidden beneath those professional outfits she wore. He wondered if she even fully acknowledged that facet of her own personality.
“Thanks to that terribly timed phone call, not a lot did happen,” he reminded her.
She turned to stare hard at Ninja, who had settled onto Logan’s back stoop and fallen asleep, his rumbly growl changing to a gruff snore. “Probably for the best. After all, you’re leaving tomorrow.”
Dan moved closer to her, standing just behind her. He, too, looked at the dog, but his attention was completely focused on Kinley. “Like I said, I could hang around for a few more days. Maybe you and I could do something Sunday? You don’t work Sundays, do you?”
“Actually, I do work most Sundays, either here at the inn or showing a house or just catching up on paperwork at home.”
He shook his head in exasperation. There was definitely such a thing as being too focused. “But maybe you can free a couple hours this Sunday? The wedding will be over, and you’ll deserve a break. Your brother isn’t the only one who needs an occasional evening off, you know.”
She turned her head to look at him over her shoulder. “Can you really just rearrange your schedule on a whim like that? Don’t you have appointments? Schedules?”
He shrugged. “I’m flexible. I’ve been thinking about taking some time off. Maybe working more on my book.”
“You haven’t said much about the book yet. Will it be based on some of your adventures?”
He swallowed, a bit nervous as always when he talked to anyone else about the book he’d been burning to write. “I’d use some of what I learned in my travels, but the story is pure fiction. Thriller, espionage stuff—a hapless young guy caught up in something big and deadly. A friend of mine from college is a fairly well-known film producer now. We had drinks in New York one night and he said the idea intrigued him. He said he’d consider optioning the book for a film if I send it to him when it’s completed.”
Her face lit up with instant enthusiasm. “Wow, Dan, that’s pretty great. I mean, you could write a book or a screenplay or both. Maybe turn it into a whole series. You should get an agent and maybe a publicist and a…”
“Whoa, whoa!” Laughing, he held up both hands. Her enthusiasm pleased him, but also made him even more overwhelmed about the goal he’d set for himself. What if it all came to nothing? What if he made a big deal out of the book, then struck out with it? It seemed prudent to downplay the dream, hedging his bets, in a way.
“It’s still just at the early stages, an outline and a few sample chapters. My cousin wants me to keep writing for the magazine—actually, she’s nagging me to take an edit
orial spot, but as I said before, that doesn’t interest me. Maybe I’ll start another series for her about interesting Southern places. Maybe I’ll spotlight local legends in the next series. Like a ghostly bride who blesses couples who are lucky in love.”
As he’d calculated, that comment dimmed the excitement in her expression, distracting her from his tenuous ideas for his future. “You know how I feel about that,” she said flatly.