He sighed then. “No, I’m the one who should be sorry. I’m just sensitive, because my family’s been bugging me to get back to work. Not because I’m sponging off of them. I have money and I’m paying my share of expenses around the house. They think I’m drifting.”
“Are you?” she asked before she could stop herself. “Sorry, there I go again.”
This time he didn’t take offense. Instead, he shrugged. “It’s true. I am drifting. I was a paramedic before I went overseas. I was a medic in Iraq. That’s how I met …” He drew in a deep breath.
Shanna stayed silent and waited, sensing that he was struggling to find the words to finish the story.
“It’s how Georgia and I met,” he said at last, a catch in his voice. “When I came back, I got a job with a rescue unit in Virginia, while she was stationed at Fort Belvoir. Then she went overseas again. Six months into her tour, that’s when she was killed. I quit my job and moved home.”
“With all that training, I’m sure—”
Kevin cut her off. “Never again. I don’t want to go back to that kind of work. I can’t explain it, but I don’t.”
“Then what will you do?”
He gave her a wry look. “That’s the million-dollar question.” He stood up abruptly. “Look, it’s late. I need to be getting home. I’ll walk you back to the shop.”
“It’s just around the corner,” she protested. “I’ll be fine.”
He gave her an impatient look. “My truck’s just around the corner, too. I’ll walk you back.”
She gave in. “Thank you,” she said. “Let me get a cup of coffee to go and pay the bill.”
His eyes widened. “You planning on an all-nighter?”
She laughed. “I’ll get decaf, but I can’t seem to get anything done without a cup of coffee.”
“Maybe you should consider getting some sleep instead. I’ll be over here first thing to help you again. We’ll have everything in place by the end of the day tomorrow.”
“I can’t ask you to spend another day dealing with shelves and boxes.”
“You didn’t ask. I volunteered. Besides, consider it a favor to me. If I’m with you, I’m not being subjected to questions and worried looks at home.”
“Then this is a good deed on my part?”
“Something like that.”
“In that case, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“You get the coffee going, prove you’ve mastered that machine of yours, and I’ll bring some of Gram’s scones. She always bakes on Friday morning.”
“Now, that’s an offer I can’t resist,” she said as she accepted her change and the take-out cup of coffee from their waitress, who thanked her politely, though her gaze never left Kevin’s face.
“Good night, Kevin,” Mary said, her tone breathless. “Come back soon.”
“Good night,” he replied distractedly, clearly oblivious to the young woman’s undisguised interest.
“I think you have a fan,” Shanna said as they walked away.
He regarded her blankly. “Who?” At her gesture, he glanced back. “Mary? She’s a kid.”
“She’s old enough,” Shanna said, though she was vaguely relieved that he didn’t share the girl’s interest.
A few minutes later, in front of her shop, Kevin said, “I’ll wait till you’re inside with the door locked. I still think it would be better if I walked you up to your apartment. I don’t like the idea of you in here all alone late at night.”
“First of all, it’s not that late, barely ten o’clock. Second, Chesapeake Shores is a very safe town. It says so in all the brochures.”
“Do you think the local Chamber of Commerce would announce it if we’d been having a crime wave?”
Shanna laughed at that. “Probably not, but everyone I’ve asked, including the local police chief, has told me it’s true.”
“You spoke to the chief?”
“Of course. I wanted to know if I’d need an alarm system.”
“Very smart.”
“Just because I get flustered over putting together a few shelves doesn’t mean I didn’t do my homework,” she said, bristling at what she took as a hint of condescension in his voice.
“Hey, I wasn’t suggesting you didn’t go into this business with your eyes wide open. I was just praising your foresight.”
Shanna winced. “Sorry. My best friend’s skepticism about all this has made me a little touchy.”
“She thought the store was a mistake?”
“She thinks it’s insane, actually. But she’s coming to check it out for herself next week. I intend to prove her wrong.”
“Good for you.” He held open the door so she could go inside, then advised, “Lock up.”
She gave him a quelling look that had him backing away, hands in the air in a gesture of surrender.
“Just a suggestion,” he said.
“Top of my to-do list,” she assured him, closing the door, then making a dramatic show of turning the lock.
Kevin gave her one last wave, then headed down the block toward his truck. She stared after him, wondering at the feeling of disappointment that swept over her when he was out of sight. She felt a moment’s empathy for poor Mary back at the restaurant. What was wrong with her? Had she expected him to come inside, sweep her off her feet and smother her with passionate kisses? Of course not. But a friendly peck on the cheek might have been nice, she thought wistfully.
As soon as the thought came to her, though, she reminded herself that Kevin O’Brien was off-limits. He had more baggage than a passenger jet. So did she. It was a lethal combination. She needed to remember that.
But the scary truth was, it was getting harder and harder.
To Kevin’s very deep regret, his father was at the kitchen table when he walked in there in the morning. The lingering scent of his grandmother’s fresh scones was in the air. An airtight container, filled with the traditional scones, sat on the counter.
“You’re up early,” Kevin commented as he poured himself a cup of coffee. “You going back to the Habitat site this morning?”
“Nope. Getting up early’s a habit that’s hard to break. Thought I’d go over to the inn later. Jess has a few little projects that need doing.”
Kevin lifted a brow. “And she’s letting you do them?”
“As a matter of fact, she asked if I would,” Mick responded, clearly delighted about that. “Depending on how long that takes, I thought I might drive into town afterward and check on Bree.”
“Really?” Kevin said with undisguised skepticism. “Has she mentioned a few chores, as well?”
His father scowled. “Can’t a man visit his own daughter?”
“Of course, if that’s all you’re doing. Are you sure you’re not more interested in checking out the new bookstore, maybe seeing if I’m hanging around there again today?”
Mick gave him a bland look. “Might as well, as long as I’ll be in the neighborhood.”
“You are so transparent,” Kevin accused. “There’s nothing going on between Shanna and me.”
“Never