It was the laughter-filled eyes that decided me.
I nodded and strode past him. Water dripped onto the hardwood floors, but since there was already a puddle forming around the blue-eyed, rugged, flannel guy’s feet I didn’t let it bother me too much.
His boots squeaked and squished on the floor as he passed me; the momentary flare of heat from his body as he brushed by caused a delicious shiver to ripple down my spine.
“Tea? Coffee? Hot cocoa?” he called out without looking back.
He was about to disappear through a door that had Staff Only written on it, giving me little time to decide. “Hot cocoa,” I blurted out.
I took a seat at a nearby table, grimacing at the squish of my clothes as I sat. I was definitely going to leave a butt-shaped puddle there when I stood up.
The door behind me banged open again and I turned around to see BRF (blue-eyed, rugged, flannel) Guy coming toward me with a white towel in his hand. He handed it to me without a word.
“Thanks,” I said, bemused when he just nodded and headed back through the Staff Only door. “A man of few words,” I murmured.
His monosyllabic nature was kind of refreshing, actually. I knew a lot of men who loved the sound of their own voice.
I wrapped the towel around the ends of my blond hair and squeezed the water out of it. Once I had wrung as much of the water from my hair as I could, I swiped the towel over my cheeks, only to gasp in horror at the black stains left on it.
Fumbling through my purse for my compact, I flushed with embarrassment when I saw my reflection. I had scary black-smeared eyes and mascara streaks down my cheeks.
No wonder BRF Guy had been laughing at me.
I used the towel to scrub off the mascara, then, completely mortified, I slammed my compact shut. I now had no makeup on, I was flushed red like a teenager, and my hair was flat and wet.
The bar guy wasn’t exactly my type. Still, he was definitely attractive in his rough-around-the-edges way and, well, it was just never nice to feel like a sloppy mess in front of a man with eyes that piercing.
The door behind me banged open again and BRF Guy strode in with two steaming mugs in his hands.
As soon as he put one into mine, goose bumps rose up my arm at the delicious rush of heat against my chilled skin. “Thank you.”
He nodded and slipped into the seat across from me. I studied him as he braced an ankle over his knee and sipped at his coffee. He was casual, completely relaxed, despite the fact that his clothes were wet. And like me he was wearing jeans. Wet denim felt nasty against bare skin—a man-made chafe monster.
“Do you work here?” I said after a really long few minutes of silence passed between us.
He didn’t seem bothered by the silence. In fact, he seemed completely at ease in the company of a stranger.
He nodded.
“You’re a bartender here?”
“I own the place.”
I looked around at the bar. It was traditional décor with dark walnut everywhere—the long bar, the tables and chairs, even the floor. The lights of three large brass chandeliers broke up the darkness, while wall-mounted green library lamps along the back wall gave the booths there a cozy, almost romantic vibe. There was a small stage near the front door and just across from the booths were three stairs that led up onto a raised dais where two pool tables sat. Two huge flat-screen televisions, one above the bar and one above the pool tables, made me think it was part sports bar.
There was a large jukebox, beside the stage, that was currently silent.
“Nice place.”
BRF Guy nodded.
“What’s the bar called?”
“Cooper’s.”
“Are you Cooper?”
His eyes smiled. “Are you a detective?”
“A doctor, actually.”
I was pretty sure I saw a flicker of interest. “Really?”
“Really.”
“Smart lady.”
“I’d hope so.” I grinned.
Laughter danced in his eyes as he raised his mug for another sip.
Weirdly, I found myself settling into a comfortable silence with him. We sipped at our hot drinks as a lovely easiness fell between us. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt that kind of calm contentedness with anyone, let alone a stranger.
A little slice of peace.
Finally, as I came to the end of my cocoa, BRF Guy / possibly Cooper spoke. “You’re not from Hartwell.”
“No, I’m not.”
“What brings you to Hart’s Boardwalk, Doc?”
I realized then how much I liked the sound of his voice. It was deep with a little huskiness in it.
I thought about his question before responding. What had brought me there was complicated.
“At the moment the rain brought me here,” I said coyly. “I’m kind of glad it did.”
He put his mug down on the table and stared at me for a long beat. I returned his perusal, my cheeks warming under the heat of his regard. Suddenly he reached across the table, offering me his hand. “Cooper Lawson.”
I smiled and placed my small hand in his. “Jessica Huntington.”
“Nice to meet you, Doc.”