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."Tell me when you're ready for a piece of the pie Mrs.P.sent," he said, his eyes fixed on the heavens and his voice still a bit winded."Actually, I think I'll pass on dessert.I enjoyed her lasagna so much I forgot to leave room for the pie."He turned his head toward her."I've been meaning to thank you.""Thank me? For what?""For helping Mrs.P.out the other night when she was stung by the bee.That sort of thing happening is exactly why I wanted her to have someone in residence.She means a lot to me, and I'm glad you were there for her.""I'm glad I was, too.It was a close call.Too close.I was really scared for a while." She shivered remembering the pitiful sound of her landlady's labored breathing."She's a stubborn old coot.I know losing her husband was hard on her, and she thinks she has to prove something about making it on her own.But independence doesn't have to mean isolation.Everyone needs someone sometime.Otherwise life can be pretty lonely."Claire sat up, hearing something in Kevin's words that made her wonder if he was still talking about Mrs.Proctor.Had he isolated himself since Robin hurt him? He seemed to have numerous friends in the community who admired and cared about him.Or did his words resonate within her for reasons that had more to do with her own quest for independence? Had she gone too far in her attempt to break free from her parents' control, isolating herself in Grayson? With a pang of regret, she admitted that she missed her family and promised herself to call again tomorrow to assure them she was all right.Kevin reached toward her face suddenly.Startled from her musings, she flinched and held her breath.But rather than touch her, he closed his hand around a bug buzzing by her ear.He pulled his arm back and opened his fingers to show her the black-winged insect that flashed its yellow light at them."A lightning bug." She glanced up at him and grinned."I used to catch them when I visited my grandmother.I'd put them in one of her jelly jars and have dozens blinking in my little jar by bedtime.I liked to watch them flash as I fell asleep.""I think catching fireflies is a rite of childhood.""Then you did it, too?""Only pet my mom would let me have.She was allergic to all animals with hair."She grinned."My mom had a little poodle when I was a kid.But Bipsy and I didn't get along.So I don't think she counts as a pet.""Bipsy?" Kevin repeated, eyebrows raised.She laughed."I know." Claire stuck a finger in her mouth and poked her tongue out to show what she thought of the name and her mother's snippy little dog.When he smiled, her heart tapped.She laid her finger across his palm to let the firefly crawl onto her, but the bug flew off Kevin's hand and hovered between them a moment before buzzing away.Kevin turned, tracking the bug."Hey, baby.Come here often? What's a nice girl like you doin' in a yard like this?"Claire chuckled."Pardon?""Oh, nothing.I was just goofing around.Fireflies blink to attract a mate." His grin turned devilish."Interesting mating ritual, huh? Can you see a nightclub full of people with their butts lighting up whenever they saw someone they wanted to hit on?"Claire imagined just such a scenario in her head and had to laugh."Think what the clubs could save on their electric bill.The room would stay lit from all the sexual energy." She put her hands behind her derriere, opening and closing her fingers."Blink, blink."His grin brightened."Kinda gives 'flashing someone' new meaning, huh?"She laughed harder until she had to wipe tears from the corner of her eyes.The gentle rumble of his laughter joined hers, and she savored the sexy sound, let the vibrations roll through her body, sensitizing every nerve ending.The humidity that permeated the air amplified the aroma of gardenias that bloomed in a nearby yard.The sweet summer scents were heady, heightening her anticipation of what lay ahead."What would you be doing tonight if I weren't here?" she asked."You mean besides wishing you were here?"She grinned and took his hand.He shrugged."I'd be wading through profit margins and inventory controls.Mid-terms are coming up.""Mid-terms? You teach school?""No, I take a night class at Harrison.One class per quarter is all I can swing with work and all.But I'll finally have my degree in a few months."That explained the books he had his nose in every spare minute at the hardware store."I probably hold the record for the longest time to finish college.A business finance degree twelve years in the making." His dismissive scoff nettled her."At least you stuck with it.A lot of people wouldn't have had the ambition to see it through.I think it's great you did."He met her eyes briefly before glancing away."Thanks."When silence fell between them, she reviewed what she knew about Kevin, looking for a new source for conversation [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]