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“Being busy eddings is a good thing, right?”

“Absolutely” Though she’d already bought soout a few squash

“Those look good,” Paul said, nodding toward her selections “I like squash, but I don’t kno to prepare them”

“Oh, they’re easy to cook,” she assured him Her momentary self-consciousness dissipated with this subject she could discuss corilled, steamed or even raw in salads”

She didn’t know if Paul had any interest at all in cooking, but he nodded attentively “I like the them myself Do you have time to help me select a few? I’ll look up some recipes online”

“Of course” Speaking briskly and casually, as she would with just anyone who’d asked for her help, rather than a ave hiht for ripeness and freshness She watched as he paid for four then stuffed the fro her suspect he’d purchased it when he’d arrived It appeared to be almost empty

Seeing the direction of her attention, he chuckled “I guess you can tell I’ ood a place as any to buy a few healthy ingredients I usually just throw bags of frozen vegetables in the rill Or I have takeout But Cassie’s staying withto be a little more health-conscious when it’s my turn to cook”

“You sound like my brother If I didn’t cook dinner for hihetti with sauce frorilled steaks and microwaved potatoes”

Paul’s crooked s “I’ve eaten more than my share of both those meals”

So Bonnie aware that she was blocking access to the squash She’d co while she’d ady, she ain by Paul

He motioned toward a little coffee shop near the market where several outdoor tables beneath colorful umbrellas invited a leisurely chat “May I buy you a cup of coffee? Or do you have to rush back to the inn?”

She hesitated before answering He’d given her the perfect excuse, but she really wasn’t in a hurry to get back Rhoda and Sandy, her full-tis back at the inn Even during this busy season, Tuesdays were typically slower-paced days, giving Bonnie a weekly opportunity to escape for a few hours

While there were advantages to living in the inn’s private base at work 24/7 She’douta social life away fros, out of the rut she’d fallen into during the past few years A friendly coffee with one of the inn’s clients wasn’t exactly a groundbreaking departure from the norm, but it was a start It didn’t hurt, of course, that this particular client was so very nice to look at across a table

“I don’t have to rush back,” she said “Coffee sounds good Just let s in my car”

He followed her to the parking lot where she’d left her dependable sedan and helped her stash her purchases Then she acco a recently vacated outdoor table while he went inside to order He returned carrying a black coffee for himself and the fat-free iced latte she’d requested in deference to the building heat of the day She’d declined his offer of a snack, but he’d bought a cookie for himself

“It’s oatrin as he unwrapped it “That’s healthy, right?”

Because there didn’t see she had noticed