Hurricane Bride by Beth Williamson

Author:Beth Williamson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance
ISBN: 9781943089123
Publisher: Beth Williamson
Published: 2017-03-29T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

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Boyd stared at the horizon as the sun set, his thoughts a thousand miles away. The truth was, he was distracted by Claire. They’d known each other less than three weeks, and he’d spent a good portion of that time falling for her. His mother used to say all the strays followed him home, that he had a penchant for finding the weak and sick creatures to nurse them back to health.

Not that Claire was a weak and sick stray, but she was hurting. She’d been jilted and abandoned by the man she’d thought to marry. She’d arrived at the Peach Bellini to heal. Boyd might have interfered a bit with that.

“Everything okay, Boyd?” Manny stepped up beside him. The older man was quiet in comparison to his more loquacious wife, but when he spoke, folks listened. His hair was like a steel wool pad, all silver and crinkly, perched atop a face full of wrinkles from years of working outside. Manny was an extraordinary handyman who kept the Peach Bellini and all its buildings in tip-top shape.

Over the years, Boyd had learned quite a bit about building, plumbing, electricity, and carpentry from the man. No matter what, both Manny and Pearl were the finest people he’d ever met.

“I’ve taken a shine to Claire, and I’m not sure that’s the right path to take.” Boyd leaned the shovel against the fence he’d been repairing.

“She’s special.” Manny put his hands on the fence. “Pearl has just about adopted that girl. Even called her Mama to let her know Claire was safe here.”

That didn’t surprise Boyd, because the older woman had a heart of gold. “Glad to hear that. I’m sure her family misses her.”

The sound of bird song filled the air as silence descended on the two men. A bee droned by, lazily landing on the loropetalum bush nearby. It was a perfect summer day even if the humidity was thick and heavy in the air.

“What are your intentions about Claire?” Manny asked after a few minutes had passed.

“I’m not sure.” Boyd wiped his hands on his pants, but he just smeared the dirt around. “I like her a lot.”

“You kiss her?”

Somehow Boyd’s cheeks warmed. Was he a twelve-year-old talking to his first date’s father? “I did.”

“Good. I think she’s a woman who needs to be kissed.” Manny looked at him square in the eye. “Don’t hurt her, and don’t take advantage. The right woman only comes along once in a lifetime.”

Boyd couldn’t reply. His pulse had thundered into a fast trot. The right woman? He’d not considered the path of his life to have intersected with someone he could love. The breath whooshed out of his body, leaving him lightheaded.

“You okay, boy?” Manny patted him on the back.

Boyd held up one finger and sucked the air back in his body. “Yeah, I just, what do you mean ‘the right woman’?”

Manny smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “I saw Pearl on Saturday, February sixth in nineteen sixty. She was working at the five and dime.

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