Harlequin Superromance May 2014 - Bundle 1 of 2: The Secrets of Bell River\Home to Hope Mountain\Silver Linings by Kathleen O'Brien

Author:Kathleen O'Brien
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781460335789
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2014-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

“CAN I INTEREST you in some pie?” Hayley said, smoothing down the black apron she wore over her slacks and top. “Molly’s blueberry is awesome.”

Hayley felt Adam’s eyes on her every step of his approach. Her own gaze was drawn to him like a magnet. Was it possible that his shoulders were broader and his legs longer than yesterday? Their embrace, brief and chaste as it was, seemed to have awakened a deeper, more intimate attraction.

“Sold, with a scoop of caramel ice cream. Summer”—Adam drew his daughter into the conversation—“is dying for rocky road.”

“I am not.” Summer came forward reluctantly. “He’s the one who insisted we come here for ice cream.”

“What would you like, then?” Adam asked.

“Hot chocolate,” Summer said, then grudgingly added, “with ice cream. Please.”

“Rocky road?” Hayley asked with a smile and Summer nodded sheepishly. “I like your hair like that. Turn around, let me see. The flowers you wove through it are pretty.”

Summer spun around to show off her attempt at a French braid and the sprig of yellow acacia. “I couldn’t get the top part right. Maybe sometime you could show me how you do yours?”

“Sure.” She gestured to the table by the window. “Have a seat and I’ll get your order.”

Hayley turned to find Molly watching the exchange, her eyebrows slightly raised. Her mother-in-law never missed a thing. Which made her fun to gossip with, but all joy was lost when Molly’s eagle eye was trained on her.

She heated the milk for hot chocolate, then moved across to the ice cream freezer. Adam had taken a chair facing the kitchen. Every time her gaze flicked in his direction he quickly looked away and pretended to study the menu. Summer was texting on her phone, oblivious to her father’s wandering attention.

Molly noticed, though. She cut a slice of pie and passed it to Hayley to add the ice cream. “He’s got his eye on you.”

Hayley dropped a double scoop on the plate and pushed a wisp of hair off her forehead. “I don’t think so.”

“I’ve got eyes in my head, girl. I’m telling you, he’s got an ulterior motive in letting you stay in his cottage.”

What would Molly think if she knew Hayley was actually sleeping just down the hall from Adam? Not that anything was going to happen, but someday she’d be ready to go out with another man. Would she be forever worrying about Molly’s feelings?

“You need to let him know you’re not interested,” Molly went on. “Your husband hasn’t been dead a year. You’re still in mourning.”

Her firm tone got Hayley’s back up. Maybe she was interested. Her relationship with Leif had been troubled for years. She hadn’t wanted to admit it to herself, but no matter how hard she’d tried to knit her marriage together with forgiveness and love and sheer determination, it had unraveled like one of her homemade cardigans when she’d realized she’d made a mistake ten rows back.

Where had she gone wrong in her marriage? What

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