"Very good."

She relinquished the ax for the glass of tea.

"I'm sorry about your car. If it hadn't been for me, it might not have been damaged."

He quirked an eyebrow. "How so?"

"If you hadn't felt it necessary to warn me about the storm, your car wouldn't have been here when it hailed."

He lounged against the side of the house, regarding her thoughtfully. His amber eyes had a way of darkening with emotion, but why were they so dark now? He swirled the ice cubes around in his glass.

"What makes you think my car would have been spared if I hadn't been here? It wouldn't have been under shelter at my apartment, either." He took a long drink and lowered the glass. "Anyway, I take a chance every time I drive it. I can't bear the thought of selling it and I can't afford to park it, buy another one and pay insurance on both.

She held the cool glass to the side of her face and gazed out over the hills.

"I know what you mean. I've been saving my money to buy a house."

The hills were beautiful. If this cabin had only been in the California hills, instead of so many miles away, it would make an excellent investment. A sudden gust of wind ruffled the leaves of the trees, creating a sound much like the surf. A wave of homesickness engulfed her, and she struggled back to the firm ground of reality. This was a vacation, not an isolation camp. In a few more weeks she would return to California. But what about the dark eyed man who stood gazing down at her so strangely?

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He gulped the rest of his tea and handed her the empty glass.

"Well, I'd better get chopping."

He was certainly a hard worker, but why did he consider it his responsibility to clear the fallen tree? Surely this couldn't be included in his duties. Of course, it provided an excellent opportunity to keep an eye on her. Or could it be something else? Was it so outrageous to think that he might actually want to be near her? She dodged a flying chip. It was probably wishful thinking - nothing more.

The sun was well past its zenith and headed toward the trees on the west side of the cabin. A stomach cramp reminded her that she hadn't eaten lunch. She glanced at his muscular frame, trying to keep her mind on the business at hand - supper, wasn't it? He was probably hungry too. She waited until he split a piece of wood and then walked over to pick it up.




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