Her hands rested on his upper arms now. She cocked her head as she looked up at him. “You’re being very flirtatious today.”
“I’ve thought about you a lot the past few days,” he confessed.
Hearing those words in his rich, deep voice made her heart do a happy little dance. She had a crush on this guy, she thought. Nice…yet a little scary, too. She didn’t want to invest too much, too quickly. She wasn’t sure what he had in mind, especially since she thought she’d heard him drop a few clues that he was looking forward to being a carefree bachelor after his daughter’s wedding. A “contented empty-nester,” as he’d said to Jennifer. Maybe he was just interested in casually spending time together, having a little fun during his summer break.
She wasn’t opposed to that, as long as she kept her head—and her heart—somewhat guarded. With her adored mother serving as an example, Bonnie had always been very careful about not giving her heart to a charming commitment-phobe like her father, or like Kinley’s selfish first husband. She’d poured all her love into the family and their inn, and had received only joy in return. But it was hard to remain cautious when Paul was just so darned appealing. “You may have crossed my mind a few times,” she said.
She could tell he liked that, and he took encouragement to say, “So maybe we could spend more time together? Outside of class, I mean. Maybe a movie? Dinner? I’m going kayaking on the New River with a couple of friends tomorrow. I don’t suppose you could get away to join us on such short notice?”
He was asking her out. For some reason she found herself babbling in reply. “My brother likes to kayak the white-water rapids on the New River. I’d love to try it sometime, but I can’t tomorrow. We have a wedding in the afternoon.”
He released his hold on her and took a half step back, his smile fading a little. “I won’t keep you any longer from your work.”
“I could take some time off Monday afternoon or evening, if you’re free then,” she said quickly, making some quick mental adjustments to her upcoming schedule.
His smile deepened in satisfaction. “Monday sounds great. What time would be best for you?”
They were interrupted before she could reply. With Kinley leading the way, Cassie and her friend Danielle came into the kitchen, looking around curiously. Kinley winked at Bonnie before speaking to Paul. “Cassie wondered where you’d gotten off to. I told her I thought I knew where we might find you. And I was right.”
“Dad’s developed a sudden interest in kitchens lately,” Cassie said with an impish grin that earned her a look from her father.
Bonnie had busied herself folding the step stool and storing it. Only then did she turn to be introduced by Kinley to Danielle Brooks, the prospective client and Cassie’s friend. Blessed with the tall, sleek build Bonnie had always envied, Danielle was a beauty with pixie-cut black hair, flawless milk chocolate skin, dancing brown eyes and a thousand-watt smile. Bonnie liked her immediately.
“Danielle and I are in school together,” Cassie explained. “We’ll both earn our bachelor’s degrees next month.”
Shaking Danielle’s hand, Bonnie asked, “Are you going into fashion design too?”
“Yes. I plan to move to New York next summer, when my fiancé finishes his medical residency here, and I hope to get a job in the fashion industry. In the meantime, I’ll be taking some graduate-level courses here at Tech.”
“When is the wedding?”
“In the spring. Sometime in May, I think. We haven’t booked a venue yet. I want to bring Joe, my fiancé, to tour this place. I think he’ll agree that it’s perfect.”
“I thought so the first time I visited,” Cassie endorsed. “Dad agreed, though I’m surprised we weren’t banned from the property after he mowed down poor Bonnie—twice! He didn’t knock you off the stepladder just now, did he, Bonnie?”
Amused by Paul’s irrepressible daughter, Bonnie shook her head. “Actually, he very gallantly helped me down.”
“And we are keeping her from her work,” Paul inserted smoothly, making Bonnie wonder if he worried about what Cassie might say next. “She and Kinley have a wedding to prepare for.”
Cassie nodded. “We saw the decorations their brother and his crew are setting up out in the garden. Looks very Italian.”
“That’s the goal,” Kinley said promptly, still in saleswoman mode. “We do our best to comply with the bride’s wishes when it comes to color and theme.”
Cassie and Danielle fell into a discussion of all the colors and themes available for spring weddings as Kinley skillfully herded them out of the kitchen and into the dining room.
Paul remained just a minute longer. “So…Monday?”
Bonnie nodded. “Why don’t you call me Sunday and we’ll set up a time?”
“I’ll do that.” He winked at her as he left her to her chores.
An image of his roguish smile lingered in her mind throughout the rest of the day—along with the pleasant memory of how good it had felt to be held in his strong arms.
Chapter Four
Though she expected to hear from Paul that weekend, Bonnie was surprised by a call from his daughter late Saturday afternoon. “Hi, Bonnie, it’s Cassie Drennan. Is this a bad time to call?”
“No, not at all. I was just taking a break after this afternoon’s wedding.” Sitting on her couch with her tired, bare feet propped up in front of her, she set aside the glass of iced tea she’d been sipping. “What can I do for you?”