Deep River Promise, Jackie Ashenden [large ebook reader .TXT] 📗

photos of previous mayors on the walls. One of them appeared to be a goat. There were also a few Alaska tourism posters featuring the usual moose, bears, mountains, whales, and the odd dog sled. One was slightly different. It looked hand drawn and encouraged people to “find love in the middle of nowhere!”

Everything was very, very tidy. Even the pen discarded on the desktop was straight.

Was that her? Did she like to keep things neat? She certainly seemed to be the kind of cool, precise woman who liked to make sure everything was in its place.

Why do you care what she’s like?

He didn’t care. He was simply passing the time.

“Why do you know about Connor?” she asked eventually, still looking out the window. “I mean, why did Cal tell you about him?”

A fair question. But he wasn’t going to get into details, so all he said was, “He told me while we were on deployment, just before a big operation, and I think it was just in case he didn’t come back.”

She didn’t reply, staying very still, her attention remaining on the river outside.

Then suddenly, as if a switch had been flicked, the prickly aura around her vanished, the tension bleeding out of her posture. She looked at him, her pretty face composed, gray eyes cool mist once more. “Well, it’s nice that he thought of me and Connor, but help isn’t necessary. We’re doing just fine on our own. My son’s future is well taken care of, thank you very much.”

It was exactly what Damon had hoped she’d say and yet…something tugged at him. The smallest thread. The tiniest of doubts. He wasn’t sure where it came from; whether it had been her moment of prickliness or something more, he didn’t know. And he really should have gotten up, thanked her, and left.

But he didn’t.

“Your son’s been following me around,” he said. “You know that, right?”

Astrid let out a breath and turned from the window, leaning her elbows on the back of her chair. “Yes, I’m aware. He thinks you’re up to no good.”

The posture pulled the fabric of her T-shirt tight across the soft curves of her breasts, making Damon suddenly more aware of them than he wanted to be.

Damn. And here was an even better reason for him to get out of Deep River: he did not want to be attracted to the mayor.

“Why would he think that?” Damon asked instead, concentrating very hard on her face.

“I have absolutely no idea. He told me this morning that he thought you might be an oilman.”

A thread of reluctant amusement wound through Damon. “An oilman? Seriously?” He grinned, almost enjoying the thought of some kid thinking he was a hard-bitten oil executive. “Do I look like an oilman?”

“To be honest, no.” She gave him a leisurely survey. “You look like…” Her gaze caught his and she trailed off, and for a second, something electric hovered in the space between them.

Her cheeks went pink.

Uh-oh.

He knew that look, just as he knew that electricity. It was familiar. Intimate. And most of the time, very welcome.

Except not right now. Out of all the women in the entire world to have physical chemistry with, the last woman he wanted to feel that way about was the woman whose child he was supposed to be looking out for. That had complicated written all over it, and Damon didn’t do complicated anymore.

Then again, because he was a man who liked women, and she was a very fine-looking woman, he couldn’t resist holding her gaze a little longer than he should have. “I look like what?”

A soft and pretty deep-rose color swept over her pale skin, but she didn’t look away. Her gray eyes were almost crystalline, charcoal and silver and quartz. Beautiful eyes…

“You look like a city boy out of his depth.” Her voice was still cool, the slight hint of challenge edging it.

And he could feel something inside him respond, the part of him that loved a challenge, that liked risk, the competitor looking for the next opponent.

Yeah, time for him to leave.

He grinned and pushed himself out of the chair, breaking the tension. “In that case, it’s time for this city boy to get back to his city.”

Surprise rippled across her face. “So, what? That’s it? You’re not even going to insist?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Why would you think I’d insist?”

“You seem like the type of man who would.” She’d straightened up, folding her arms, the remains of her blush still staining her cheeks.

“Sometimes,” he agreed. “But not today.”

“But…” She stopped, clearly nonplussed.

And he had to admit to liking that just a little bit. She seemed so very cool and in control, and he did enjoy ruffling a woman.

Damon shoved his hands in his pockets. “What? Or did you want my help after all?”

“No,” she said far too quickly. “No, we definitely don’t.”

“Good.” He gave her one last smile, slightly regretful since if things had been different, he might have asked for her number. “I’ll see myself out.”

He was almost to the door when she said suddenly, “One more thing.”

He paused but didn’t turn back. “Yes?”

“Please don’t tell anyone who Connor’s father is.”

Interesting. Cal hadn’t wanted anyone to know either.

For a second, Damon wondered why that was, and then realized that since he was leaving, it wouldn’t be his problem.

“Sure,” he said easily. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

* * *

Astrid watched from the window as Damon Fitzgerald stepped out of the building and onto the boardwalk below, moving with that fluid, athletic grace to the door of the Moose, then disappearing back inside.

Almost as soon as the door banged closed behind him, a shadow detached itself from the Nowhere pole and moved over to one of the Moose’s windows. Connor put a hand over his eyes as he peered through the glass.

Astrid muttered a curse. She could have sworn Connor had gotten on the damn ferry. What on earth was he doing? After he’d promised her that he’d go to school! The