Free Cloudy With a Chance of Marriage by Kieran Kramer

she looked quite enchanting, the way she spun a tendril of sooty hair wistfully around her finger and smiled at the thought of a cat. “I haven’t had one in several years.”
    “Why not?”
    “Oh.” She sat up. “No reason.”
    Funny. Her eyes were shadowed, as if she’d said something wrong.
    He decided to ignore the awkward moment. “There’s a stack of planks in the shed, too,” he said. “I don’t know how old they are. They might all be rotten. But I’ll look about and see what I can produce to help you.”
    “Thank you,” she said, casting her eyes down.
    A strange awkwardness descended upon them.
    “You’re welcome.” He dragged his hand across the counter and patted it once. “See you tomorrow.”
    “See you,” she said quietly.
    Stephen was shocked to discover he wasn’t dreading the prospect.

 
     
    CHAPTER SIX
     
    The next morning, Jilly was glad to see Captain Arrow arrive with some carpentry tools, nails, a wide, long plank, and some small pieces of wood.
    “Good morning,” he said, but he sounded a bit guarded, a remnant of that strange awkwardness between them the day before.
    “Thanks for coming.” She felt equally reticent, although she didn’t know why she should worry. Their agreement was quite simple, and she actually trusted him to keep his side of the bargain.
    “How are your guests today?” She was very aware they were alone. Otis was upstairs washing the breakfast dishes.
    Captain Arrow shrugged. “I left before they awakened. They’ll be up soon enough, I suppose.”
    She wanted to tell him she was excited about the plank he’d found. But she also didn’t want him to think she was impressed with him in any way. After all, the only reason he was making her a window ledge was because he’d entangled her in his problem, and it was a most inappropriate ploy, considering the fact that she was already involved in her own deception.
    Which was inappropriate, too, but it was hers .
    When Captain Arrow didn’t seem to notice her understated reaction to his arrival and became immediately absorbed in the task she’d set before him, she felt a bit bereft.
    Why didn’t he care that she was ignoring him?
    She began to regret her cool manner. She wanted to know what every piece of wood was for and how long the task would take. She couldn’t wait to get her books on that ledge!
    Diligently, he worked on. His legs, arms, and back bristled with power—and a hint of danger—as he measured. Even so, when he carried some materials outside, the shop lost some of its coziness. Jilly couldn’t help staring while he shaped the ledge with his shaving tools on the pavement. Part of her wanted him to come back inside so she could talk to him, although why, she didn’t know.
    She was a married woman.
    And he was a rake. Not once had he shown interest in her books, either.
    The perfect man, in her view, was someone who knew as much if not more about books as she did.
    Again—not that it mattered. She was married. Romance was not to be hers. At least she had her freedom, the greatest gift she could ever want.
    Nevertheless, the captain was very handsome. She couldn’t stop taking peeks, pretending to herself that all she cared about was observing his progress. Once he turned around to her and grinned knowingly, as if he could read her most private thoughts.
    She’d drawn back then, determined not to look any more. And luckily, something happened to divert her.
    Otis arrived downstairs and let fly with the feather duster, while Jilly looked into the last crate of books she had to shelve. It had taken her all week to get her purchased inventory catalogued and put in the proper bookcases. The books in this particular crate had been left by the previous owner in his attic.
    “My goodness.” She turned a small, leather-bound journal over in her hands. “It’s a diary.”
    Otis put down the duster and looked at the journal with her. “It belonged to someone named Alicia Maria