Free Seaview Inn by Sherryl Woods

a rarity. Most men would grab the credit for being that thoughtful,” she said.
    “Only if they were trying to impress you, which I’m not.” His gaze met hers and he felt something shift. There was an unexpected spark that took him by surprise. If Hannah’s expression was any indication, she was as startled by it as he was. Talk about lousy timing. Both of them had way too much on their plates to consider adding another complication. Even so, it might be impossible to ignore this pull. It had been a long time since he’d been with anyone, an even longer time since he’d wanted a woman other than his wife. That had to explain this sudden spark between him and a woman who’d never been more than a friend. Whatever the reason, the reaction was undeniable.
    “Maybe I should amend that,” he said quietly.
    “Amend what?” she asked, a faintly breathless quality in her voice as their gazes held.
    “I’m not trying to impress you yet. ”
    The moment seemed to last an eternity before she grinned and the spell was broken. “Let me know when you’re going to start trying,” she said lightly. “I think I’dbetter be prepared. Something tells me you’re a very dangerous man when you decide to throw yourself into something.”
    He chuckled, relieved to be back on more familiar footing. Teasing her had always been one of his favorite pastimes. “Hannah Matthews, are you flirting with me?”
    She blushed furiously. “You started it. Now, scoop up that ice cream, Luke. It’s gotten awfully warm in here.”
    He deliberately held her gaze a bit longer, then grinned. “Indeed, it has.”
    He retrieved the ice cream from the freezer, lingering with the door open in an attempt to cool down his overheated libido.
    While he had his back to Hannah, he told himself he was an idiot. He was here to get his priorities in order. And her life appeared to be even more of a mess than his own. As much fun as flirting with Hannah—or a fling—might turn out to be, neither of them needed the potential heartache. He’d do well to remember that.
    Besides, it had been years since he’d had a friend to confide in. That was the role he needed Hannah to play. This little zing he’d felt was an aberration. Tomorrow they’d go back to being pals the way they’d been years ago.
    He was so busy formulating his plan that he didn’t notice right away that Hannah was staring at him with amusement. When he did, he muttered, “What?”
    “That’s a lot of ice cream, even for you,” she said, gesturing toward the bowl, which must have had a whole pint scooped into it.
    He grinned and shoved the bowl in her direction. “Actually that one’s for you. I recognize a woman in need of a chocolate fix when I see one.” He doled out a huge dollop of hot fudge sauce to prove it.
    She eyed the bowl skeptically, then picked it up. “You could be right. Come on out to the porch when you’re finished.”
    Luke told himself he ought to be anywhere except on the porch tonight, but when he had his own bowl filled with ice cream, he couldn’t seem to make himself climb the stairs to his room. Instead, he headed for the front door…and most likely straight for trouble.
     
    “Why didn’t you tell me your daughter is pregnant?” Grandma Jenny demanded the second Hannah wandered into the kitchen in the morning following the aroma of coffee brewing.
    Hannah wasn’t ready to have this conversation before she’d had caffeine. A lot of caffeine, in fact. She and Luke had been up way too late talking. They’d carefully avoided any repeat of the flirting that had gone on earlier, sticking to memories of old times, catching up on news of friends they’d each kept in touch with. He’d done a better job of that than she had. After a couple of hours of talking about old times and old friends—yet somehow avoiding any mention of Abby, who’d been so integral to both their pasts—they’d said a casual good-night and gone their separate ways. As