Free Secrets Among the Cedars (Intertwined Book 2) by Sherri Wilson Johnson Page A

The shade of the awning reduced the heat she'd felt earlier, but her insides still tingled from her closeness with Phil. Her head told her to protect her heart, but her heart wanted to experience some fun and some attention from a man. This man.
    Phil whipped the boat around to the right, causing her to lean into him. She grabbed the bar tighter and smiled until her lips stuck to her teeth from the wind. Phil dashed around small sandy spots and gave her the local's tour of the area. Then he slowed the boat and turned to face her. "Here we are. Isn't it beautiful?"
    The key, surrounded by c erulean water, an azure sky, and trees and grasses in various shades of green and brown, couldn't have been a better place for a picnic. "It's gorgeous. Kind of feels like you're a million miles away from the world."
    "That's why I like to come out here."
    Phil helped Kathryn out of the boat and went back for the cooler and a quilt. He held up the beach umbrella, but Kathryn shook her head. She could use a little sun on her shoulders. Phil returned to her side, kicked off his sandals, and ripped off his T-shirt, sending Kathryn’s internal temperature to new heights. Maybe she needed the freezer pack from the cooler to cool her down.
    "So how does it feel to be on vacation?"
    "I haven't been on a vacation in years so I don’t have much to measure it against, but I'd say this one is off to a pretty good start." What girl wouldn’t love an afternoon on a beach with a hunk of a man like Phil? She’d better behave herself. It had been too long since she’d had so much as a kiss. She wouldn’t fight him off if he tried to kiss her, but she’d have to refrain from making the first move. She bit her lip and tucked her chin. Heat darted through her body like a pinball in a pinball machine.
    Phil tipped her chin upward. "I'm thrilled to be a part of your vacation."
    The best part of it so far. Was she losing her senses? In a few days when she returned home, they'd be on opposite sides of this case.
    No, they wouldn't. She had her freedom. The first bit of freedom she'd felt in a long time. She was free to fraternize with this man all she wanted to.
    "I'm glad you came with me out here. I'm sorry that you got taken off the case, but I'm not sorry you're still here in Cedar Key."
    "I'm glad I'm still here too." Kathryn accepted the bottled water Phil offered her and forced herself to focus on something other than his attractiveness. She’d never been this shallow before. "You know, this morning I came to church hoping to hear some gossip that might lead me to the gun. Your pastor's words hit me like a runaway elephant right in my heart."
    "How so?" He pulled containers of fruit and sandwiches out of the cooler and placed them on the quilt.
    "I don't know much about church, but I've always known—felt that God was out there somewhere watching me." She waved her hand in the air. "This morning, I realized that He's not just watching me. He's watching over me, and He's not as far away as I thought. I don't deserve to be cared for like that, but I'm glad He's there."
    Phil laughed. "No one deserves God's love and protection. That's what makes it so great. He created us and so I guess you could say He has a vested interest in us. I believe we're never somewhere without God ordaining it first. I think He ordained you to be there this morning to hear that message."
    "What do you mean?"
    "I knew when I saw you the second time, when I ran into you at the sandwich shop, that you needed some kind of reassurance. I didn't want to pry, but I knew you were feeling hurt. You cried this morning in church, and I prayed that God would speak to your heart."
    "Thanks. I—I don't know if that's what you call it, since I don't know religious terminology, but I felt the ice thawing a bit. I think you call it faith. Facts have always been easier for me to believe in than things I can't see."
    "Then I'm glad my uncle inadvertently brought you here to Cedar