Free Snowflake Bay by Donna Kauffman Page B

in his parents’ situation, giving him a chance to talk about the farm and his new responsibilities. Something about her straightforwardness and the fact that they were, after all, lifelong friends, had made him feel comfortable enough to share. Hell, even he hadn’t known what all he was feeling until she’d given him the chance to articulate it a little. Of course, he hadn’t been completely forthright with her about the exact nature of his father’s health issues, and he found himself wondering if Logan had filled her in. Not that it mattered what she knew. It wasn’t as if he and Logan lived in each other’s pockets any longer.
    â€œI’m sure Beanie did whatever was right for her,” Eula was saying. “If she signed on the dotted line, then it’s all settled.”
    Fiona’s expression said she now had doubts about that, and he wondered what had prompted Eula to bring up the possibility. The woman wasn’t one for idle chatter. Or any chatter. If she said something, there was a purpose to it. So why make Fiona worry about something as important as buying the building that would house her new business?
    â€œWhen do you move in?”
    â€œI can start immediately,” Fiona said, still seeming a little distracted by whatever was going through her mind. Probably replaying the closing and retroactively looking for any signs Beanie might not have been completely okay with the deal. She dug in her pocket and dangled what was, apparently, the shop key.
    â€œWhat will she be doing now?” Ben asked. “Beanie, I mean.” He’d said it hoping to help cement the rightness of the transaction in Fiona’s mind, but then wondered why in the hell he was involving himself in the situation at all.
    He lifted a hand, stalling whatever reply he might have gotten. “Never mind, none of my business. And, in fact, seeing as you both obviously have some other business to attend to, I’ll get out of your hair. Eula,” he said, looking to the older woman, “it was a pleasure to see you again.” He glanced at Fi and gave her a brief smile. “Good luck with the new place.”
    Looking surprised, Fiona gave a little wave with the hand that still had the keys looped over one finger, making them jingle a bit as he strode by, stepping around her to get to the door. “Thanks.”
    He had almost reached safety, but at the last second before he passed through the door, he found himself glancing over his shoulder at Fiona. More specifically, at the back side of Fiona. Okay, okay, so he was checking out her ass. Dear Lord help him. All he could think was Jessica Rabbit, eat your heart out. He lifted his gaze to find Eula’s fixed directly on him. He was a thirty-six-year-old man who could not recall the last time he’d felt his cheeks heat in embarrassment. Actually, given the kind of kid he’d been, that was probably never. There was a distinct warmth in them now. He had no idea what kind of look he had on his face at the moment, but it was beyond him, it seemed, to simply snap out of it, grin, and give Eula a quick nod or wave good-bye. Instead, he was pinned there, like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar, by that steely pair of faded blue eyes.
    Then she turned her attention back to Fiona, as if nothing had transpired between them, and he let himself out into the chill of a wind-whipped swirl of snow. Had that been a warning? It certainly hadn’t been a blessing. Which begged the question . . . warning against what? Blessing for what? His mind zinged straight back to his initial reaction as Fiona had taken off her coat. Surely he wasn’t seeking Eula March’s blessing for the kinds of thoughts he was having about Fiona McCrae?
    No, it made a whole lot more sense that Eula March was warning him against something he’d already figured out for himself. It didn’t matter if it made no sense, didn’t matter