“It happens.” He popped two large coffees into a cardboard carrier. “Don’t worry. Gus never mentioned termites in his place.”
“Bet he never mentioned soggy ceiling aliens either.”
Garrett’s eyebrows shot up. “Pardon?”
“I’ll fill you in later. Thanks, neighbor.”
He returned to find Hannah at the base of a tall ladder leaning against the roof, shielding her eyes as she peered up at Frank G… Damn, forgot his name again. Not since school had he had to learn so many names at once. Seemed like everyone knew everyone in this town.
The sight of Hannah lifted his spirits—and other parts inappropriate to the public setting. He hadn’t seen her since the memorial service, but he’d damn well thought about her. That sweet, surprise kiss haunted his dreams. Was it really an accident, or a deliberate gesture to snap him out of his emotional overwhelm? Either way, he was grateful and eager for an encore.
“How’s it looking up there?” she hollered, not yet noticing his arrival.
Frank peered over the roof’s edge. “Hey there, Miss Hannah. I’ve seen worse.” He chuckled. “Seen better too. She’ll need a lotta work.”
“Sea air is hard on buildings, right?” she called.
Warmth bloomed in Xander’s chest as he drank in the sight of her, all sexy-businesslike in her fitted tweed blazer and dark jeans that cupped her shapely ass. The wind whipped her chestnut ponytail. Giving into a temptation, he gave it a soft tug.
She spun around, eyes fiery, then relaxed into a warm smile. “Hey, Xander. Saw Frank’s truck, so I thought I’d drop by.”
“Scoping out more details for your exposé? Let me guess—the Pulitzer Prize committee requested another story on my sad, crumbly building.”
She socked his arm playfully. “It’s a cool, funky building. And I’m about as likely to win a Pulitzer as aliens are to land on your roof.”
Thank goodness Hannah didn’t believe in that ET nonsense.
“I’d say your chances are better.” He reached for her ponytail, fingers itching to feel those silky strands again, but she flipped it over her shoulder and out of reach.
Disappointed, he clasped his hands behind his back. The urge to touch her was damn hard to resist. “Your piece on Gus’s memorial was—”
She raised her eyebrows and waited, lips twitching in a barely suppressed smile.
“Okay, I wish you’d left out the bit about Colonel Buzz, Professor Astro, and their space cadets, but it was mostly very nice. Your love for Gus shined through.”
The prettiest pink washed her cheeks as she lowered her gaze. “I feel like a shitty friend for not realizing he was so ill.”
“Hey, don’t blame yourself. The pathologist’s report says it was a brain aneurysm. No one could have helped him.” That news had lightened his own guilt load a little.
A loud clatter from the roof yanked their attention upward.
“Well, shit,” Frank grumbled.
Xander winced.
“Sounds like you could use some distraction,” Hannah suggested.
As if her presence wasn’t distracting enough already. “What did you have in mind?”
“It’s a slow news day. Ready to start your tour of Trappers Cove?”
Oh, right. He’d asked her to show him what made this town tick—or some such flirtatious nonsense.
“How about if I text you as soon as we’re done here?”
“Sounds perfect.” She grinned and caught her lower lip between her teeth. Heat shimmied down his spine. How long since his body vibed like this with a beautiful woman? Too damn long, that’s for sure.
The ladder clattered as Frank clambered down.
