[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
happy, then I hope the rain never stops.
It s possible to have too much of a good thing, so let s not go overboard. All I care about is
keeping you and your equipment safe.
My equipment, eh? Grinning, he gave her a squeeze and wished the pier was miles long so
he could keep her this close indefinitely. I like that you are thinking about my equipment, my
beautiful Scout. I like it a lot.
Her cheeks turned pink, and he took a no-look shot in the hope of capturing it. Typical guy.
Here I am, worrying about the expensive tool of your trade, and you re thinking about another tool
entirely.
A sprinkle or two will not melt me or my equipment. I have much more stamina than you can
possibly imagine.
I can believe it. Her expression, caught somewhere between wry amusement and wide-eyed
awe, made him laugh under his breath even as he took another hopeful shot. You hungry? We re
coming up on a great red hots cart that serves up a taste that s pure Chicago.
Red hots?
The rest of the world calls them hot dogs. The rest of the world is wrong. She greeted the
vendor like an old friend something he was learning she did simply because it was her nature to
make everyone feel like they were important and before he knew it she was motioning him closer.
Drop that camera already and come see a masterpiece being built.
Ivar watched dubiously as mustard, tomato wedges, pickle spears, peppers, onions and the
greenest pickle relish he d ever seen got dumped on a hot dog cradled in a poppy seed roll. Is all of
that supposed to be on there?
He s from out of town, she explained apologetically to the vendor, who gave him a gap-
toothed smile as big as Lake Michigan.
Yeah? Well, welcome to Chicago, buddy. The entire mess was plopped into a cardboard
boat and handed to him. One bite will make you a native, guaranteed.
Go on, give it a try, Scout urged as the gentle patter of rain sounded more insistently on the
umbrella. As he looped the camera s strap around his neck, he paused when she moved once again to
share her sheltering space with him. Warmth surged through him not just along the side where she
stood so closely, but throughout his entire body.
If he didn t know better, he would swear that as she tried to shelter him, she warmed his soul.
Come on, give it a try. You re not chicken, are you? A teasing gleam lit her eyes, and with a
quick farewell nod to the vendor, they resumed their slow walk back up the pier. The peppers aren t
even hot, you know.
What is your fascination with chickens, exactly?
Haha. Take a bite, already. When he gave her a doubtful glance but did as she asked just to
humor her, she looked at him expectantly. Well? What do you think?
Not bad. In fact, it was better than he d expected, given that it was food from a pushcart,
something he d never had before. Swallowing, he held the dog up to her mouth. I refuse to have
pepper and onion breath all by myself. Take a bite.
If you insist. She chomped down with such enjoyment he couldn t help but grin. Another
huge difference that separated Scout from the rest of the women who inhabited his world was the
pleasure she took in every aspect of life, including food. No obsessing over every calorie or carb.
She just enjoyed.
There is something so drop-dead sexy about a woman who finds pleasure in everything she
does, he said, then realized he d spoken his thoughts aloud. From the age of five he d learned to
guard his every word. What the hell was happening to him?
As she chewed, she shot him a leery glance. Is that your way of telling me I make a pig of
myself?
I am not known for my tact, so if I had thought that which I did not I would have said so.
Yeah?
Yeah. I love the way you enjoy life. Whether you are selecting flowers, or dancing, or simply
enjoying the people around you, you do it with your whole heart.
Is there any other way to do it?
Oh, yes. He tried to smile, but he could feel the cold seeping in around its edges. You
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]