Flirting with Temptation - By Kelley St. John Page 0,54
Mirrors, with tiny little pools on each side of the course, small bushes instead of trees, and cute little sand-colored dunes—pits, whatever—composing a course that had obviously been built for kids. “It’s adorable!”
He nodded. “Yeah, the owners wanted to provide something for children, or for teens on dates. I see a lot of them out here at night, putting around the course and having a good time.”
“It does look like a lot of fun,” she said, noticing two teenage girls at the far end of the course trying their luck at pecking—putting?—a ball over one of the sand areas.
“Yeah, and the best part is that it’s actually a part of the original course. This area, I mean. It used to be part of the main golf course.” He waited a beat, then two. “Isn’t that something?” he asked, and his voice had softened, or maybe it seemed that way to Gert because of where her thoughts had headed.
This was a part of Henry’s course, and this was a course she could handle.
“How much does it cost?” she asked, her hand already reaching inside her bag to withdraw her wallet.
“Wait here, and I’ll find out.”
Within a few minutes, he returned holding two putters. “Here you go.” He extended one toward her, and she took it. “I rented you a locker for your things,” he said, indicating her bag. It’s over there.” He pointed to a row of taupe covered lockers by the building where he’d gotten the putters. “Locker twelve. You want me to put your things in there for you?”
“You paid for me to play?” she asked, handing him her bag.
“I got you a ten game card.” He pulled the rectangular box out of the bag and handed it to her. “You’ll want to wear these, won’t you?”
She couldn’t keep her smile from spreading to her cheeks. “They’re not really required for this course, are they?”
“No, but you’re a woman with new shoes. I’ve never known a lady with new shoes who didn’t want to wear them.”
“You’re a very perceptive man, Paul Stovall,” she said, moving to a nearby bench, then sitting down and sliding her walking shoes from her feet and slipping on the dreamily soft golf shoes. “Oh, these do feel good.”
“I thought that’s what you’d say.”
“Did you say you bought ten games?”
He laughed. “I don’t expect you to use the whole card today, and I was kind of thinking that I might take advantage of five of them, if you want a partner, that is.”
She couldn’t deny that she’d enjoy this more with company. “That’d be nice.”
He turned and headed toward the lockers while Gertrude thought about all of the ways that Paul had helped her break through her barriers today. Whether he knew it or not, Paul was helping her determine her future, today, on a miniature golf course. Because before the day ended, she intended to get an answer from Henry.
Chapter 11
Jeff spent the entire day at the Seaside store, since it was his new store manager’s first Saturday on the job. He had promoted the woman from within the compay, so he’d known that she was prepared, but he still didn’t want to leave her completely on her own today, so he’d been at the store at the crack of dawn going over everything that traditionally occurred on a Saturday. Everyone in Florida knew that was when the tourists came out in full force, and when the locals finally got that long-awaited day off from work and went shopping. Forty percent of the store’s weekly sales occurred on Saturday, and although Jeff didn’t anticipate his new manager doing anything that would change that on her first day, he also didn’t want to throw that much responsibility at her too quickly.
He’d planned to stay at the store until noon, make certain that everything was running smoothly and then head home for the day. However, the store had been even busier than usual, and he’d ended up staying the whole afternoon. That wouldn’t have been a hardship if he hadn’t stayed up so late talking with Babette, walking on the beach with Babette, taking Babette back to her condo, merely two floors down, and then—and this was the biggee— fantasizing about her all damn night.
Jeff assumed that he’d probably spend every night the same way, as long as Red was in town. He wondered how many times she’d beaten on the door to his condo trying to see if he was home, or how many times