Fugitive Heart - By Bonnie Dee Page 0,10
expression, but his eyes sparkled. “And it’s old, so that makes it a classic film now.”
“Ah, a cinema snob.” Ames maintained a straight face. “In that case, I’m even more ashamed to admit that when I see black-and-white, I automatically turn the channel. Unless it’s a horror movie. Those are the only ones that can be better monochromatic. The original version of The Bad Seed is still chilling.”
“Never saw it. But Friday the 13th, Part VI: Jason Lives is a quality film.” A smile shimmered at the corners of his mouth, and the heat in the pit of Ames’s stomach grew hotter. She hoped the chicken hadn’t gone bad or something.
“Of course, Casablanca doesn’t compare to the classics on my list, but I’d go see it tonight just for something to do,” Nick said.
Ames dipped her head. “Cool. I’ll make sure to keep the hounds at bay. If we arrive after the movie starts, it’ll be easier to keep people from coming over and introducing themselves. That is, if you’re still planning on avoiding them.”
“Tell you what. I’ll meet you at your restaurant. We can grab something from there. Unless you’re sick of the food.”
“Gopher’s the best cook in the county. One of the perks of working at the Back Porch is the food. And it’s not all fried. Gopher has healthy choices too and changes up the menu so nobody gets bored.”
“Fried chicken’s classic. Bet that’s always available.”
“Well, yeah, of course. The Back Porch without fried chicken would be like a comedy lineup without Ghostbusters.” Ames grinned, and Sam smiled back at her, fanning her heartburn. Man, she liked this guy. He was easy to talk to and shared her sense of humor. They bantered easily together—at least when she wasn’t nervously babbling.
Sam led the way out of the woods so Ames got a great view of his backside. The way his hips moved and his legs kind of glided along carrying his lanky frame sent a sharp stab of lust through her. The men she knew in or around Arnesdale did not walk like that, and it had been way too long since she’d been on any kind of date. The pickings were slim. But even if there’d been clusters of men hanging like ripe fruit from a tree, she still would’ve been drawn to this particular guy.
They reached the field, and she moved up so she was walking beside him, not staring at his butt. Sam stopped chatting and seemed distracted, preoccupied with whatever demons had driven him to move out to the middle of nowhere.
“What made you choose this place?” She nodded toward the dilapidated Old Place, which loomed before them like a haunted house. “Did you just stick a pin in a map and come up with Arnesdale, or do you know someone from here? It’s a pretty out-of-the-way place for a New Yorker to wind up.”
Sam frowned. “How’d you know I’m from New York anyway?”
“Everybody knows. Jenny, your Realtor, isn’t exactly known for keeping secrets. Plus your license plates.”
“A friend I used to know in college told me about the town. I figured it’d be a good quiet place to”—he paused, and Ames noted the tensing of his jaw—“get over a relationship that ended badly. I needed to leave the city for a while.”
She knew she shouldn’t press. It wasn’t her business, but… “Don’t you have a job? How could you pick up and leave?”
“I’m between jobs right now. I can afford to take some time off and think about what I want to do next.”
Must be nice to have such a luxury. What would she do if she could afford to quit her job at the diner and pursue any career she wanted? It’d be great if her web designing earned enough so she could stop waitressing. Maybe someday.
“It’s been really nice talking with you,” Sam said. “You’ve given me a much clearer picture of this town. I have a few things to get done around here this afternoon, so I’d better get at ’em. I’ll see you tonight.” He extended a hand.
Ames’s palm was enveloped in his grip. Skin sliding against skin shouldn’t be so sensuous. For heaven’s sake, it was only a handshake…with the most attractive man she’d seen in years.
She pulled away and reluctantly got into her car. She was putting the car into drive when Sam emerged from the door and waved to her. He trotted over, and as he leaned to hand her the Tupperware through the window,