tell the town crier that you’re here? That might be pushing it, Joss.”
“You go talk to Slade.” She put her hand on his arm. “I’ll handle the other voice of authority on this island.”
As she started to pull away, he took her hand, keeping her in the truck. “You okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine.”
“Not freaked out about what just happened?”
Did he mean making out on the boat or running from the cameras? Because both of them freaked her out more than she’d like to admit. “No,” she lied. “Not freaked out.”
“Good.” He tightened his grip and leaned toward her. “Because I’m not done, Jocelyn. I want…” He closed his eyes and blew out a breath, giving her the impression he’d been thinking a lot about this while they’d driven over here. “I want a chance with you.”
“A chance?”
“A chance. For us. Again.”
She just looked at him, then nodded. “I’ll be here a while,” she said. “We can talk while I figure things out with Guy.”
He smiled. “I might not want to wait for everything, you know.”
She wasn’t quite sure how to interpret that, but a slow burn low in her belly told her exactly how her body interpreted his words.
And, honestly, could she spend that much time with Will and not think about sex? Not want it?
She should put a stop to that right away, shouldn’t she? But instead she stroked his hand and slipped out of the truck without answering, trying to think about Charity but in her mind hearing Will’s words instead.
I might not want to wait for everything, you know.
But she had. And what would he think of that?
She looked over her shoulder in time to catch him crossing the parking lot, moving economically and smoothly, like the strong athlete he’d always been. A whole new wave of longing swept over her, almost as powerful as it had been on that boat. All she could think about was how that body felt pressed against her, his mouth against her throat, his hands—almost everywhere.
Talk about losing control. Just giving up everything she held on to with two tight fists—if she let herself feel or fall—it could hurt so much more to have to walk away from him this time.
Pushing back the emotions, she pulled open the door of the Super Min and when the little bell dinged she smiled at the woman behind the counter. “Hello, Charity.”
Sharp brown eyes squinted into the sunlight of the doorway, and then Charity’s normally sour expression softened, a network of wrinkles breaking into a tentative smile.
“I hoped you might have the nerve to come and see me this time.”
Jocelyn took a few steps closer, glancing around the store. Two men with work belts and hard hats were in the back, probably construction crew from Casa Blanca. The rest of the convenience store was empty.
And so were, she noticed as she walked closer, the tabloid racks.
“I wasn’t here very long last year,” Jocelyn said as she reached the counter and paused. “But I heard what you did with those reporters and I wanted to come in and thank you.”
Charity lifted a bony shoulder as if an act of kindness on her part was an everyday occurrence instead of the rarity they both knew it was. “We don’t need that kind of crap on this island.”
“They might come back.”
“And my position hasn’t changed. They’re not welcome and I haven’t seen you.”
Jocelyn put her hands on the counter. “Not the first time you’ve covered for me, is it?”
Another shrug. “Heard he’s sick,” she said.
She nodded. “He is.”
“Good. I worked too damn hard to get him out of a sheriff’s uniform to ever let him get back in one.”
Jocelyn shook her head. “He’s not capable of doing the job anymore.”
“He wasn’t back then, neither.” Charity reached across the counter and patted Jocelyn’s hand. “You got nothing to worry about, honey. No stinkin’ reporters’ll get to you if they have to get through me.”
“Thanks, Charity. For everything.”
She rolled her eyes. “Honey, you thanked me enough with that loan when Patti got so sick and needed that heart valve replacement.”
“It didn’t have to be a loan,” Jocelyn said quietly. “I wanted it to be a gift.”
“Twenty thousand dollars? You gotta be kidding.”
“I owe you that and more, Charity.”
She waved. “Keep that to yourself or you’ll ruin my reputation as the Wicked Witch. You think I don’t know what people call me? I live for that shit.”
The back door popped open and Gloria stepped out of the ladies’ room on