Stormy Surrender - By Nicole Andrews Moore Page 0,13
time, she had been stared at. Maybe it was because she was a newcomer, but surely they were used to tourists in the town. Maybe it was because she was alone, because it certainly wasn’t because she was attractive. No, Martha was not having a pretty day. She smiled at her plain face in the mirror.
Years of living in Vermont had taken their toll. She was decidedly pale. Her hair was more practical than stylish, and she seldom wore makeup. Part of the problem was that makeup application was a mystery to her. She couldn’t apply it without resembling a circus freak. And therefore, she had decided long ago, that she would have to rely on her inner beauty. (Or maybe that’s just what ugly people say to comfort themselves.) She giggled.
Grabbing her purse and fleece pullover, she headed back down the stairs. She would ask Keely if there was anything special going on in town, then take a nice walking tour and maybe even look for a house. Martha continued to formulate her plan as she went skipping down the stairs. The man who had been staring at her in the dining room was standing by the door, talking with Keely as she neared the landing. Something about his presence was so disconcerting that she stumbled on the last step. Martha inhaled sharply, prepared for the impact, when instead firm, strong hands grasped her upper arms and steadied her.
“It’s okay,” he said warmly, “I’ve got you.” He helped settle her on the floor, releasing her only once he was certain she wouldn’t collapse.
Martha looked up into clear ice blue eyes rimmed with a sea green, lashes so strawberry blond that she couldn’t help but stare. His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled at her. He had a strong angular jaw, a long straight nose, and small lips that were full and utterly kissable. Lips that were currently spread wide in a grin. He was perfection, wholly male, and only made seemingly accessible by his one minor flaw, a small pitted scar near his jaw line. She sighed, struggling to keep from caressing that jaw line.
Blaine would have jumped at the chance to work on this face, remove the one flaw that kept him from being runway ready. Blaine. That’s right. And suddenly, she was thrust back to reality, a reality where she was coping with the loss of a child and a distant husband.
The first to break the silence, Keely chuckled. “So, I see you’ve met our local handy man, Joe,” she said. “Joe, meet Martha. She’s new to town.”
They seemed to suddenly realize that they were standing entirely too close to each other for complete strangers, even maybe for longtime friends. Taking a step back, they clumsily shook hands. The act itself was awkward, stilted, but the touch…the touch was home. For reasons Martha couldn’t explain, she felt as though she had known this man all of her life, the touch was natural, comfortable, and warm.
“Nice to meet you, Joe,” she said, with a shy smile.
He shot Keely a disgusted look. “It’s Joseph, actually. At least, that’s what I’m trying to convince people to call me.” He looked at her, studied her, and somehow didn’t care if she knew it. “And you go by Martha?” Instinctively, he knew she was no Martha. Martha was an old name, a tired name. This woman was vibrant, vivacious, completely at odds with the image her name conjured. He scratched at his chin pondering that.
She gave him a sly half smile as she gently relinquished her hand, already missing his added warmth. “You don’t look like a Joe or a Joseph to me,” Martha said.
His eyes were crinkling again. “I don’t?” He was feeling playful.
“No, you don’t.” She crossed her arms in front of her. Smiling openly now, she asked, “So, can I call you Joey?” She beamed and it fully transformed her face.
He was completely mesmerized. Somehow he managed to respond, “Only if I can call you Marti, with an ‘i’ of course.” The gauntlet was thrown.
She tilted her head to the side, and pondered that suggestion. No one had ever given her a nickname. She had always thought her name plain and boring, and somehow had let it dictate her personality. Maybe now she was ready to try a new name to go along with her new life. And Marti seemed like it might just be saucy enough to fit.