Sweet Joymaker (Indigo Bay Christmas Romances #3) - Jean Oram Page 0,3

spine.

She ran her fingers through the hair at the nape of her neck, ensuring tendrils hadn’t escaped the loose bun. She fought the smile that always seemed to appear when Clint Walker was around.

Maria turned to face him. He was fit for being fifty-nine, his shoulders broad and strong. No doubt those muscles came from having to work rusted old bolts off the wrecks people called vehicles out here in Texas Hill Country.

“Indigo Bay. Kittim Lane asked me to come help with a fundraiser they’re putting on for a local animal shelter.”

“Barks and Bows?”

“How do you know?” she asked in surprise, handing Fiona her debit card. “Can I clear my tab, too, please?”

“Not coming back for a while?” her friend teased.

Clint took a more careful look at Maria, who blushed and said, “What?” She felt inexplicably guilty. “I clear it every week.”

“My friend Jeff Brewster and I were talking about restoring an old scooter for the auction.”

“For the Indigo Bay gala?” she asked, feeling as though the world was a little too small at the moment for this to be purely coincidental.

Clint nodded.

“And are you going?” she asked.

The prospect of seeing Clint away from Sweetheart Creek thrilled her. But another part of her was scared of the thought of the two of them being free of everything that held them in their respective roles here in town.

“Brewster’s been working on it alone, as I haven’t been able to get away to help. I’m fixin’ to take an extra long Christmas break and head out there. I haven’t had a vacation in a long time.”

“You should go,” Maria said, starting to slip past him, and trying to avoid inhaling his wonderfully familiar scent of Old Spice and motor oil. “It’s supposed to be a great event.” She gave a confirming nod. “For a good cause.”

Clint turned as she went by, and his slow, kind smile made her heart flutter. “Maybe I will,” he said slowly.

Maria nodded again and tried to stop herself from scooting out the door, panicked that Clint might indeed show up in Indigo Bay. And that the real reason he did so might be because of her.

Chapter 2

Maria inhaled the salty ocean air, absorbing the soothing vista of sea-green waves and the feel of sugary sand underfoot. She’d arrived in Indigo Bay last night and had slept in this morning, gone out for brunch, then spent a leisurely Sunday afternoon catching up with Kit on her condo’s deck. Now they were walking the beach.

“I’m so glad you invited me to come out here,” Maria said to Kittim. Her friend’s heritage extended from the Middle East, and as a result she had gorgeous glossy black hair, beautiful brown eyes and a carriage and presence that always made Maria think of a princess. She was all the things Maria was not, and yet Kit somehow made her feel strong and as though her functional build was a foundation that could weather any storm.

“And I’m so glad you came,” her friend said, brushing back a strand of hair that kept blowing across her face. It had a streak of white that hadn’t been there the last time they’d visited, and was just another indicator of time passing. Kit bumped her hip against Maria’s and wrapped her hand around her arm, giving it a squeeze. The affectionate gesture caused Maria’s eyes to fill with tears.

When she sniffed, Kit drew back to look at her. “What’s wrong?”

“I think it’s been too long since I’ve had a hug.” Maria swiped at her eyes, unsure where the sudden bout of emotion had come from. She wasn’t like this.

“Aw, honey.” Kittim pulled her into a tender embrace. “You’re always so strong, and I’m sure everyone has leaned on you this past year. But who’s been there for you?”

“I have friends like Fiona, of course,” she answered. But Fiona had been going through her own hardships since her husband’s accident. It had been several years now, but he wasn’t doing well emotionally, his disabled status impacting him and their marriage more than his inability to walk.

And there was Clint. He’d been a wonderful friend, taking care of her car, making her laugh, bringing her a cup of coffee when she was volunteering around town. Little things to make her feel there was someone who noticed and cared, someone who had her back even though she was doing fine.

But she worried he wanted more than she could give, and as a result, accepted his small tokens with hesitance.

“Of