Way to Her Heart - By Melanie Schuster Page 0,5
seen it. Luckily, he didn’t seem to have noticed her momentary schoolgirl foolishness. As they entered the market, Sherri inhaled the fresh smells of the gorgeous produce displayed in tempting piles.
“Sydney would love this. She might have forsaken her beloved doggies to see all of this.”
They stopped by a stand that sold locally made baskets. Lucas bought two large ones and a T-shirt with the market logo for Sydney. “Now she won’t feel like she missed out. We’ll have to bring her here the next time we’re on the island.”
“That’s so thoughtful of you,” Sherri said warmly. “She’s a big fan of yours. She thinks you’re the funniest man she ever met and she says that you cook better than Jared, and that’s high praise because she knows her food.”
“You have an amazing kid, Sherri. Smart, well-behaved, cute as a button and a budding gourmet. You’re a great mom.”
Sherri stopped looking at the heirloom tomatoes in unusual colors and gave him a big smile. “Thank you for saying that. My life is all about Sydney and my job. I had just started my internship when I found out I was pregnant. It wasn’t easy, but it sure was worth it. She’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“I hope her father feels the same way about her.”
Only someone who knew her really well would have been able to read the look on her face, fleeting though it was. She was about to give him an answer when her cell phone rang. Grateful for the distraction, she hastily answered it. It was Alexis, being her usual nosy self.
“I was just checking on you,” she said cheerfully. “You two got out of here so fast I didn’t realize you were gone. Having fun?”
“Yes, I am. Is my daughter behaving?”
“She’s always a perfect little lady, you know that. I’m going to let you change the subject because you get that weird look on your face when you don’t want to talk about something and I don’t want Lucas to think you’re nuts. So you’re safe for now.”
“You’re too kind,” Sherri mumbled.
Alexis ignored her snarky reply and went on. “My darling husband wants his brother to bring home more lemons and shallots and some fresh basil along with whatever else he went to get. And he says he’s making the fire now so it’ll be hot when you two get back.”
“I’ll let him know. We should be back soon.”
“Good because while they’re grilling dinner, I’m gonna be grilling you!”
Sherri ended the call while Alexis was still giggling madly. As she put the phone back in the pocket of her shorts, Lucas returned to her side. She relayed Jared’s requests and he nodded absently. Taking her hand, he began to lead her to the aisle where the shallots and other aromatics were. He looked down at her with a warm look of concern.
“Is everything okay? You had kind of an odd look when you were on the phone,” he said.
“It’s a bad habit,” she admitted. “I make the strangest faces without realizing it. I don’t do it at work—just when Alexis is picking on me.”
“You two are as close as sisters and if you’re anything like my family, y’all probably pick on each other constantly. Besides, it’s cute as hell when you do it.”
He squeezed her hand and gave her another of his crooked smiles. The same warm thrill ran through her as before, making her forget about the teasing she’d endured earlier and the interrogation she was sure to face once Alexis got her alone. For once, she was in the moment, just enjoying Lucas’s company.
* * *
As far as Lucas was concerned the weekend was a total success. He got to take the baby steps that Sydney had advised simply by taking Sherri to the farmers’ market. They had some time alone and he got to look at her long, shapely legs as much as he wanted. Everything about her appealed to him, from her thick, coarse hair with its stylish cut, to her sweet, natural face with the sprinkling of tiny freckles across her nose. She was graceful and sexy without making a big deal of it. He was used to artificially pretty women who made a big deal of their beauty like it was a new kind of currency. The message they sent out was “I’m irresistible because I have long hair and big boobs, so have sex with me!” Lucas was no snob and he had a very high