Tying the Knot by Susan May Warren Read Free Book Online Page B

She was just a bad judge of character . . . always had been.
    “No, but Nicollet Avenue on a snowy night is something magical.”
    His short blond hair and clean-shaven chin gave him a cultured look, and the way he leaned against the file cabinet invited her conversation. “Yes, it is,” she agreed with a smile, giving him a second chance.
    He smiled back, and she recognized something more than polite attention in his sweeping gaze. A blush started at her toes.
    “Well, that’s nothing compared to our night sky. You both ought to spend some time walking the beach while you’re here.” Dr. Simpson returned to his wobbly metal chair. “Thank you for coming in, Anne. Oh, by the way, please stop by human resources and get your security pass card and ID picture taken, okay?”
    Anne nodded, clutching the folder to her chest, the one with her recommendation. “Nice meeting you, Dr. Jefferies.” She walked out before she babbled further and completely disgraced herself. Certainly Dr. Simpson wasn’t suggesting she and Dr. Jefferies should spend time—together?
    Then again, Deep Haven presumed an entirely different set of rules. Perhaps here men weren’t to be feared.
    She marched past Sandra, embarrassment fueling her steps. No, just certain men weren’t to be feared. The memory of last night shuddered through her, and she shivered again, a reaction to Noah Standing Bear’s suggestion that he drive her home.
    He’d stood there, one leg hitched over his bike, acting like she would be thrilled to hop on his danger machine, throwing all caution and common sense to the wind. She knew firsthand what kind of damage a motorcycle could do to a rider, and beyond that, she wasn’t going to let any man—let alone Mr. Standing Bear—within spitting distance of her safe haven. She’d come to Deep Haven specifically to avoid people like him. Noah Standing Bear profiled danger. The way he looked at her with his cocky grin, the wind tangling his black hair, those mysterious golden eyes kneading hers as if they held some sort of secret. No, she’d give him a wide berth if she ever saw him again.
    No doubt he’d do the same after her reaction last night. She’d slapped him and scrambled up the road toward home.
    She hadn’t stopped running until she slammed and locked her cabin door.

    Noah slung a stack of roofing material over his shoulder and climbed the ladder leaning against the lodge. Sweat carried chips of asphalt from the roofing tiles down his back and chest; his army fatigues were black and soggy. Still, the hard work kept his mind off a certain brunette that would skin him alive after she met with Dr. Simpson. He didn’t relish their next conversation.
    Not that the last one had gone well. He grunted as he hauled up the fifty pounds of tiles. His aching back was nothing compared to the pain he’d felt when she’d walloped him, knowing that his innocent words had elicited such raw fear in her. He’d stood in stunned silence as she ran off and felt dread seep into his bones.
    She hated him.
    And he needed her. He groaned, set down the tiles, and sat on the roof, breathing hard. If only she knew of his profound gratefulness for her help. Pastor Dan and the missions committee had agreed to meet again in a week to finalize their funding, and if he didn’t have Anne Lundstrom convinced by then, he’d have to shut down the camp before it even launched. He couldn’t imprison her at Wilderness Challenge, even if a little time at camp facing the very people she was dodging might make her realize that city kids needed the same things as all kids . . . unconditional love and hope. Maybe she’d rethink that not-for-all-the-money-in-the-universe attitude about city living.
    He wasn’t a fool. He saw her hackles rise when he’d mentioned the city the first day they met by the beach, and something about his suggestion to drive her home had pushed that fear into action. Some sort of emotional nightmare had fueled