Wind Chime Wedding (A Wind Chime Novel Book 2) by Sophie Moss Read Free Book Online Page A

a developer to swoop in and gobble up all the cheap land. The islanders had already fought off one developer last year. Would they be able to win that battle again if their community was in danger of falling apart?
    She took several deep breaths, trying to focus on the delighted squeals of a group of children tossing bits of bread to the seagulls that wheeled and dipped over Spa Creek. She had practiced her pitch to the governor so many times over the past two days, she could recite it from memory now.
    Everyone was depending on her.
    She wasn’t going to let them down.
    Closing the door to her car with a determined click, she paid the parking meter and scanned the bustling City Dock for Colin. She hadn’t expected so many tourists to be out yet. He had said to meet near the bronze statue of Alex Hadley, but maybe they should have picked a less crowded spot.
    Her heart did another funny little stutter step when she spotted him.
    He was standing about ten yards away, watching her with that cool-as-ice gaze. A blue button down shirt stretched across his broad shoulders. His hands were dipped into the pockets of a pair of dark gray pants, and the thick, wavy black hair that swept back from his rugged face looked like it was still damp from a recent shower.
    She should have known it wouldn’t take long to find him. He wasn’t the kind of man you could easily miss in a crowd. At six-foot-four, he stood at least a head taller than everyone around him.
    Crossing the street, she threaded her way through the groups of tourists to where he stood. “Hey.” She attempted a breezy smile. “I hope you haven’t been waiting long.”
    “Not long at all.”
    A group of women in their late-twenties walked by, gawking as they craned their necks to get a better look.
    She didn’t blame them.
    “I’m surprised it’s so busy here tonight.” Becca took in the lines outside the seafood restaurants surrounding the harbor. “I didn’t expect to see so many tourists out yet.”
    “It’s mostly locals,” Colin said. “The first warm Saturday of the year always draws everyone out of their homes.”
    That explained it, Becca thought as a balmy breeze brushed over her bare arms, carrying the faint scent of coffee and Old Bay Seasoning. She’d always loved Annapolis. It was the perfect sized city, not so big that it felt overwhelming, but big enough to soak in a bit of culture.
    “How was the drive?” Colin asked.
    “Good,” she said, tipping forward slightly as a group of teenagers jostled her from behind.
    Colin caught her by the elbow, steadying her.
    The moment his work-roughened fingers grazed her bare skin, an unexpected flash of heat shot through her. She drew in a breath and tried to step back, but one of her heels caught between a crack in the bricks.
    “I’ve got you,” Colin said, his strong hand holding her in place. He held her gaze for several long beats, then glanced down at the offending heel. A slow smile spread across his lips. “Nice shoes.”
    Becca’s insides twisted…for a different reason this time.
    Tugging her heel free, she smoothed her hands down the front of her dress, trying to regain her composure. But when she glanced back up, and caught his heated gaze following the path of her hands, every muscle in her body contracted.
    His eyes were so intense. So blue.
    His gaze lifted back to her face, and she braced herself for another comment about the shoes.
    Wearing them had definitely been a mistake.
    But he didn’t say anything about her shoes. He just stood there, close enough so she could smell the soap on his skin and something else—something strong and masculine and uniquely Colin —and continued to study her.
    “Did you do something different to your hair?” he asked.
    “What?” she stammered, pushing at the curtain of brown hair that fell to her shoulders.
    “It looks different.” He reached up, touching the ends. “Longer.”
    Her mouth went dry when his fingers grazed her collarbone.