Deep River Promise Jackie Ashenden (best life changing books .txt) 📖

stop talking anytime soon, Astrid walked quickly past to the community center’s doors.

She didn’t have time to talk to either Debbie or Gwen this morning, not when she still had to look at Kevin’s fishing charter idea, plus the details of Phil’s wildlife sanctuary.

She was busy. Too busy. And that was good, especially with Connor weighing on her mind.

Outside, it was a crisp and beautiful morning. With all those mountains around, Deep River got a lot of rain, so it was extra nice when the sun decided to show itself, the deep, intense blue of the sky contrasting sharply with the year-round snow on the peaks that surrounded the town. Almost the same blue, in fact, as the eyes of the man lounging in the gravel area just in front of the community center’s doors.

Damon.

He looked tall and broad and delicious dressed in those battered and worn jeans. Today, instead of a T-shirt, he wore a casual black button-down shirt made out of some kind of textured and soft-looking, touchable fabric. The sleeves were rolled up, exposing muscled forearms and strong wrists, and somehow the dark color made his skin look even more golden, his hair a deep shade of caramel, and his eyes…

Yes, she needed to stop looking now.

What on earth was he doing here?

Her heart was beating much faster than it had been during class, her palms sweaty where they clutched at her mat.

“Good morning, Ms. Mayor.” His voice rolled over her, rich and deep as he approached, his hands in his pockets, his smile slow and sexy. “How was your class?”

His outrageous good looks made Astrid very conscious of how sweaty and red-faced she was, and that her hair was sticking to the back of her neck. And no doubt her T-shirt to her body, and not in a sexy way.

Aiden hadn’t liked her appearance to be anything less than perfectly groomed and had always had something to say about it if she wasn’t wearing makeup or a pretty dress. So when she’d come to Deep River, she’d worn nothing but jeans and T-shirts and had defiantly thrown all her makeup away. She never thought about her appearance these days.

But she was excruciatingly aware of it now, and the same old feelings of discomfort and shame she’d used to feel around Aiden were coming back, winding through her like ivy, clinging to her. She hated it.

Resisting the urge to touch her hair, she forced the feelings away, holding on to her temper as she came down the wooden steps from the community center’s porch.

“Good morning, Mr. Fitzgerald,” she said coolly. “To what do I owe the pleasure so bright and early?”

He gave her a leisurely survey, and she braced herself for the distaste that would no doubt soon show in his expression. Yet it wasn’t distaste that flickered in his eyes but something hotter and far more…appreciative.

A little jolt of shock pulsed through her. Since when had a man looked at her with appreciation? With heat? The way a man looks at a woman and likes what he sees?

A long time. She couldn’t remember how long.

That fluttering feeling in the pit of her stomach that she’d felt the day before in the Moose was back, a feminine kind of excitement. A reminder that though she might be done with men, her body was not and it liked this particular man. It liked the heat and appreciation that burned in his eyes.

She could feel a similar heat in her cheeks and knew she was blushing like a teenager. How intensely annoying. With luck he wouldn’t notice, since she was red as a beet already.

“I’m here to offer you some help,” he said in that unhurried way he had. “With some of these tourist ideas that the town wants to get off the ground.”

Astrid blinked in surprise. “How can you help with that?”

“I know a thing or two about money, and I’m good with investments.” He shrugged those broad shoulders. “Silas thought I could look over them and offer advice.”

People were starting to come out behind her, the conversation lowering to a startled buzz as the mostly female attendees caught a glimpse of Damon standing like a Hollywood movie star in the middle of the gravel parking area.

He must have noticed, because he glanced behind her, his smile widening in that warm, genuine way. As if he really was pleased to see them all. “Morning, ladies.”

A scattering of “mornings” echoed back, including a couple of giggles that were very reminiscent of a pack of teenage girls mooning over the star quarterback.

And that annoyed her too. Unreasonably.

“In that case, you really should go to the mayor’s office.” She tried to keep the irritation from her voice. “My office hours are from nine onward.”

“It’s a Saturday,” he said. “I wasn’t sure if you’d be in the office.”

God, he was so reasonable. He made it impossible for her to sustain any kind of annoyance. Which naturally made her even more irritable.

It’s not him you’re annoyed at. It’s yourself.

Oh yes, she was well aware. But knowing that didn’t help one bit, especially when he smiled at her like that, watching her with that warm, steady gaze.

Trying to get ahold of herself, she pasted on a cool smile. “I can be. But I need to go home and have a shower first.” She started walking past him, determinedly keeping her attention forward. “Meet me at the mayor’s office in fifteen minutes.”

Much to her intense aggravation, he fell into step beside her. “Not a problem. Though we can just as easily meet at your place. Then you won’t have to—”

“The mayor’s office.” Astrid stopped walking and gave him a steady look, the thought of him in her actual house alarming for reasons she couldn’t have articulated even to herself. “Fifteen minutes.”

He studied her for a moment, making her feel even hotter than she already was. “Sure. I’ll get us coffee from April’s. And maybe a couple of donuts too.”

“I don’t want a donut. I have