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Heat rushed across her cheeks.
    â€œAt your service.” He smiled and dipped his head.
    She nodded a greeting, pressed her hand over her pounding heart and struggled to order her scattered thoughts.
    A frown pulled his straight dark eyebrows together. “I’m sorry if I startled you, Miss Bradley. But you were so lost in thought you didn’t notice me.”
    Thoughts about
him
! The heat in her cheeks increased. She fussed with a fold in her skirt for an excuse to put her head down. “I was admiring the sight of the
Colonel Phillips
against the night sky.”
Don’t mention the steamer!
“And the lake, of course. Even the silvered water is lovely—from a safe distance.” She pressed her lips together to stop her babbling. There was no point in letting the man see that the unfortunate timing of his appearance had her completely undone. It served her right for dreaming about him.
    A smile curved his lips. “There is no quivering deck under your feet here.”
    It wasn’t her feet that were quivering. It was her stomach. She lifted her head, gave him a polite, if somewhat forced, smile and groped for a change of subject. “How did you find me?”
Oh, dear. She’d made it sound as if he were on a quest of some sort!
“I mean, what do you want?”
And that was worse!
She stared at him, aghast at her lack of manners.
    His gaze traveled slowly over her face, came to rest on her eyes.
    The apology she was about to offer died on her lips.
    â€œYou have a penchant for standing alone away from the crowd, Miss Bradley. And you are the only person on this part of the shore. I took a chance that it was you.”
    His gaze held hers. He had warm brown eyes. So...warm... The quivering spread to her knees. She broke the eye contact, clenched her hands to keep from pressing them against her stomach and wished he’d stop talking long enough that she could gather her wits together.
    â€œWould you care to stroll with me along the shoreline until it is time for my steamer to leave, Miss Bradley?”
    Did he think her bold like Clarice? She pushed at her curls, pretended to adjust her hat to stall for time. His request was innocent enough to be acceptable. What could she say?
I’m sorry, Mr. Winston, but you make me nervous?
It wasn’t his fault that she’d been dreaming.
She looked down at his offered arm, nodded and slipped her hand in the crook of his elbow. It felt natural and secure, as if it belonged there. She thrust the thought from her, lifted her hems with her free hand and strolled beside him.
    â€œDid you come to the shore for the concert, Miss Bradley? Or only to admire the view of the lake by night?”
    â€œI came for the concert—along with everyone else here at Chautauqua, it seems. I’ve never seen so many people in one place. Which is why I am on this side of the dock.” She gave a small laugh, focused her thoughts on answering his question to keep from thinking about his closeness. “The loveliness of the lake view was a pleasant surprise.” She looked at the water slipping along the shore at his side. “Although I cannot say I find it so at the moment. Now that I’m close, the water simply looks dark and dangerous.”
    â€œIt’s not that way once you know how to swim. It’s really quite refreshing to dive into the water on a hot summer’s day.”
    His smile was too charming. “Ah...” She gave him a sidelong look and shook her head. “I shall no longer be ashamed of my cowardice concerning water, Mr. Winston. I see now why you were so comfortable on the steamer. You live on the lake. Though I still cannot see how that can make diving into its water enjoyable.” She gave a mock shudder.
    He chuckled and turned so that they headed back toward the dock. “I have misled you, Miss Bradley. I live in Mayville and our home is not on Chautauqua Lake, though our land borders