Read Concealed Attractions (Cedar Island Tales) for Free Online Page B

worried about. I’m just giving you a ride to the harbor.” He rested his head on his arms and his hair ruffled in the breeze . She lay back next to him, her back warmed by the sun-heated stone, a hint of his aftershave on the breeze —it reminded her of something spicy— and listened to the silence, broken only by the sound of the win d as it moved among the trees, disappointed that h e’d given her a reason not to think it was a date—so her dad woul dn’t think it was, anyway. S he like d the idea of a date with him. But maybe Ben thought of her as just another clinic employee, a friend, not really a date , not someone he’d ever want to date .
    She dared herself to lean closer and asked, “A re we supposed to bring you presents—to this birthday party of yours?”
    “No need . Just being there is enough.” He opened his eyes and sat up .  “Come on . We should head back, in case we have trouble with the Green Monster . I don’t want your dad thinking I didn’t plan to get you home on time.”
    Glad that he seemed sensitive to her father’s stated instruction , Danni reached for her backpack and followed him down the trail. Maybe the next time, her dad wouldn’t ask so many questions. A half hour later, they reached the car.
    Ben turn ed the ignition, the car gave a loud bang and a huge puff of smoke and immediately stalled out. Several tries to start it again failed.
    Ben groaned. “Here, slide over and get behind the wheel. I’m going to pop the hood and see if I can find out why it keeps dying.”  
    After he fiddled with some wires, Danni started the car, Ben closed the hood, and jumped into the passenger side as they began to move slowly down the hill toward the road .
    “Don’t brake, just keep it moving. If we don’t have to stop, maybe we can get it to the top of the next hill and coast into town .”
    She laughed. “All five miles? Fat chance.”
    She ex changed seats with him just over the crest of the hill, and the car coasted down the other side until the engine caught again with another huge puff of smoke before the engine settled into a rough gargling sort of ride. At the end of her driveway, Ben left the engine running, jumped out, opened her door, and waved to Danni ’s mom.
    “See you tomorrow.”  Before the car could stall again, he backed it away and pointed its pea-green nose toward Joel’s house near the clinic.
    Danni waved at Ben and entered the house. She’d changed her mind about confiding in Ben, her heart thumping at the thought that maybe he’d stop liking her if he knew. If only she weren’t pregnant.  But what she was going to do about that still escaped her.
     

Chapter 4
    A week later, t he docked Pride ’ n Joy bobbed gently in the wake of a nearby boat headed out of the harbor . Joel had decorated the bridge with multi colored crepe paper and Bronnie had add ed paper Japanese lanterns. Joel was passing out glasses of beer when Ben arrived with Dannilynn , wearing a pretty sun dress and sandals for the occasion . After they climbed aboard the boat, she handed Ben a small package wrapped in newspaper.
    “Hey, you didn’t have to g et me anything.” He squeezed her hand.
    “You haven’t seen it yet. ” She act ed shy when she wouldn’t meet his eyes and then hopeful that he would like it when she glanced his way again.
    “Well, thanks, anyway.”
    A beautiful woman sat next to Joel , sipping her beer and seeming to apprais e Ben . “I don’t think we’ve met. ” H er long blond hair bl ew over her shoulder in the breeze.
    Joel did the honors. “Sorry, Angela. The birthday boy is Benjamin Edwards, my new extern and all-purpose slave for the year.” He dipped a chip in the spread on the nearby table. “And, the gift-provider is my other slave, Dannilynn Kelly . She worked for me the last two summer s . That qualifies her as a glutton for punishment, I guess.” H e laughed. “Glad you could make it, Danni . You just missed Kate and Pia . They