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course,” Kathy said as she walked out the front door.

Chapter 2
    Ice knuckled the sleep from his eyes, still tired but not exhausted. After his early morning outburst nothing disturbed the stillness of the night, and he was able to snatch a few more hours sleep. When his fingers found the egg-shaped swelling on his forehead he winced, then cursed remembering how he’d come by it. His reaction to the ruckus left a lot to be desired. Sure, the dog had no business being there, but hey, no excuses, his behavior had been deplorable, and he’d probably scared the wits out of the old biddy, so now he’d have to make it right.
    Flat on his back staring at the ceiling, he let his thoughts drift back to the previous evening and to the woman he’d spied at Shenanigans. Just thinking about her gave him a boner. But what really had his dander up was in all likelihood she was a visitor to the island, and he’d never set eyes on her again. Ice kicked back the sheet and padded to the bathroom for another cold shower.
    Twenty minutes later, shaved and dressed in uniform, he picked up his briefcase and keys and pulled the apartment door closed behind him. Breakfast at the base seemed like a good idea. As he approached Miss Bellamy’s door, he fleetingly wondered if it was too early to call. He decided to give a soft tap so as not to disturb her if she was still asleep. The quicker he sorted this out the better.
    No sooner had his knuckles grazed the timber when the door was yanked open by a young redheaded woman who looked vaguely familiar. The fact that she was young took him by surprise as he was expecting a much older lady.
    “Miss Bellamy?” he inquired perplexed.
    “Ah no, Elizabeth Ellis actually, can I help you?”
    “Shane Jackson, I live next door.” He saw the immediate tension spring across her face, but she made a quick recovery and masked her disquiet with a smile.
    “I know it’s early, but before heading off to work I wanted to apologize for my rudeness last night, and can only say I’m sorry if my behavior frightened you or Miss Bellamy.”
    *
    Liz thanked God he was cool about Cindy. “I slept through the whole episode,” she said.
    “But you did scare the wits out of her. She filled me in this morning. As for an apology, it’s not necessary—this whole fiasco’s my fault.”
    As she spoke Liz’s mind flipped into top gear, the perfect opportunity to arrange a social evening had just knocked on the door. Although not at all Kathy’s type, Shane was too macho for that, but living next door he could make a good friend and he was thoughtful, otherwise why would he care if he’d frightened them or not?
    “I hope Cindy didn’t keep you and your wife awake too long?” Her voice sounded honey coated even to her ears.
    “No, not long Elizabeth, there’s just me, I live alone.”
    “Call me Liz,” she invited. “Come on in and let me make you coffee as a peace offering.”
    “Thanks, but I’m due at the base,” he explained checking his watch.
    “Dinner then?”
    “It’s not necessary…”
    “I won’t take no for an answer. I’m a fair cook, I promise I won’t poison you.” She grinned seeing victory in sight. “And it’s high time you two met, so how does seven suit?”
    “Seven’s fine.”
    “Great, see you then.” Liz closed the door before he could change his mind.
    *
    Ice lobbed down the stairs two at a time to the basement where his vehicle was garaged. His face puckered in a scowl at how easily Liz had railroaded him into accepting dinner. It was the last thing he wanted to do, he wasn’t feeling at all neighborly, but short of rudeness he’d had no choice. What the heck, he told himself, just eat, exchange a few pleasantries, and then get the hell out of Dodge. The evening wouldn’t have to be a total loss, he could cruise Shenanigans afterward to see if Doe Eyes turned up. Decision made, he climbed into his vehicle, turned on the ignition and steered the new black pickup