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specimen of man I had ever seen. Ugh, I was so shallow. I should just tell him right away I didn’t want the help. But it was too ... tempting.
    I had wanted to pull the carpet and re-finish the floors forever. And he could build bookshelves, he said. I was dying to make that parlor into a gorgeous library: a place to curl up and lose myself for a while. Getting a head start on the interior stuff, and free labor to boot, was too much to resist.
    I climbed out of the shower, having scrubbed and washed every inch of myself repeatedly and absently, because apparently my mind was nowhere to be found. I wrapped my wet hair up, pulled my robe on, and scrambled, lest I bump into Jack again, back to my room to get dressed.
    I looked around at the sage green walls and white linen bedclothes. They were supposed to be soothing colors, even though I could barely take it in with my books piled over every available surface.
    I was anything but soothed. I was extremely uncomfortable, both with my shallow, lustful reaction to Jack, and the fact that Jack, a relative stranger, was in my house at all, especially while I had been in the shower naked. I knew I had been raised better than this, I just couldn’t for the life of me figure out how I was supposed to deal with this bizarre situation.
    I pulled on jean shorts and a t-shirt, my staple wardrobe. I combed and pulled my wet hair up in a bun, shoved my feet back into my Keds, and headed back down toward my new bizarre reality.
    * * *
    The Piggly Wiggly grocery store was blessedly quiet. Schools had started back up and the summer crowds had gone home. Most back to Ohio. For some reason people from Ohio loved this part of the country. One would think the drive would be a little much, but apparently someone from Ohio must have had an amazing vacation down here once many years ago and bought some billboards or something when he got home.
    I consulted the list Jack had scrawled out for me. His handwriting was atrocious.
    Milk
    Capn Crunch
    Bananas
    Cheese sticks
    Sandwich bread
    Peanut Butter
    Jelly
    O.J.
    Pasta
    Pasta sauce
    Eggs
    Bottled water
    I couldn’t help rolling my eyes. It was like shopping for a toddler. Without thinking, I fished out my phone and pulled up where he had saved his number under the name of Late Night Visitor. That wouldn’t arouse curiosity if Jazz ever saw my phone. I made a quick mental note to change it, and then tapped out a text.
    Me: Cheese sticks? What r u? Like 5?
    I moved on down the aisles collecting his and my purchases. A few minutes later my phone chirped back.
    Late Night Visitor: You were rushing me, I couldn’t think. You don’t like cheese sticks?
    Me: I love cheese sticks. In my lunch box. You eat any vegetables?
    Late Night Visitor: I’ll have you know my body is my temple ;-) I’m on vacation from California crunchy. Yes, I eat vegetables. Grab some carrots, too.
    I huffed just as my phone chirped again.
    Late Night Visitor: Please.
    I grinned and ignored the slow fizz in my belly that jumped every time my phone dinged with his response.
    Me: Baby carrots and ranch dippies. Got it.
    He just begged to be given a hard time.
    Suddenly, my heart started going a mile a minute and I was breathing hard. Jack Eversea was in my house! I willed myself to calm down and catch my breath. He was just a person. A human being. Right? I bent down for a moment and stuck my head between my knees, hoping my blood would circulate normally again. Standing up a few moments later, I pulled myself together, looked around, and straightened my shirt.
    I got what Jack needed, then added organic salad leaves, balsamic dressing, fresh salmon, wine, granola, yoghurt, and artisan bread to his pile in my cart. He’d given me enough money after all. At least he could eat a little better.
    “Hey, Keri Ann!” I looked up to see my friend Liz from high school waving to me from the check out as I approached. That was the thing about a small town, you pretty much knew someone