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definitely.” She jotted down his point. “We need to talk with dealers…but even more, we’ll want to speak with some charter companies. They’ll have the tried-and-true info.” She lifted her head from the notes.
    “Right. The real lowdown,” Ian agreed.
    Esther tapped her pencil. “Do you think Mr. Somerville is interested in fishing boats? Or just excursions?”
    Ian shrugged. “I’ll have to get more from him on that. He owns a sailboat, so I think he has sailing in mind. You know…a sunny afternoon on the lake. But my guess is fishing charters would bring new business. That’s not a bad idea.”
    “I’ll look at both, then. I’ve made a list of some of the charter fishing and excursion companies in the area.” She massaged the middle of her forehead a moment, realizing the research job would be time-consuming. Maybe more time than she wanted to spare.
    “Is something wrong?” Ian’s concerned voice caught her off guard.
    “No…well…I just realized this is a big project. I’m not sure I have the time to do a thorough job.” She dropped the pencil on the notepad and leaned back in the chair, wanting to laugh at herself. Whatelse did she do with her time? Cleaning her dresser drawers and kitchen cabinets took only so long. Then she thought of reading—one of her favorite solitary activities.
    Solitary. That was her life, it seemed. She eyed Ian watching her from his chair. Flustered by his attentiveness, she bent over the desk and grasped the pencil. Having nothing to write, she twirled it between her fingers. Though she was uncomfortable, having a man look at her with admiration felt good.
    Ian’s expression shifted through a kaleidoscope of emotions before he rose and rested his palms on the front of her desk. “I’m confident in you, Esther. Are you thinking you’re not capable of this job? I know you are.”
    “It’s not my capability,” she said, wondering what was going through his mind. “It’s the number of hours it will take.” Face it. Her concern wrapped around spending time with Ian.
    “Don’t worry about the cost. Somerville can afford it. And he’ll pay you well.” He straightened his back.
    “It’s not the money. It’s—” She studied the wood grain on her desktop, afraid to look in his eyes.
    “Me.”
    Her head jerked upward, a scowl tugging at her brow. “You?”
    Defensiveness settled on his tense face. “Ever since I asked you to go sailing, I’ve sensed—”
    Aware of her behavior, Esther looked away and took a shuddered breath. She scared people away with her unyielding personality. “It’s not you, Ian.”She paused, knowing that part of it was him. Still, that wasn’t fair to him. He’d done nothing. Nothing at all…except love sailing and, unknowingly, rattle her emotions. “I’m thinking about the amount of time I have to work on a project this large. I work full-time at the library. Remember?”
    He circled the desk and stood at her side, resting his hand on her chair back. “I know it’ll take time. Just give me something to offer Somerville. A cost estimate and time factor, and I’ll talk it over with him. If he has any qualms, then I’ll look somewhere else.”
    He slid off his spectacles and rubbed the bridge of his nose. His intense gaze didn’t waver from her face.
    Weighing her decision, Esther waited a moment to speak. “I charge forty dollars an hour, but I’ll have to give the time frame some thought.”
    “That’s fair enough.” He slid on his glasses.
    Surprising her, he leaned across her desk and fingered her Bay Breeze invitation. “Fourth of July?”
    Afraid of what he’d see if he looked into her eyes, Esther focused on the card and nodded.
    “It’s a good party,” Ian said. “I’m usually there…half working, half enjoying myself.”
    “Half working?”
    “I’m expected to keep things running smoothly for Somerville. Greet guests. Make sure everyone’s having a good time.” He stepped back and