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coffee and then mixed in sugar. Thanks to the Navy she'd been to
parts of the world she never would've seen otherwise. While many of the places
weren't vacation hot spots, she'd still gotten away from Massachusetts, unlike
her mother and brother. Both of them had spent their whole lives on the East
Coast. Had her mom been any further south than Virginia? She'd never stopped to
think about it before now, but she didn't think so.
    What places had
Jake been to? She'd just started to make a mental list of all the places their
billionaire guest had probably been when he walked into the dining room.
    “Good morning. Please
tell me there is more coffee.”
    Charlie didn't
bother to stifle her laugh. It seemed as if she and Jake had a least one thing
in common. They were both addicted to coffee. “You're as bad as me. Ma just
made some more.” She pointed to the coffee urn on the sideboard. “She made some
muffins too.”
    She knew it was
rude to stare, but that didn't stop her from following Jake with her eyes as he
walked across the room. His dark blond hair was still damp from his shower and
tiny droplets of water trickled down his neck. Her fingers itched to walk up
behind him and wipe the water away. Balling her hands into tight fists, Charlie
waited for the irrational thought to disappear.
    After he poured
himself some coffee and picked out a muffin Jake took the seat across from her.
“I'm glad you're here. After I meet with the engineers working on the dam
problem, I'm heading over to visit Mr. Quinn. I thought you might like to join
me”
    As feared Mr.
Quinn broke both his hip and left arm in the fall. On the bright side however,
he hadn't done any damage to his back or neck.
    “When I stopped
in to see him yesterday he asked about you, Doc.”
    Charlie knew
Jake had stopped in to see Mr. Quinn every day since the accident. Jessica had
told her when she called the day before. But she hadn't visited him yet
herself.
    “I'll be down at
the high school. Pick me up before you head over.” She'd volunteered to help
keep an eye on the town's children so that their parents could start salvaging
what they could from their homes and take stock of the damage, two tasks that
would be nearly impossible with children in tow.
    Jake stood and
grabbed another muffin from the basket. “Your mom should open her own bakery. Her
baking is incredible.”
    “I've told her
that, but she doesn't believe me. Maybe you should tell her.”
    “Next time I see
her I will.” Jake put his empty coffee cup down on the table. “I'm heading out
now, but I will see you this afternoon probably sometime after lunch.” Without
waiting for a response, he disappeared out the door.
    Charlie sat
staring at the door long after it closed. Images of him standing there in his
well-worn jeans and dark blue polo shirt filled her mind. No matter what the
guy wore he seemed to look incredible. He was the kind of person who could
throw on a potato sack and still look ridiculously sexy. Without intending to
she started to imagine just what he looked like without his clothes on. His
shoulders were broad and his arms well-defined and tanned. Though she didn't
have any proof, she envisioned him with powerful pecs and a sculpted six-pack. Propping
her head up against her hand she mentally sighed at the vision in her head.
    “Thought you
were heading over to the school for nine?” Her mom's voice cut through
Charlie's daydream and her vision of Jake naked evaporated. “What?” she asked
whipping her head around.
    “A little
distracted this morning? Everything okay?” Concern laced her mother's voice.
    “Just zoned out
for a minute. I have a lot on my mind. Yeah, I am going to the high school. I
want to grab some coffee first.”
    Her mom pointed
to the freshly baked muffins. “Take one with you. Who knows when you'll get
lunch.”
    Charlie didn't
argue. Her mom was right and besides her mom's banana nut muffins were to die
for. The only person who made